ROCIO DEL MAR I 220€ DISCOUNT I NOV - DEC 2021 I 9 NIGHTS I SOCORRO I MEXICO

THE ROCIO DEL MAR

The vessel is 110 feet in length and the beam is 25 feet and can accommodate 20 Divers. There is plenty of space to relax during the surface intervals, including a Salon, covered sitting area and a covered Sun Deck. The spacious Dining Area is in the lower forward part of the boat to minimize any sense of movement during meals. Wet gear storage is available on the Diving Deck, so there is no need to lug gear or clutter your Stateroom with it. We will carefully select anchorages to minimize any wave action on the 200 ton stiff steel vessel while anchored for the night. Oversize engines designed to operate at low working loads with high efficiency, producing less engine noise and vibration at normal cruising speed. Deep V hull design and wave breaking bow knuckle to minimize surface wave action against the hull as the Rocio Del Mar moves forward through the sea.

OUR CABINS

There are 10 cabins, 2 Cabins with Double beds and a Twin bunk; 2 Cabins with Double beds and 6 Cabins with 2 separate Twin beds. All cabins have air conditioning, a private bathroom and shower. Each cabin is carpeted and air conditioned. There are room length windows with privacy curtains and convenient gear and clothes storage drawers beneath the beds. We recommend any private valuables be safely stored in the boat’s secure vault.

FOOD ON BOARD

All meals and snacks are included. Start your day early with a heavy continental breakfast with bagels, toast, yogurt, fresh fruit, cereals, fresh juices, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. After your first dive you will enjoy an American style breakfast consisting of items such as pancakes, waffles, eggs, breakfast meats, and potatoes. After your second dive you will come back to a hearty lunch that starts with a home-made soup followed by a plated meal such with fish, beef or chicken, fresh vegetables, home-made pasta salads, burgers, fish tacos, and more. In the mid-afternoon our chef will prepare a lovely snack with items such as mini sandwiches, sliced cheese and meats, nachos, guacamole, etc. You will end your day with a wonderful, three course dinner that starts with a salad, a main course with seafood, beef, chicken or pork cooked with savory spices, paired with vegetables, pastas and potatoes. Desserts are a sweet surprise made fresh daily.

Weather permitting we have special evening on the top of our boat where our chef prepares carne asada and the entire crew joins in to serve you. Hot and cold beverages are available throughout the day including canned soft drinks. The Quino provides complimentary beer and wine after your last dive of the day. Smoking is allowed only on the top Sun Deck.

DIVING WITH US

With clear, deep blue waters, abundant sea life, white sand beaches and inspiring vistas, the Sea of Cortez known as the Gulf of California - is a breath-taking destination for amazing fishing, scuba diving, snorkelling, sailing, boating and exploring for diverse marine creatures. Dine under the stars in a calm anchorage, socialize with your shipmates and make new friends. Then melt into a luxurious bunk in your own finely appointed cabin with private bathrooms and hot showers. All in a day aboard Rocio, combined with personalized service to enhance your live aboard safety and fun. Dive into your dreams and see what Sea of Cortez diving is all about.

Socorro a group of four, volcanic, islands located in the pacific ocean off the coast of the southern tip of Baja California. This is a paradise for many large Pelagic species, including Hammerheads, Silky, Silver Tip and White Tips, Humpback Whales and Dolphins. It is also known for the many large Manta Rays which inhabit this area. Socorro diving area is not a coral reef, but once you spot the spectacular marine wildlife you won't be able to focus on much else anyway! With such incredible dive encounters with marine mega fauna in a remote and rich underwater environment, it is obvious why Socorro and its neighbours are sometimes called 'The Galapagos of Mexico'.

TWIN BED CABIN

6 cabins feature two single beds with reading lights. Adjustable reading lights to focus the illumination without disturbing your cabin-mate. Each cabin is carpeted and air conditioned. There are room length windows with privacy curtains and convenient gear and clothes storage drawers beneath the beds.

