Is Socorro worth the $$$?

[Dan]

Another place to consistently see and play with dolphins - Spotted and Bottlenose - is Bimini in the Bahamas. This is best done by liveaboard - check out the Dolphin Dream.

Here's my fun time swimming with Spotted Dolphin in Bimini on Dolphine Dream.

 

[finn3]

Thanks for your replies and suggestions. Seems like next year will be a bit too close then, if beginning of the year would be the best time.
Maybe I will have to think of doing Galapagos instead then, in September or October.
With other activities I actually didn't mean diving, I meant exploring the countries otherwise, mostly on land I never do an only dive travel.
But that comes with some problems I admit, for example I always need to rent diving gear. But I expect both the liveaboards to Socorro and Galapagos should provide good options also, including good wet suits?

 

[Dan]

Hopefully Cabo Douglas & Punta Vincente Roca would be open by then. They are closed now due to avian flu. I supposed to go to Galapagos in December (this week) and had to postpone it to later time.

Made last minute change to go to Maldives instead. Flying out this afternoon.

 

[finn3]

Oh OK.
Has this happened before and is there any guess till when this will last? October next year is still some time so I think it should be fine...?
Btw is the Humbold Explorer never going to Cabo Douglas and Punta Vicente Roca or is this also due to the situation right now?

 

[Dan]

Oh OK.
Has this happened before and is there any guess till when this will last? October next year is still some time so I think it should be fine...?
Btw is the Humbold Explorer never going to Cabo Douglas and Punta Vicente Roca or is this also due to the situation right now?

I don’t think it happened before.

By next October it would be open, hopefully.

Those 2 dive sites are very popular. Cabo Douglas is where you see Marine Iguanas grazing on algae, Equatorial penguin swimming, Red-lipped Batfish. Punta Vincente Roca is where you see Mola Mola and Bullhead Shark. So, I’m sure Humboldt Explorer would go there if they want to be competitive with the other liveaboard.

October was my best month to be in Galapagos. I saw lots of hammerheads and Whalesharks.

 

[finn3]

I don’t think it happened before.

By next October it would be open, hopefully.

Those 2 dive sites are very popular. Cabo Douglas is where you see Marine Iguanas grazing on algae, Equatorial penguin swimming, Red-lipped Batfish. Punta Vincente Roca is where you see Mola Mola and Bullhead Shark. So, I’m sure Humboldt Explorer would go there if they want to be competitive with the other liveaboard.

October was my best month to be in Galapagos. I saw lots of hammerheads and Whalesharks.

Amazing Videos for sure! Would be happy if I would see stuff like this.
The visibility also looks fine. I was afraid that in October visibility would be poor and just too strong currents. I did drift dives before in Sipadan, Komodo and Raja Ampat and most of them were fine, as long as you dont have to go against it too much. And I dont really like hanging on a reef hook...

Are the penguins often there to see?
I think this might be getting too much Off topic now, but do you guys have experience with land based tours on Galapagos too after the diving trips? Is it a good idea after the diving Liveaboards to see some other stuff too or is it enough doing some day trips for example?

 

[Dan]

We don’t fight the current. We did negative entry down to the bottom and hold on rocks to see the fish parade go by.

I saw the penguins mostly on land, sunning. Saw them on the water too, at a distance, but never lucky enough to video them swimming underwater chasing fish, which would be a neat footage.

The liveaboard provide a morning land tour in Baltra to see the Boobies, Sealions, Iguanas, etc. At the end we tour Charles Darwin Research Center in Santa Cruz to see the Giant Tortoises.