Liveaboard Diving in San Benedicto

What To Expect On A San Benedicto Liveaboard

Liveaboards to San Benedicto, part of the Socorro Islands, officially known as the Revillagigedo Archipelago, will escort 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 (250 mi) 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; it is an uninhabited island with a volcanic crater and 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 the main spectacles: the many pelagic species that migrate through here but also the permanent residents of this area, 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 with more advanced diving areas. Sometimes, there are strong currents and big waves, and most dive spots are quite deep; however, each liveaboard that visits this area has its 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 come up close and personal. They do justice to their name as 'Giant' is 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 pinnacle 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 that inhabits and passes 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!

Getting To San Benedicto

This island is only accessible via Mexico liveaboard. 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 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 Baja California, located in the southern-most 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
  • 78 Verified Reviews
  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Sarah W
  • United States United States

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

  • 9.2 Superb
  • Stacey W
  • United States United States

Drifting Pariente's Rock exposed us to much marine life, including a tiger shark.

Diving San Benedicto in April on the Solmar V

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Michael J
  • United States United States

This is the best island to dive.

Diving San Benedicto in May on the Nautilus Belle Amie

  • 8.0 Very good
  • buford M
  • United States United States

Mantas and a few hammerheads

Diving San Benedicto in May on the Solmar V

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Matthew L
  • United States United States

"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

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Peter K
  • United States United States

Great, we had the most interaction with Giant Manta rays here.

Diving San Benedicto in December on the Nautilus Belle Amie

  • 8.4 Very good
  • Jason K
  • United States United States

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

  • 8.8 Fabulous
  • Stephanie F
  • United States United States

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

  • 9.2 Superb
  • David W
  • United States United States

Great interaction with Mantas

Diving San Benedicto in March on the Valentina

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Kathleen S
  • United States United States

Great, saw dolphins, whale shark, silver tips sharks.

Diving San Benedicto in February on the Nautilus Belle Amie

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • john L
  • United States United States

Mantas dolphins whale shark white tips

Diving San Benedicto in February on the Nautilus Belle Amie

  • 9.2 Superb
  • Morgan A
  • United States United States

Good. But wind/waves picked up dangerously on one dive. Boat crew handled it masterfully.

Diving San Benedicto in May on the Solmar V

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • David M
  • United States United States

This area had so many sharks it was incredible

Diving San Benedicto in May on the Valentina

  • 9.2 Superb
  • Gregory M
  • United States United States

The boiler was a great site to see giant mantas and dolphins.

Diving San Benedicto in November on the Quino el Guardian

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Kathryn F
  • United States United States

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

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Linda M
  • United States United States

Excellent. Lots of manta, dolphin and hammerhead action...Silvertip, galapagos sharks, white tips.

Diving San Benedicto in December on the Rocio del Mar

  • 8.8 Fabulous
  • Mingyu W
  • United States United States

Sharks and Mantas, so cool!

Diving San Benedicto in December on the Quino el Guardian

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Jaclyn B
  • United States United States

Low current, saw a few mantas and hammerheads

Diving San Benedicto in January on the Rocio del Mar

  • 8.8 Fabulous
  • Julie R
  • United States United States

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

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Caitlin M
  • United States United States

Amazing! Hammerheads were our favorite!!

Diving San Benedicto in May on the Valentina

  • 8.8 Fabulous
  • Gary C
  • United States United States

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

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Charles C
  • United States United States

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

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Camille B
  • United States United States

Breath taking! Swirling, dancing dolphins played with us as mantas soared in the distance.

Diving San Benedicto in January on the Quino el Guardian

  • 9.2 Superb
  • Gabriel A
  • United States United States

Low viz but good shark action.

Diving San Benedicto in January on the Nautilus Explorer

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Bernard V
  • United States United States

Very nice. Not too much current

Diving San Benedicto in January on the Nautilus Belle Amie

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Eli R
  • United States United States

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

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Sunny K
  • United States United States

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

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Victoria S
  • United States United States

The Boiler is the best site!! Mantas and dolphins! Hammerheads!

Diving San Benedicto in June on the Nautilus Explorer

  • 7.6 Good
  • ben B
  • United States United States

the cleaning station was the better dive on the first of the 2 days we dove there.

Diving San Benedicto in January on the Solmar V

  • 8.8 Fabulous
  • Pier-Luc D
  • Canada Canada

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

  • 8.8 Fabulous
  • Bengt O
  • Sweden Sweden

Great with llts of dolphins and nantas

Diving San Benedicto in December on the Rocio del Mar

  • 8.8 Fabulous
  • Daniela S
  • Germany Germany

We did our dives there on the first day. Well...nice for a warm-up!

