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SUMMER 2012
If you’ve had your fill of tiny critters and are
willing to put up with long boat rides, swells
and currents in pursuit of Señor Grande in
his own territory,
the Revillagigedo archipelago
is the place to go. You’ll board a boat in Cabo
San Lucas and then motor some 200 miles
south for 20 hours to reach the first of four
islands: San Benedicto. From there it’s another
30 miles to Socorro and 85 to Roca Partida. The
westernmost island, Clarion, is an additional 200
miles away and is seldom visited because the
diving at the first three is so spectacular.
All are volcanic mountains that break the
surface far offshore, where they attract a bounty
of pelagic species. Any diver seeking encounters
with legendary big guys such as sharks,
manta rays and even whales and whale sharks
eventually has to plan a trip there.
At this point you may be thinking, The ocean
is a wild place, and no big animal encounters
are guaranteed.That’s true, but if you don’t
see mantas or dolphins at San Benedicto,
hammerheads at Socorro or lots of sharks at
Roca Partida, you’re the unluckiest diver on the
face of the earth. They won’t all be there, but it’s
virtually assured that some of them will. If the
timing is right and you are fortunate, humpback
whales and whale sharks may be added to the
mix. Even if you don’t actually see a humpback,
they often provide the soundtrack for the area’s
underwater adventures. I recall filming mantas at
The Boiler while being serenaded by humpbacks,
actually feeling the whales’ songs in my chest.
We didn’t see them on those occasions, but the
sound was magical.
The Revillagigedos (rev EE uh hee HAY
dose) are sometimes referred to as Mexico’s
Galapagos. Underwater, the comparison rings
true. Both areas are protected biospheres and
part of the Panamic region, and most of the
indigenous marine life is identical. But don’t
expect land hikes. Even if they were allowed,
they would require technical climbing gear for
scaling the sheer, barren volcanic cliffs. But some
critters will come to you; boobies often hitch
rides on the boats for trips between islands.
SAN BENEDICTO
San Benedicto is home to mantas renowned for
their friendliness. The Boiler, a pinnacle that
almost reaches the surface, is a cleaning station
where the giant elasmobranchs are serviced by
wrasses, jacks and Clarion angelfishes. Every
manta at The Boiler has two remoras attached
— never fewer, never more. Nobody I‘ve spoken
to has a good explanation for it. I’ve had up to
a dozen mantas all to myself there, all posing
for photographs much more cooperatively than
most human models. I’ve been able to dedicate
entire dives just to manta sunburst silhouettes
or closeups of their faces. On other occasions
mantas have followed me back to the boat after I
ran low on air. Anthropomorphism be damned; I
felt like I’d made some new friends.
In the past few years a school of dolphins has
made The Boiler its home. Unlike their brethren
that rocket past us, these local dolphins seem
to swim in slow motion, as if performing for
our benefit. A pod of about 20 calmly gathered
and cavorted right in front of us for about 10
minutes. No feeding or baiting was going on;
these were natural behaviors. The animals are
habituated to divers’ nonthreatening presence,
and they rewarded us by being themselves.
THE BIG ANIMALS OF MEXICO’S LITTLE ISLANDS
Socorro and the Revillagigedos
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ERIC HANAUER
Megafauna
exic
Majestic
Clockwise from
top: humpback
mother and calf,
Roca Partida;
school of jacks,
Roca Partida;
manta sunburst
silhouette, Isla
San Benedicto;
green moray,
Roca Partida;
Isla San
Benedicto;
Roca Partida