Socorros Marine Park Fee Alert

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Does the underwater camera housing tax apply to those travelling to Socorro

Haven't heard much about it lately here. In January I skipped bringing my hard camera case, a sure sign of an expensive camera, and put it all in my luggage.
I was prepared to pay the tax begrudgingly, but got by no problem. That $ would end up in different hands then the park fee, I'm ok with park fees but $75 a day is ludicrous. Soccoro is pretty pricey in the first place but adding another $750 to a trip really is gouging.

I'm wondering if Guadeloupe is going to follow suit and ream the tourist?
 
I think $75 / day / diver for Marine Park fee is ridiculous. I was there 2 years ago and already booked to return in May 2021. I’m not looking forward to see the price increase. That trip would be my last trip there. I’d rather going back to Raja Ampat.

Marine park fee in Raja Ampat (which is the best dive destination in the world IMHO) is Rp.700,000 / year / diver, about $49, Marine Park Permit – Papua Diving Resorts – Raja Ampat – Indonesia Some liveaboards may add their handling fee and raise the fee to $100. I’ve been there 9x and will continue going back there. I already book trips to there in 2021 & 2022.

As far as east Pacific diving destinations (Galápagos, Malpelo, Cocos, & Socorro), this new marine park fee would be ithe highest one and I don’t think Socorro is that good in comparison to Galápagos & Cocos. I haven’t been to Malpelo, but am planning to be there in July, 2021, so I can’t compare it with Socorro.

I paid $100 / diver / visit of Marine Park fee when I was in Galápagos in December 2016 and $450 for Cocos in September 2018, which I thought it’s pretty steep. Malpelo Marine Park fee is still about $40 / day / diver for 2021 or $400 / diver / 10-day diving at the island. So $750 / diver / 10-day diving at the Socorro islands is totally ridiculous!
 
Nautilus is making their customers whole with a series of credits.

I hope the other ops follow suit.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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