• Size: -
• Beds: 2 Twin
• Max occupancy: 2
• Shareable: Yes
• Private bathroom: Yes
• Air Conditioning: Yes

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CABIN WITH FULL BED AND A TWIN BUNK

Two staterooms on the second deck behind the bridge on the port and starboard side. Each features a full size lower bed and a single size bed on top with adjustable reading lights. Each cabin is carpeted and air conditioned. There are room length windows with privacy curtains and convenient gear and clothes storage drawers beneath the beds.

• Size: -
• Beds: 1 Double and 1 Twin
• Max occupancy: 2
• Shareable: Yes
• Private bathroom: Yes
• Air Conditioning: Yes

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DOUBLE CABIN

2 cabins feature a double bed with lots of storage space underneath. Adjustable reading lights to focus the illumination without disturbing your cabin-mate. All cabins have air conditioning, a private bathroom and shower.

• Size: -
• Beds: 1 Double
• Max occupancy: 2
• Shareable: No
• Private bathroom: Yes
• Air Conditioning: Yes

MOST RELEVANT INFORMATION

• The trip begins in San Jose Del Cabo and ends in San Jose Del Cabo
• The closest airport is Los Cabos Intl (SJD)
• You will receive exact meeting point instructions closer to the trip date directly from the Liveaboard

EMBARKATION AND DEPARTURE

• You can check in on the boat as of 17:00
• The boat departs San Jose Del Cabo at around 18:00 on the same day
• Accepted payment methods on board: VISA, Mastercard, Cash
• Towels and soap are included

ARRIVAL AND DISEMBARKATION

• Your last dives will be on the third to last day, the last full day on board is travelling back to the port
• The boat docks back in San Jose Del Cabo early in the morning on the last day
• Check out and disembarkation is around 08:30 on the last day.

EXTRA INFORMATION

• Guests are responsible for their own transportation to and from the boat.
• The marina is about 25 minutes from the airport
• The Rocio Del Mar is located at the new Marina in Puerto Los Cabos in San Jose del Cabo.
• The most economical way from the airport to the marina is to take a collectivo (shuttle) and a taxi.
• The collectivo (shuttle) charges $15.00 U.S. dollars per person.
• Once you collect your bags and leave customs you will enter a lobby.
• You will find a stand that says taxi.
• A taxi ride from the airport to the marina is about $60 US.
• You can ask for a collectivo at this same stand.
• A collectivo is a very nice shuttle that takes about 9 passengers and does a hotel drop.
• Since you’re going to San Jose you will be dropped off first.
• You can have the collectivo drop you off at the Hotel Tropicana.
• At the hotel, you can then request a taxi to the Marina Los Cabos.
• You shouldn't pay more than $10 US.
• It's about a 15-minute ride from the hotel to the marina.
• By choosing these two methods of transportation it should cost you about $25 US.
• If you choose just to get a taxi from the airport to the marina it should cost about $60 US.
• If you have more than one person, it is often easiest to just use a taxi directly to the marina.
• Suggested Hotel in San Jose del Cabo: Bel Air Collection Resort & SPA Los Cabos, Tropicana, Cabo Azul resort, El Encabto In, Barcelo Grand faro Los cabos, Hotel el ganzo.
• The crossing from Los Cabos San Lucas to the Socorro Islands takes approximately 26-28 hours.
• It is open sea therefore please be prepared in case we are faced with rough seas

