Liveaboard-only giant manta and shark encounters inside Mexico's fully protected ocean park
Currently Viewing:
Overview
Revillagigedo National Park, better known to divers as the Socorro Islands, is a remote cluster of volcanic peaks in the eastern Pacific. You do not come for coral gardens. You come for close, curious megafauna: giant manta rays at cleaning stations, bottlenose dolphins that sometimes initiate interaction, and a rotating cast of sharks. Access is almost exclusively by liveaboard from Los Cabos. Expect blue-water dives, current, and live skiff pickups, with park rules that cap depth at 35 m and typical dive time at 60 minutes. CONANP lists the main diving season as November to June, with water often around 20°C to 28°C depending on month. Plan a few extra Baja California Sur days before or after for recovery, food, and Sea of Cortez day trips.
DiveJourney destination guides are living documents built from local knowledge, operator experience, and publicly available sources. Conditions, regulations, and logistics can change. Each guide shows its last update date and sources used.
Last updated: January 23, 2026 • 15 sources
If you see something inaccurate or outdated, you can submit an update. This is how the platform improves.
Trip callouts
Managed by CONANP with fees that fund protection, plus strict interaction rules (no touching or feeding, limits on depth/time, and guided groups).
Cleaning-station diving brings repeated passes by giant manta rays that often approach unusually close when divers stay calm and still.
Dolphins, sharks (silky, Galapagos, hammerheads, and occasional tigers), tuna and jacks can all appear on the same itinerary.
Iconic offshore formations like Roca Partida concentrate life and deliver dramatic drop-offs into open-ocean blue.
Most trips start and end in Los Cabos, so you can stack beaches, desert food, and Sea of Cortez day trips around your liveaboard.
scuba
Why Revillagigedo (Socorro) for Scuba Diving
Socorro is one of the world's most reliable places for calm, close encounters with big pelagics. Diving revolves around cleaning stations and pinnacles where giant manta rays loop overhead, dolphins cruise through the group, and sharks patrol the edges of the blue. Iconic dives include The Boiler (San Benedicto) and the dramatic spire of Roca Partida, plus Socorro Island sites like Cabo Pearce and Punta Tosca. The trade-off is commitment: it is liveaboard-only, far offshore, and conditions can include strong current, surge, and deep water under your fins. If you are comfortable with blue-water diving and want wildlife interactions inside a strictly protected national park, this is a bucket-list itinerary.
freedive
Why Revillagigedo (Socorro) for Freediving
Freediving in Revillagigedo is niche and highly conditions-dependent, but it can be extraordinary when it happens: mantas and dolphins sometimes cruise shallow enough for surface breath-hold sessions near sites like The Boiler. Most visitors come on scuba-focused liveaboards, so freediving is usually limited to supervised sessions that fit the itinerary and sea state. If you want dedicated training time, consider adding a few days in La Paz or the Sea of Cortez before or after your Socorro trip.
snorkel
Why Revillagigedo (Socorro) for Snorkeling
Socorro is not a reef-snorkel destination. It is open ocean, far offshore, and exposed to swell and current. That said, some liveaboards offer limited snorkeling sessions when conditions are calm, including occasional surface time around manta stations like The Boiler or dolphin-prone areas such as Punta Tosca. A few operators also run controlled evening surface sessions near the boat. If you are a strong swimmer and want a chance at dolphins or mantas near the surface, snorkeling can be an add-on. For classic easy snorkeling, plan extra days in Baja California Sur.
topside
What to do when you're not in the water
There is no casual topside tourism in Revillagigedo National Park. Most visitors experience the islands from the deck of a liveaboard, with landings generally restricted. So the real topside planning is about your launchpad: Los Cabos and Baja California Sur. Add a day or two for beach recovery, great food, and easy logistics, or extend to La Paz and nearby islands for wildlife cruises and calm-water outings.
