Location: Roca Partida, Socorro island, Baja California, Mexico
Approaching Roca Partida in the morning we got a Tsunami warning via our Inmarsat communicating a earth quake outside of the coast of Chile on a scale of 8.8
We got the information that it would arrive around 1045 AM at our site. We are in this time very thankful of Nautilus Explorer’s well equipped communication possibilities. At this time we could as well warn a neighbouring dive vessel that did not have it and assist them getting out of problems. So they stopped their operation and got out on deep water.
We decided to stay 2 Nautical miles from Roca Partida at 10000 ft of water and wait it out while we waited for more information from our head office. We could not be in a safer spot and everybody was calm. What we where worried about would not be a big waves but a stronger current and better to be safe the sorry as they say. Well after a bit of drama in the morning we approach the rock and started diving. The visibility was actually poor for Roca Partida , but the action was there! Lots of sharks!! And the second day was even better. Big schools of hammerhead sharks. A bit deeper down big Galapagos sharks. And cruising silvertip sharks.
Some of our scuba divers came up shouting of happiness after been diving with a humpback whale a mother and Calf and had also film of it. The humpback whales came very close to us when we were out in the zodiac inflatables and we heard them singing the whale song on almost all dives. It is the male Humpback whale that stayes on his head and sing.
The last dive was probably the best one , the water got clear and we had so many sharks mostly hammerheads and we saw them over and over again. Last was a group of maybe a houndred. Nice ending! Divemaster Sten
Surface conditions: 3-5 ft swell , sunny and 30 C , very nice and calm
Underwater conditions: viz not so good, about 50 ft when better up to 90ft. slow easy current very little surge.
Diving at Rocal Partida with a Tsunami warning – what it was like. Divemaster Log for 27 – 28 February, 2010.
