Trip video - Socorro, Dec 2019

[Dan]

The tiger shark issue brings up a question I've had; seems like the Socorros, Cocos Island, Malpelo and the Galapagos have considerable overlap in what you may see there (though some varies by season). - mantas, hammerheads and so forth.

It's my understanding from others' reports Tiger sharks are mainly associated with Cocos Island, and it's my understanding that's more in recent years (coinciding with a drop in sea turtle numbers there...).

Anyone care to comment as to what other big animals one would see mainly at one of these destinations, or perhaps at two or three but probably not at another?

I say big to keep it simple, and the Galapagos, depending on where you go, I'm told has the chance to see penguins and marine iguanas, so I'll lead with those as common knowledge.

Richard.

Galápagos is more diverse in terms of big animal encounter than Cocos and Socorro. I haven’t been to Malpelo, so I just comment on what I have read about the place. I plan to go there in 2021.

Some of the unique sightings / underwater attractions in those eastern pacific region are as follows:
- Galapagos has also Sealions and Mola Mola, besides the marine iguanas & penguins.
- Socorro has more Giant Pacific Mantas.
- Cocos has some hammerhead cleaning stations where all you need to do is just sit on a rock and watch them come to be cleaned by barberfish. There is similar site in Darwin (Galápagos), but it is pale in comparison to what you see in Cocos.
- Malpelo has Ferox shark (small tooth sand tiger shark).

 

[peeweediver]

The tiger shark issue brings up a question I've had; seems like the Socorros, Cocos Island, Malpelo and the Galapagos have considerable overlap in what you may see there (though some varies by season) - mantas, hammerheads and so forth.

It's my understanding from others' reports Tiger sharks are mainly associated with Cocos Island, and it's my understanding that's more in recent years (coinciding with a drop in sea turtle numbers there...).

Anyone care to comment as to what other big animals one would see mainly at one of these destinations, or perhaps at two or three but probably not at another?

I say big to keep it simple, and the Galapagos, depending on where you go, I'm told has the chance to see penguins and marine iguanas, so I'll lead with those as common knowledge.

Richard.

Richard: When we were in Socorro a few years ago in February, we dove with humpback whales...lots of interactions with mom and baby. Whale season there is, I think, late January to early March. We also interacted with a pod of about 35 dolphins. The whales and dolphins were at Roca Pardita. For us, Cocos was all about the hammerheads and a few tigers. Socorro was about the whales, dolphins and mantas, hammerheads were 50 feet below us usually. CWK's video looked like Cocos at the beginning. He was amazingly close to hammerheads, like we were in Cocos.

Rob

 

[aviator8]

Thanks for sharing, nice video. That one tiger at 1:19 looked pretty skinny, Id be keeping my eye on him. The shot at 1:53 with two white tip swimming against a rock backdrop then seeming to start shifting sideways. Was that a sudden down current?

 

[aviator8]

Sony RX100 Mk5a
Isotta housing and tray
Keldan video lights but most clips were showing without lights.

Similar setup, can you share you general starting point for your video settings?

 

[cpace]

Visited the Socorros 11/25 to 12/4/19. Mantas, dolphins and sharks galore. We had dolphin encounters at San Benedicto and Socorro on most dives. The dolphins would literally come right up to divers and interact. I identified the following sharks.

Tigers - Saw one, three total were seen by divers on our boat.
Galapagos
Hammerheads - Saw several individuals and one large school up close.
Silver tips
Dusky - One very large at Roca Partida.
White tips
Silky - Would hang around the boat at night on San Benedicto and Socorro. One night we must have had about 10-15 of them hunting in our lights and create quite the frenzy when a fish was caught.

 

[moorish8idol]

When I was in Socorro with the Explorer last Dec 16-24, there wasn't any talk about seeing tigers. I wonder if they are rare or seasonal? I have a friend that has been twice in March and she hasn't ever seen any. December in Socorro is supposed to be whale shark season but we saw none on my trip; my friend on her 2 trips in March (supposedly not WS season) has seen whalesharks and schooling hammerheads there each time. In my December trip we saw hammerhead scouts every once and a while but our hunts into the blue for schools always came up empty. All dives will include oceanic manta encounters, sometimes very intimate and for the whole time! Dolphins were around and most dives we saw galapagos and dusky sharks as well as the groups of sleeping white tips. Starting end of January, there are humpbacks around though it is illegal to dive with them on purpose and rare to have an accidental encounter.

In Malpelo, they do have the Ferox shark but they are rare - your best chance of seeing them is either going to tech depths or going when the waters are the coldest (around February) and the shark is more likely to be cruising around rec depths. I do know they had some rec depth encounters this past September or October though so you never know. Malpelo is for hammerheads - we saw schools and individuals on pretty much every dive. The colder the water, the stronger the chances of seeing them in larger numbers, shallower and up close. We also saw galapgos sharks at the cleaning stations in large numbers on most dives. Oceanic mantas were around but more so just cruising across the passes. We were there in August/Sept which is WS season so we saw some very big, curious whalesharks around there too.

 

[scubaNYC16]

I’m in total Socorro geek mode. Reading this in car from airport to downtown to get on boat tomorrow night.

 

[Joneill]

Is this video a compilation or did you take it during one trip in December? They say that Hammerheads are there in May-June.

Hammerheads apparently don’t listen to “them” and manage their own schedule...

 

[dirtfarmer]

Thanks for posting the video, it's getting me even more excited for my January trip.

 

[tarponchik]

Hammerheads apparently don’t listen to “them” and manage their own schedule...

Just checking...