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Socorro

Giant Mantas, Dolphins & 11 Species of Sharks!

April 8-16, 2026

M/Y Nautilus Explorer

Socorro! Just thinking about it gives me chills (for happy reasons 😊). My friends, this is a trip I have been wanting to do for a long time now. And I cannot begin to fully express to you how excited I am to be going there! We have all heard the expression “Go Big or Go Home” well…Socorro is my “Go Big” place! Big Mantas, Big Pods of Dolphin, Big Schools of Sharks, Big Schools of Fish, Big Whales, Big Varity of Sharks…BIG STUFF! No pretty coral reefs there…just Big Stuff! Lions, Tigers & Bears Oh My!!!

First things first…where & what is Socorro?

Actually, Socorro is one of four islands that are among the Revillagigedo Archipelago National Park (Mexico). Socorro Island is by far the most famous — for divers, anyway — among them, which sit around 240 miles off the country’s west coast, directly south of Baja California. Uninhabited Socorro is the largest of the four Islands, with an area of 51 square miles (132 km2), though divers will visit all four islands: Socorro, Clarion, Roca Partida, and San Benedicto.

In July 2016, UNESCO declared the archipelago a World Heritage site, and in late November of that year, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto designated the area the Revillagigedo Archipelago National Park, thereby creating the then largest ocean reserve in North America.Closely guarded and only available to a limited number of permit holders, the nearly 58,000-square-mile (150,000 square kilometers) ocean reserve protects these four uninhabited volcanic islands.

In terms of geography, Socorro is a striking volcanic island, easily recognizable by its barren landscape. Small craters, lava domes and lava flows break up the island’s surface. Socorro doesn’t offer coral-reef diving, so don’t expect colorful dives. Instead, it’s all about ocean giants, including practically guaranteed manta and dolphin sightings. You can also see plenty of sharks! Schooling Hammerhead & schooling Silvertip sharks (not a misprint!) including Silky, Galapagos, and Whitetips. Socorro is rightly known as the “Galapagos of Mexico” for its diversity and large aggregations of large animals. Potentially up to 11 different species of sharks can be spotted!
 
But let’s not kid ourselves, Socorro is best known for the manta rays. Nowhere else in the world boasts a population of giant oceanic mantas (Mobula birostris) that literally seek interaction with scuba divers and snorkelers. It’s extraordinary. And let’s not forget about the Bottlenose Dolphins, trying to outdo the mantas, to see who can be the most playful with scuba divers! And April is toward the end of the season for Humpback whale encounters. The whales come to these islands every year to mate and give birth to their young. So, while it is not guaranteed, there is a good chance we will have the opportunity to see them during our visit.

For this trip, we have partnered with Nautilus Adventures sailing aboard the Nautilus Explorer liveaboard (these islands are only accessible via liveaboard dive yacht). This trip will be for 8-nights but because of the transit time to and from the islands, we will have a total of 5 dive days. Please open this link here for the “Know Before You Go” brochure on the finer details of this trip to include itinerary and FAQ’s.

Know Before You Go!

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With its remote location, pristine waters, and unparalleled marine encounters, Socorro Island (Revillagigedo Archipelago) offers a truly unique and awe-inspiring diving experience. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore this underwater paradise and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Getting there:

The Nautilus Explorer sails from Cabo San Lucas. The airport code is SJD (San Jose del Cabo). All major airlines, including Southwest, have daily flights in & out of Cabo. American Airlines alone has 5 flights a day out of DFW. But regardless of which airline you choose, I recommend that you arrive at least 1-day prior to our departure on April 8th. Because of the day long transit time to Socorro, the liveaboard will depart on April 8th regardless of your circumstance. So…fly in a day early so you do not have to stress if the airlines let you down. Besides, spending a day & night in Cabo should be a lot of fun!

My friends, a lot of divers within the FCD Community have been asking me about a potential Socorro trip for a couple of years now and I am thrilled to finally be able to offer it. I have reserved the entire liveaboard for our only group, so we have a total of 22 spots available to offer. As with all out trips, it is FCFS with availability and stateroom requests. Call us to secure your spot today!

This trip will be epic! Don’t miss this opportunity!

*Note to single divers:

Since this is a liveaboard trip, all prices are for double occupancy. Two people in each stateroom. If you are a single & don’t have a travel companion, then let us know! Chances are we know of other singles who are looking for dive buddies to share a stateroom.

But with that said, we have made two of the standard staterooms available for single occupancy. This is a great option for a single diver who wants their privacy for a reasonable upcharge. The two staterooms designated for single occupancy are A & B.

Stateroom Types & Pricing:

Premium “Emerald” Suite: $6099 per person / double occupancy
Superior “Rosario, Nautilus & Dofleini” Suite: $5499 per person / double occupancy
Standard Stateroom (C, D, E, F, G, H & J): $4999 per person / double occupancy
Standard Single Occupancy Stateroom (A & B): $5999 per person / single occupancy
Quick note on pricing: We realize these prices are a lot higher than the published prices on the operator’s website. This is because the prices they advertise do not include the Mexican taxes, Administrative fees and the expensive marine park access permit. In the interest of transparency, we have included those fees in our prices.

Payment Terms:

$1200 Non-Refundable Deposit / Per Person due at booking
$2000 Payment / Per Person due by July 1, 2025
Balance due by January 1, 2026

Inclusions:

8-night stay aboard the Nautilus Explorer in air-conditioned suite/stateroom with a private ensuite bathroom.
Up to 20 guided dives (weather permitting)
Use of standard AL80 air tanks & lead weights
All meals to include snacks
All non-alcoholic beverages
Mexican Travel Taxes
Revillagigedo Archipelago National Park Divers Permit

Exclusions:

Airfare. Daily flights are available from all major airlines from several US cities. We suggest American Airlines flying through DFW (Dallas Ft. Worth). We need to fly into Los Cabos International (Airport code SJD)
Equipment Rental included larger capacity tanks (available through operator)
Enriched Air Nitrox Upgrade (currently $120) / payable onboard
Port Fee of $35 per person / payable onboard
Airport transfers are not included
Alcoholic beverages. This includes beer, wine & spirits. Available onboard for sale. Sorry…due to Mexican law…BYOB is NOT permitted.
Wi-Fi / available onboard for a nominal fee
Boutique merchandise purchased onboard
Gratuity for your crew.

Additional Information

The deposit is non-refundable and will not be refunded for any reason. We are making a commitment to our travelers, so we expect our travelers to fulfill their commitment to us.
No additional funds will be returned if canceled within 10 months from the trip.
In the event someone needs to cancel, they can certainly transfer their secured booking to a replacement traveler and receive a full refund minus a 10% service fee.
Traveler acknowledges these terms and conditions at time of booking.
Minimum certification requirement: Open Water certification but we encourage divers to have their Advanced Open Water and Enriched Air Nitrox certification.
All trip participants are required to have Divers Supplemental Insurance. We suggest either DAN or DiveAssure.
As with all of our trips, we highly encourage participants to purchase their own Travel/Trip Insurance. Again, we suggest either DAN or DiveAssure.