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Liveaboard Diving in San Benedicto
What To Expect On A San Benedicto Liveaboard
Liveaboards to San Benedicto, part of the Socorro Islands, or officially known as, the Revillagigedo Archipelago, will be escorting divers to one of the best dive areas for seeing large pelagics. The Socorro Islands are a group of four volcanic islands located in the Pacific Ocean about 400km (250mi) off the coast of the southern tip of Baja California; a southwestern state of Mexico. This archipelago is a popular dive area and most popular for the different pelagic species which you will have a chance to see and dive with. The other three islands are Socorro Island, Roca Partida and Clarion; all incredible dive sites in their own ways. Roca San Benedicto is the second smallest of the islands; an uninhabited island with a volcanic crater, lush green forestry and is 10km squared. This island is teeming with life above and below the water.
San Benedicto, and the rest of the Revillagigedo Archipelago, is a year-round dive area, but each season brings its own gems. Due to its remote location, this area is best reached by a liveaboard cruise. The calmest seas are from November to May with the waters being around 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit) in November, 21 degrees Celsius (69 degrees Fahrenheit) in February and back up to 25 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) in May. These winter months also bring with them the main spectacles; the many pelagic species which migrate through here but also the permanent residents of this area which are the Giant Pacific Manta Rays and many species of sharks. The visibility here depends solely on the plankton in the water which depends on the moon, but in general, the visibility varies from 15 - 50m (49 - 164ft).
San Benedicto is an open water dive area and so has more advanced diving areas. Sometimes there are strong currents and big waves, and most dive spots are quite deep, however, each liveaboard which visits this area has their own minimum dive experience level, most expect divers to have Advanced Open water with at least 50 logged dives, but there are a few which only need you to have your Open Water and no minimum logged dives. Please keep this in mind.
What You Can See
The most popular spectacle here at San Benedicto is the world-famous Boiler. This is a cleaning station for the Giant Pacific Manta Rays to which divers can truly come up close and personal. They really do justice to their name as 'Giant' is really what they are; their wingspans measure up to 7m (20ft) but they are the gentle giants of the sea. They are very curious and will come and investigate the divers and hang around the whole time, but they are also incredibly shy, so if they are chased they will take off. This dive site is a pinnacle and you can swim around this pinnace multiple times in a dive; flying side by side with the Mantas.
This archipelago of islands is part of a protected biosphere reserve and many conservation organizations are working around here to preserve the unique wildlife which inhabits and pass here. Socorro diving area is not a coral reef, so do not expect bright colors everywhere, but once you spot the spectacular marine wildlife you won't be able to focus on much else anyways!
Getting To San Benedicto
This island is only accessible via Mexico liveaboard, and because this island is mostly uninhabited, this is the perfect way to get away from the busy cities and get a good quality experience with some of the best the oceans have to offer. Liveaboard.com currently offers six different liveaboards that visit these sites, all different to suit anyone's desires.
There are two ports from which the liveaboards we have to offer depart from, these are Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. These are both cities in the state of Baja California and located in the most Southern municipality; Los Cabos in Mexico. The closest international airport to these two cities is Los Cabos International Airport, which has flights arriving from the United States, Canada, and other Mexican Cities.
San Benedicto Diving Reviews
- 9.1 Superb
- 75 Verified Reviews
Canon and boiler sites were both excellent. Never came up from a dive feeling like I saw nothing
Diving San Benedicto in April on the Valentina
Drifting Pariente's Rock exposed us to much marine life, including a tiger shark.
Diving San Benedicto in April on the Solmar V
This is the best island to dive.
Diving San Benedicto in May on the Nautilus Belle Amie
Mantas and a few hammerheads
Diving San Benedicto in May on the Solmar V
"El Cañon". The diving had a little bit of current. We have been diving around the cleaning station, and everything happened around us: Sharks, Mantas, dolphins, huge schools of hammer sharks.
