Location: Humpback whales visiting Socorro for their winter vacation and um, strengthening their genetic stock
Comments: 1200 humpback whales visit the Revillagigedo Archipelago every winter to breed and birth – they basically visit the islas to strengthen their genetic stock!! We see these same whales up in Alaska every summer and figure that these guys are the particularly smart ones, ie. these are the animals that have decided to go to Mexico for their winter vacation and um, stock strengthening.
Punta Tosca is a lovely site and we often see mantas here as well as dolphins, assorted sharks including the odd tiger shark (we have had more tiger shark sightings here than any other place in the islas). But more than anything, this is where we typically have our best humpback whale encounters. Over our 4 seasons of offering scuba diving charters to Socorro, we have discovered a particularly sweet spot to anchor for the purpose of observing humpback whales hanging around the Nautilus Explorer. I don’t know why this is such a sweet spot but we’ll take it. Anyways, we saw humpback whales on the surface all day long. A number of guests went out whale watching in the afternoon. We heard male humpbacks singing while we were diving. Guests in the lower deck cabins could even hear singing humpback whales while lying in their bunks!!
Divemaster Ryan lucked out with the very best encounter of all when a large male humpback whale approached him underwater and hung out with him for a reported 20 minutes. Ryan could barely contain himself when he got back and reported that the whale was close enough to touch. How come I always seem to miss the best dives!?!
–Captain Mike
Weather: Blue skies, air temperatures in the mid 80’s, winds less than 10 knots but a very big, long groundswell gradually calming down during the day.
Water: Water temperature 70°F
