Search results

My general and random thoughts are: 1. Doing three atolls in 7 days means 3 days for just flying....too much, if you ask me. It could be argued that flying from Rangiroa to Tikehau or viceversa is only a 20-minute flight at probably lower altitude, and perhaps that might be considered safe to...

Since there is a Mexican Navy base there, I suspect that land access is severely restricted. In all the trips I have done to Socorro, I never heard of it offered as a land visit. But then again, I never asked either.

Thank you.

Very interesting, thanks. A few questions, please: Which of the two dive operators did you dive with? You said "Water temp was around 78 (25C), with some surprising thermoclines". Any guesses as to how cold it got? Any restaurant recommendations for lunch or dinner? I understand that...

The Tuamotus in French Polynesia - Fakarava and Rangiroa and more. World-class diving, in my opinion. On the same trip, Tahiti and Moorea for humpback whale snorkeling. I would have also said the island of Rurutu for humpback whales but that adds another $600 in domestic airfare alone...

I saw HHs in El Bajo in 1995. I made two dives there in 2019 and didn't see any. It's a luck thing, I think, in that they are not always seen, and also, the weather has to cooperate. We were planning to go this past November and once we got out of La Paz Bay, the wind and sea conditions...

Thank you for your report. I'd recently mentioned to a dving friend that it'd been about 6 years since we'd seen a whaleshark, and like magic, your report appeared. Can you please share cost info for lodging (how much a night and does it include meals), for a day of 2-tank diving, and for...

I snorkeled and freedived in Cabo is May 2021 and in La Ventana in May 2022. Then in La Ventana in April 2023. I wore a 5mm, sometimes with a 2mm hooded vest, on those trips. Water temps were 75-77. These were what one might call normal water temp years. Keeping in mind that these past few...

Since I only did snorkeling and freediving out of La Ventana (in 2022), I don't know what dive sites the La Ventana dive operators frequent. If I had to guess, they might go to La Reina's sea lion colony because San Rafaelito, as Chavodel8en mentioned, is a bit further, actually inside the...

3. Lodging: In La Ventana, I stayed at the Villa Paraiso Hotel. It was nice and at ~$80 US/nt for an ocean view room (it was the called the "Titanic" room , it was not too expensive. It had a kitchenette equipped with a small refirgerator and a microwave. I liked that it was at pretty much...

If you still opt to stay in La Ventana because of the highly-rated local dive operator and because it is more peaceful and less crowded as compared to the very urban setting of La Paz, it is still a good choice. I stayed there for 8 days in May 2022, and for me, it was an excellent trip with...

If you search thru this Mexico forum, you will find many dive operator recommendations. Do not go only by what I recommend. In La Paz, I used The Dive Gurus once to go out for snorkeling with mobulas. Their dive center is in the Palmira Marina about 10 minutes north of the center of La Paz by...

I do apologize. The above about the closure of los Islotes in the summer is true. In addition to San Rafaelito, I have snorkeled and dived in La Reina, but it is also a much smaller colony. More to follow.

I cannot help you with El Pescadero or Loreto - I have never spent time in either place. But I would suggest that you consider staying in La Paz instead of staying in La Ventana. There are many more options in La Paz for lodging, restaurants, and diving and snorkeling operators. You...

Agreed - that is what most if not all boats tell divers to do. However, to me, it is leap of faith to expect that human folly will not occur. That's why I prefer negative entries by backrolling and immediately going vertical, head-down, like a freediver. If I get hit, it will be in the legs...

Sorry for the late reply. If you are still considering doing Cabo Pulmo as a daytrip, you need to consider that it is easily a 2 1/2 to 3 hrs drive each way from La Paz. I was in Cabo Pulmo during peak season in early November, and the key lessons I learned were: (1) avoid weekends, altho...

Look at: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.shtml Still a guess, tho, altho from folks who are far smarter than I am on this subject.

Thanks. Actually, it's been very civil here. I was referring to comments from relatives and friends in reaction to lengthy emails that I sent them. <sigh> "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household."

I used Tahiti Dive Management for humpback whales in 2022. I can vouch for their staff and boats being good, but I did not do any diving with them. They operate out of Puna'auia, which is west of the airport: my guess is that cruise ships probably anchor or dock near downtown Papeete, which is...

In the Malaysia Forum, CWK has video reports from dive trips he made to Semporna (years ago, the launching point for Sipadan/Mabul - don't know now). The variety of nudibranchs was impressive. Twenty-some years ago when I was doing Sipadan and Layang Layang, I looked into but never went to...