Diving San Benedicto in December on the Quino el Guardian
Great, we had the most interaction with Giant Manta rays here.
Diving San Benedicto in December on the Nautilus Belle Amie
We had a great first dive at el canyon. We couldn’t visit the boiler on the way back because of strong swells and winds. We ended with a couple of dives at el canyon on the way back but visibility was bad and didn’t really see much.
Diving San Benedicto in December on the Solmar V
Great starter dives as you can gauge your depth easier. First place we saw the giant manta.
Diving San Benedicto in January on the Nautilus Explorer
Great interaction with Mantas
Diving San Benedicto in March on the Valentina
Great, saw dolphins, whale shark, silver tips sharks.
Diving San Benedicto in February on the Nautilus Belle Amie
Mantas dolphins whale shark white tips
Diving San Benedicto in February on the Nautilus Belle Amie
Good. But wind/waves picked up dangerously on one dive. Boat crew handled it masterfully.
Diving San Benedicto in May on the Solmar V
This area had so many sharks it was incredible
Diving San Benedicto in May on the Valentina
The boiler was a great site to see giant mantas and dolphins.
Diving San Benedicto in November on the Quino el Guardian
Diving on San Benedict’s was great, especially at the Canyon dive site where we saw an abundance of pelagic life.
Diving San Benedicto in December on the Rocio del Mar
Excellent. Lots of manta, dolphin and hammerhead action...Silvertip, galapagos sharks, white tips.
Diving San Benedicto in December on the Rocio del Mar
Sharks and Mantas, so cool!
Diving San Benedicto in December on the Quino el Guardian
Low current, saw a few mantas and hammerheads
Diving San Benedicto in January on the Rocio del Mar
Strangely, the "Boiler" was my least favorite site. There are so many great reviews for this site, but for some reason very little showed up when we were there. I did have a great interaction with dolphins here though. The other side (The Canon) was much better, in my opinion.
Diving San Benedicto in March on the Nautilus Explorer
Amazing! Hammerheads were our favorite!!
Diving San Benedicto in May on the Valentina
Real, real good. Visibility was less than I expected, but was told that we had normal visibility.
Diving San Benedicto in December on the Valentina
The Boiler was great upon our return to San Benedicto -- really giant mantas of 20' or so and they were quite interactive. Dive of a lifetime.
Diving San Benedicto in January on the Nautilus Belle Amie
Breath taking! Swirling, dancing dolphins played with us as mantas soared in the distance.
Diving San Benedicto in January on the Quino el Guardian
Low viz but good shark action.
Diving San Benedicto in January on the Nautilus Explorer
Very nice. Not too much current
Diving San Benedicto in January on the Nautilus Belle Amie
The Canyon was the dive site to go to at this island this trip. Watching silkys actively hunting was really cool. Saw everything again down there, even a school of hammerheads passed by on this spot. This is where we saw the pregnant hammerhead as well.
Diving San Benedicto in March on the Nautilus Belle Amie
El Canyon was THE BEST. So many sharks - Galapagos sharks, Silvertip sharks, Silky Sharks to so many Hammerhead sharks!! Truly a shark haven.
Diving San Benedicto in May on the Nautilus Belle Amie
The Boiler is the best site!! Mantas and dolphins! Hammerheads!
Diving San Benedicto in June on the Nautilus Explorer
Great dive with dolphins and mantas at the boiler, best dive of my diving career was at El canon, you can dive that site 5 times and there're always something new to enjoy
Diving San Benedicto in November on the Quino el Guardian
Great with llts of dolphins and nantas
Diving San Benedicto in December on the Rocio del Mar
We did our dives there on the first day. Well...nice for a warm-up!
Diving San Benedicto in April on the Nautilus Explorer
Great, not budding with dolphins and mantas. But definitely with sharks. It allows you to appreciate the finer things.