ITINERARY GENERAL INFORMATION

• Approx. 26 – 29 dives
• Level required: Open Water
• Socorro is best known for the wonderful encounters with giant pacific manta rays, where the mantas come to the divers and are happy to stay throughout entire dives.
• Ten species of sharks including whale sharks, silkies, silver tips, white tips and sometimes tiger sharks. Dolphin encounters are always thrilling and from January through March these islands are home to a migratory population of humpback whales that come to breed and have calves.
• Whale sharks are seen mainly in November/December and April/May. Divers may also observe many different behaviours of manta cleaning stations, Bottlenose dolphin, wahoo, tuna, marlin and smaller creatures like eels, nudibranchs and octopi. This is wild and unpredictable diving at its best!
• Night diving in Socorro is not allowed by the Marine Park regulations
• Diving the Socorro Islands is an adventure filled with giant manta and shark encounters, schooling fish, and other large pelagic marine life. Giant pacific manta rays, up to 10 species of sharks including schooling hammerheads, bottlenose dolphin, whale sharks, humpback whales, schools of fish and much more.
• All dives from from the dive tenders (3 tenders)
• The Socorro Islands are a group of 4 remote and wild islands in the Pacific known as the Revillagigedo Archipelago. Socorro and Roca Partida are the most popular for diving, accompanied by San Benedicto and Clarión. With a unique ecosystem and attract large pelagic animals. Known for its manta cleaning stations, where underwater photographers can often spend many dives with the gentle flying giants. Galapagos, silky, oceanic whitetip and hammerhead sharks are common at Socorro, as well as dolphins, whale sharks (best in November) and schools of pelagic fish like jacks and barracuda.
• Divers often see large gamefish like tuna, wahoo and marlin, something few other destinations can offer. Another special experience at Socorro is swimming with a group of bottlenose dolphins that often visit divers and typically make several close passes. When the water cools during winter months (December - March), divers are treated to humpback whale sightings.
• Socorro is not an area for coral, or for critters, so try to focus on the big stuff! The underwater topography consists of rocky outcroppings, boulders and some walls. The first diving diving will be at San Benedicto or Socorro Island. It is here where you will see giant mantas that have the most congregations.
• This is an excellent dive destination for large pelagics due to the open ocean nature of the islands, which sometimes include currents and choppy conditions. The underwater topography consists of rocky outcroppings, boulders and some walls. Socorro diving area is not a coral reef, so do not expect bright colours everywhere, but once you spot the spectacular marine wildlife you won't be able to focus on much else anyway!
• A truly unique experience with the special trip Citizen Science Shark Expedition A marine biologist specializing in subjects such as Manta rays, sharks, Humpback whales, marine mammals, marine ecology, pelagics, reef ecology, invertebrate ecology, diving science and medicine and more on board Socorro islands are a spectacular magnet for the largest ocean pelagic animals in the world.
• Schooling hammerhead sharks, tiger sharks, dolphins, silky sharks, Galapagos sharks, clouds of jacks and barracuda, tuna, wahoo, oceanic white tips sharks, whale sharks and mantas.
• Activities include animal identification, tagging, fish/animal counts, census monitoring, human and climate impact studies, etc. Divers can be involved as much or as little as they like including hands-on research and will enjoy interactive evening presentations by the scientists.

TRAVEL PROGRAM

DAY 1

• Safety Briefing, Crew Introduction, Necessary Dive Paperwork, Cabin allocation and ship orientation will take place before departing the Harbour. 
• The crossing from Los Cabos San Lucas to the Socorro Islands takes approximately 26-28 hours.
• It is open sea therefore please be prepared in case we are faced with rough seas
• Please Note: This is a sample itinerary and nº of dives, dive sites, etc. may be subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforseeable factors

DAY 2 - PENULTIMATE DAY

• Enjoy your full board dicing safary.
• During the liveaboard we will dive the best dive sites in Revillagigedo Archipelago