Diving San Benedicto in April on the Nautilus Explorer

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Sanjay K
  • India India

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

  • 8.8 Fabulous
  • David W
  • United Kingdom United Kingdom

The Canyon was ok - but the Boiler was sensational - dolphins, mantas, galapagos sharks

Diving San Benedicto in June on the Nautilus Belle Amie

  • 9.2 Superb
  • Fabian F
  • Argentina Argentina

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

  • 8.0 Very good
  • Renato S
  • Brazil Brazil

We enjoyed El Boiler a lot

Diving San Benedicto in February on the Solmar V

  • 9.2 Superb
  • Travis M
  • Canada Canada

El Boiler was the best dive site of the whole trip

Diving San Benedicto in November on the Nautilus Belle Amie

  • 8.0 Very good
  • MARK E
  • United Kingdom United Kingdom

Good dolphin and manta interaction.

Diving San Benedicto in January on the Nautilus Under Sea

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Ellie D
  • United Kingdom United Kingdom

Great cleaning station with lots of shark action!

Diving San Benedicto in January on the Nautilus Belle Amie

  • 9.2 Superb
  • Nathan L
  • United Kingdom United Kingdom

Diving highlight from the trip with 6 bottle nose dolphin

Diving San Benedicto in February on the Solmar V

  • 9.2 Superb
  • Nigel David M
  • United Kingdom United Kingdom

Super drop-offs and volcanic pinnacles..The 'Boiler' was awesome.

Diving San Benedicto in February on the Quino el Guardian

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • HOJOON L
  • South Korea South Korea

I was happy to see dolphins.

Diving San Benedicto in December on the Nautilus Belle Amie

  • 8.0 Very good
  • Marcel K
  • Germany Germany

Very good, we saw dolphins.

Diving San Benedicto in February on the Nautilus Explorer

  • 9.2 Superb
  • Ievgen P
  • Ukraine Ukraine

San Benedicto is my favorite for mantas and dolphins!

Diving San Benedicto in March on the Nautilus Explorer

  • 8.8 Fabulous
  • Carlotta B
  • Italy Italy

Nice, but a lot of current and not many mantas

Diving San Benedicto in May on the Nautilus Belle Amie

  • 7.6 Good
  • Kit G
  • Denmark Denmark

Absolutely fantastic, very freindly dolphins at Roca O'neal

Diving San Benedicto in November on the Solmar V

  • 9.2 Superb
  • Claudio A
  • Austria Austria

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

  • 8.0 Very good
  • Mathilde C
  • France France

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

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Andrew S
  • Canada Canada

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

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Martin K
  • Czech Republic Czech Republic

Probably the best diving spot at this trip. Really amazing!

Diving San Benedicto in February on the Quino el Guardian

  • 8.0 Very good
  • Jose Manuel U
  • Mexico Mexico

Lots of marine life, hammerheads, silky sharks,

Diving San Benedicto in February on the Nautilus Belle Amie

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Luke L
  • New Zealand New Zealand

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

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Nadine G
  • Lebanon Lebanon

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

  • 8.8 Fabulous
  • Magdalena B
  • Germany Germany

Very good mantas and sharks

Diving San Benedicto in March on the Nautilus Belle Amie

  • 9.2 Superb
  • Marc A
  • Canada Canada

Incredible. The sharks blew my mind.

Diving San Benedicto in April on the Rocio del Mar

  • 8.8 Fabulous
  • Binshuang L
  • China China

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

  • 8.4 Very good
  • Harry M
  • Bermuda Bermuda

We had poor visibility these days

Diving San Benedicto in January on the Solmar V

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Janice S
  • Canada Canada

Visibility a bit poor but lots of sightings of mantas, sharks and dolphins.

Diving San Benedicto in January on the Rocio del Mar

  • 9.2 Superb
  • JEESAN O
  • Canada Canada

Sharks, sharks, and sharks

Diving San Benedicto in January on the Nautilus Explorer

  • 7.6 Good
  • Marlin T
  • Costa Rica Costa Rica

Nice to go several times, as the morning ones were a bit dark

Diving San Benedicto in January on the Nautilus Belle Amie

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Gerald F
  • Austria Austria

Amazing The Boiler and even better The Canyon

Diving San Benedicto in March on the Nautilus Belle Amie

  • 8.8 Fabulous
  • Trang N
  • Poland Poland

Beautiful manta encounters

Diving San Benedicto in March on the Nautilus Explorer

  • 8.8 Fabulous
  • Lee H
  • United Kingdom United Kingdom

we had 1 day of really poor vis (less than 2 meters), but when it was good we have school of hammerheads, and lots of shark action at the cleaning station.

Diving San Benedicto in December on the Valentina