Diving San Benedicto in December on the Nautilus Explorer
The Canyon was ok - but the Boiler was sensational - dolphins, mantas, galapagos sharks
Diving San Benedicto in June on the Nautilus Belle Amie
En Cañon fue algo desafiante por las corrientes y la visibilidad, pero ver las primeras mantas ya lo justifica todo. En The Boiler fue estupendo, 10 mantas al mismo tiempo alrededor nuestro, magico
Diving San Benedicto in January on the Nautilus Under Sea
We enjoyed El Boiler a lot
Diving San Benedicto in February on the Solmar V
Dove both sides, lots of life, and larger animals
Diving San Benedicto in April on the Socorro Vortex
El Boiler was the best dive site of the whole trip
Diving San Benedicto in November on the Nautilus Belle Amie
Good dolphin and manta interaction.
Diving San Benedicto in January on the Nautilus Under Sea
Great cleaning station with lots of shark action!
Diving San Benedicto in January on the Nautilus Belle Amie
Diving highlight from the trip with 6 bottle nose dolphin
Diving San Benedicto in February on the Solmar V
Super drop-offs and volcanic pinnacles..The 'Boiler' was awesome.
Diving San Benedicto in February on the Quino el Guardian
I was happy to see dolphins.
Diving San Benedicto in December on the Nautilus Belle Amie
Very good, we saw dolphins.
Diving San Benedicto in February on the Nautilus Explorer
San Benedicto is my favorite for mantas and dolphins!
Diving San Benedicto in March on the Nautilus Explorer
Nice, but a lot of current and not many mantas
Diving San Benedicto in May on the Nautilus Belle Amie
Absolutely fantastic, very freindly dolphins at Roca O'neal
Diving San Benedicto in November on the Solmar V
Great! My favorite island on this trip. Especially the dive site „Canyon“, where the sharks and mantas came really close at a cleaning station! Awesome! And we heard humpback wales sind almost all the time! Diving at the „Boiler“ was also good, we saw a lot of big mantas.
Diving San Benedicto in January on the Nautilus Under Sea
The best spot by far. Canyon was a magical spot were we could see giant mantas, sharks, whale shark, etc
Diving San Benedicto in January on the Rocio del Mar
The Boiler and the Canyon are probably the best dive sites of the trip for big Pelagics.
Diving San Benedicto in January on the Nautilus Explorer
Probably the best diving spot at this trip. Really amazing!
Diving San Benedicto in February on the Quino el Guardian
Lots of marine life, hammerheads, silky sharks,
Diving San Benedicto in February on the Nautilus Belle Amie
Very good diving - plenty of shark life (hammerheads, silver tips, a tiger). Strong currents and changing directions
Diving San Benedicto in March on the Nautilus Belle Amie
Visibility in March so-so. Hammerhead, silvertip, blacktip, whitetip, tiger, Galapagos sharks, manta rays, and dolphins (for the lucky) or humpback whales (for the super lucky).
Diving San Benedicto in March on the Valentina
Very good mantas and sharks
Diving San Benedicto in March on the Nautilus Belle Amie
Incredible. The sharks blew my mind.
Diving San Benedicto in April on the Rocio del Mar
There are some current here but good opportunities to see whitetip, silver tip, and hammerheads!
Diving San Benedicto in May on the Nautilus Belle Amie
We had poor visibility these days
Diving San Benedicto in January on the Solmar V
Visibility a bit poor but lots of sightings of mantas, sharks and dolphins.
Diving San Benedicto in January on the Rocio del Mar
Sharks, sharks, and sharks
Diving San Benedicto in January on the Nautilus Explorer
Nice to go several times, as the morning ones were a bit dark
Diving San Benedicto in January on the Nautilus Belle Amie
Amazing The Boiler and even better The Canyon
Diving San Benedicto in March on the Nautilus Belle Amie
Beautiful manta encounters
Diving San Benedicto in March on the Nautilus Explorer