- REBREATHERS - SPORT DIVERS ... - Stingray Divers

pangas, the Solmar V positions
its stern to the Boiler so that
divers can enter and exit freely
from the boat’s swim step. As
a precaution, the crew also
employs both pangas to pick
up anyone who might get
carried away should a current
spring up. Having the Solmar’s
two longtime veteran panga
drivers Luis and Jeronimo,
both extraordinarily vigilant
and competent, is a comforting
piece of insurance.
Even when the mantas make
a no show, there is plenty to see
and photograph here. Schools of
crevales and cotton jacks, king
anglefish are the norm, while
tons of small stuff live in the
rock’s cracks and crevices. The
site is also a cleaning station
hence the reason mantas are attracted to it.
When they do make an appearance, divers are
treated to a real show. The wingspan of pacific
manta average 15 feet tip to tip. When the
manta appear, its best to just hang in the water
column and let them come to you, which they
usually do quickly, stalling overhead to bathe in
your exhaust bubbles.
The Solmar V crew has discovered that rays
will stay around longer if they aren’t pursued.
Some days, there can be so many rays vying for
attention; you don’t know which way to look.
My last day at the Boiler was one of those. And
to my absolute delight I had an all-black manta
that approached and seemed to single me out.
During our 20-minute encounter, I could have
easily stroked its belly each time it banked into
the bubbles.
The last dives of our trip were at The Canyon,
off San Benedicto. Hammerheads are often seen
at deeper depths here, but on this day they were
nowhere to be found. Instead was a school of
juvenile silvertips that like to favor the rock piles
near the drop-off at 83 feet.
Unlike their Roca Partida cousins, the
individuals in this group are not shy, coming
plenty close enough to photos. All too soon, the
diving was done and it was time to head home.
The Solmar V cruise back to Cabo San Lucas
takes 24 hours; time enough to pack, get some
sun, read a book or two and plot a return visit to
the Isla Revillagigedo. April 2008 looks good... v
Socorro’s Season and
diving Conditions
Dive season for the Socorro Islands
runs from November 1 through to
mid-June. From July to November
hurricane activity makes the islands
too risky for scheduled trips. Water
temperatures start around 78 - 82
F in November and December,
dropping into the mid to lower 70’s
January on into April then climb
back into the upper 70’s by May.
Mantas and sharks are the main
draw, but during late January to the
end of March humpback whales
sometimes pay surprise visits during
dives. Like Hawaii, the islands
serve as breeding grounds for large
numbers of these marine mammals,
as evidenced by the presence of
their peaceful songs most dives.
Currents and surge should be
expected, and lack of a white sand
bottom will make the water appear
darker, even on days when visibility
is in the 80 – 100-foot range. If
you don’t already carry a personal
surface marker, invest in a good one
before you go. The boat provides
inexpensive plastic models for those
without them, but those produced
by companies like OMS, Dive Rite
and Zeagle are a better choice.
www.underwaterjournal.com June/July 2007