PENULTIMATE DAY 

• Return to Cabo after a 22+ hour crossing, depending on weather conditions

LAST DAY 

• Breakfast 
• Disembark

Diving Revillagigedo

• The Revillagigedos Archipelago, more commonly called Socorro Islands is located in the eastern Pacific Ocean approximately 250 miles south of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico – at the tip of the Baja peninsula.
• These islands have been compared to the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador or Cocos Island in Costa Rica because of the big animal encounters they provide.
• The Revillagigedos Islands consist of 4 islands – San Benedicto Island, Socorro Island, Roca Partida and Clarion.They are wild, remote and unpredictable and have been called the Mexican Galapagos.
• This area is famous for up close and personal encounters with the Giant Pacific manta ray, which can grow to 22 feet from wingtip to wingtip.
• We’ve been interacting with these gentle giants since 1992 and as a result of having worked with several manta researchers over the years, we have extensive ID’s on most of them and special relationships with many of them.
• We absolutely do not chase or ride the mantas, and we allow our interaction with them to be initiated by the mantas themselves.
• We believe that their continued willingness to interact with divers is due to the respect we have shown for them over the years.
• San Benedicto is one of the best locations in the world to experience and photograph these gentle giants. The feeling of a wild animal this large deliberately interacting with you is something you will never forget.
• There are lots of sharks in the Revillagigedos Islands - hammerhead schools, white tips, silver tips, silkies, threshers, galapagos and occasionally tigers.
• We have encountered up to 7 species of sharks on a single dive!
• There are several hammerhead cleaning stations that we visit each trip, weather permitting.
• Whale sharks are a special treat at the islands, they find us in November/December and late April/May/June.
• We also encounter pods of wild bottlenose dolphin on a regular basis and from January through March, in these islands you can spot humpback whales, that come here to breed and calve. We have observed several newborn humpbacks in the years we’ve been fortunate enough to visit these remote and pristine islands.
• The scientists who visit the Revillagigedos Islands every year to study the migrating whale population tells that after 22 years of encountering , the humpbacks now recognize our vessel as a friendly, non-threatening entity and so the opportunity for underwater encounters improves.
• Add to the mix extremely playful dolphins on almost all trips, large tuna (the world record yellowfin is from these waters), wahoo, thick schools of jacks and many other big critters along with endemic tropicals found nowhere else in the world
• Roca Partida is the smallest island of the four, this is a pinnacle which attracts large schools of Jacks and Tuna, the small crevices inhabit many smaller species and at around 13m (40ft) there are caves which inhabit multiple sharks. A real diverse ecosystem.

INCLUDED

• Full board, including water, tea, coffee, juices, snacks between meals and after dives, soft drinks, local beer & wine
• Weight belt
• Dive guides
• Mexican taxes and port fees

NOT INCLUDED

• National park fees (28 USD per trip)
• Hyperbaric chamber donation (15 USD per trip)
• Nitrox (120 USD per week) Transfer from/to local hotels (round-trip) (shuttle service can be arranged per trip)
• Transfer to/from the airport (round-trip) (shuttle service can be arranged per trip)
• Tips for the crew (recommended)
• Rental equipment BCD, Regulator & Dive Computer 50 USD per part and trip
• Alcohol

CANCELLATION POLICY

What if I need to cancel my booking?

Your reservation request is obligation free and you can cancel anytime within the first 72 hours. During this time you can easily find matching flights and get answers from our reservations team to any further questions you may have.

After you have confirmed and paid for your reservation, the following cancellation policy applies:

• 25% of the total booking amount is not refundable.
• 50% will be charged if you cancel between 90 and 60 days prior to arrival
• 100% will be charged if you cancel less than 60 days prior to arrival

In case of cancellation the refund will be transferred to your bank account, credit card or paypal account within 10 business days

BEFORE TRAVELLING

• Make sure you meet the country's requirements corresponding to your nationality make sure your passport is valid at least six months after the date you plan to visit the country
• Diving insurance is mandatory for divers of all ages on all of our trips: bring your certificate as proof
• It is strongly recommended to have travel insurance that is appropriate for the type of diving holidays you are going to do
• Check the electrical standards (such as which plugs are used) in your destination country before travelling and bring the appropriate adaptor if necessary.
• The itinerary and the number of dives are indicative and are subject to weather conditions and conditions: safety is always first
• All divers must provide their diving certification card
• Diving computers are compulsory
• Local rates, fuel surcharges, distance rates, port fees, etc. may change without notice due to changes in government policy, changes in the price of oil, etc.
• The changes are beyond our control and the increases must be paid if the boat requests them. We will endeavor to inform you of any changes as soon as possible. A change in these rates does not entitle you to cancel the trip.