Socorro Manta & Shark Madness Liveaboard Trip Feb 2026

Socorro Islands Photo Workshop on the Rocio del Mar in Feb 2026 for manta rays, sharks & humpback whales.

Shark Encounters

Pelagic Encounters

Why Join This Trip

Intense focus on repeated encounters with friendly giant manta rays, hammerhead, silvertip & galapagos sharks, and dolphins
Prime season for breaching humpback whales
A short 2-hour flight to Cabo from the south west United States
On one of the best-reviewed liveaboards, the Rocio Del Mar
Includes FREE photo workshop from your trip leader

Trip overview

Trip Overview

The trip starts and ends in San Jose del Cabo, then goes on to the Revillagigedo Archipelago which includes Socorro Island, Roca Partida, and San Benedicto Island. The Rocio del Mar is one of the better liveaboards cruising to Socorro. Dive to your heart's content as many as four times a day and get to interact with large pelagics up close and personal.

Read our full recap with images, for our 2025 Socorro Manta & Shark Madness Trip

Tim Johnson shares his underwater footage from Bluewater Travel's Socorro 2023 Underwater Photo Workshop

Itinerary

Here's a sample day-by-day itinerary of this trip (subject to change):

Day 1 (Feb 25) The Rocio Del Mar will be ready for boarding at 5:00 pm, dinner is served at 7:00 pm, and will depart that evening.
Day 2 Rocio del Mar arrives in San Benedicto.
Day 3 San Benedicto, 4 dives scheduled.
Day 4 Roca Partida, 3 dives scheduled.
Day 5 Roca Partida, 3 dives scheduled.
Day 6 Socorro Island, 4 dives scheduled (check-in with naval station)
Day 7 Socorro Island, 4 dives scheduled
Day 8 San Benedicto, 4 dives scheduled. At the end of this day, we will start our departure to San Jose del Cabo.
Day 9 Arrive at San Jose del Cabo. Guests may sleep on the boat.
Day 10 (Mar 6) Disembark after breakfast by 8:30 am.

Dive Overview

The Revillagigedo Islands are where you will have an experience of a lifetime with large ocean pelagic animals including a wide variety of sharks (hammerhead sharks, tiger sharks, Galapagos sharks, and silky sharks), dolphins, tuna, barracudas, clouds of jacks, and of course, the friendliest mantas in the world. This is also humpback whale season, and if lucky, you may see a humpback whale swim by underwater.

Diving Conditions

February is an excellent time for diving in Socorro, as it falls within the peak diving season from November to May. This period offers divers a chance to encounter remarkable marine life, including giant manta rays, playful dolphins, and schooling hammerhead sharks.

Water Temperature - 75F-80F (24-27C) degrees in November and December, beginning of January, late April and May. Expect cooler temperatures between 70-74F (21-23C) in late January, February, March, and beginning of April.
Visibility - Varies depending on the dive site, season, currents, and other conditions. Roca Partida often has the best visibility, reaching over 100 feet. There are sometimes reports of lower visibility in November/December (when whale sharks are found feeding on plankton).
Depth Range - 33-100ft (10-30m)

To learn more about what you can expect from this Socorro trip check out our 2024 November trip report. You can also read the great reviews of the Rocio del Mar & the reviews on diving Socorro here.

Recommended Scuba Gear

Download our full scuba gear guide to Socorro, Bluewater Travel guests receive 10% OFF! Click the image below to download (PDF).

5mm wetsuit. Browse Wetsuits at Bluewater Photo
Strong fins. Check out the Apeks RK3 Dive Fins
SMB. The Mares Dive Marker Buoy is our choice!
Travel BCD. Read our Best Travel BCD Article
Travel regulator. We suggest Mares Ultra 62X Dive Regulator

Note on Marine Park Fees

*For people who are over 60 and can provide documentation that they are retired or pensioned, the park fee will be waived. According to the CONANP, any official document with the words "RETIRED" or "PENSIONED" will be accepted along with a photo of a current passport. Any other documentation will NOT be accepted.

In our experience, US citizens who are receiving retirement benefits from the Social Security Administration can download a Benefit Verification Letter from the www.SSA.gov website.

For students and teachers: A 75% discount is available for ACTIVE/CURRENT students and teachers. To get this discount, a photocopy of an identification card with a photo and current date is required.

To apply for an exception, the above documentation should be sent to Bluewater at trips@bluewaterdivetravel.com no later than one month prior to boarding. Please note that CONANP has the final word if a document is accepted or not. They do not verify the exception prior to the trip. If it is not accepted, the applicant will be required to pay the full park fees.

For more details, read about the Socorro Marine Park Fees 2025.