Located nearly 500 km off Baja California, the remote Revillagigedo Archipelago - commonly called the ‘Socorro Islands’ after the main island - can only be explored by dive liveaboard during the season from November to June. This UNESCO‑protected marine park is renowned for its thrilling pelagic encounters with giant oceanic manta rays, schooling hammerheads and Galapagos sharks, dolphins, and even whale sharks and whales.
With ZuBlu, you can book your diving liveaboard trip to Socorro, San Benedicto and Roca Partida and experience some of the most exciting diving in the world. Choose from a selection of Mexico’s best liveaboards, including luxurious vessels and more affordable options, amenities such as nitrox and camera facilities, and departures and itineraries throughout the season.
ZuBlu’s experienced travel team can help you select and book the ideal liveaboard trip to Socorro, whether you are traveling solo, with a dive buddy or with a group.
Choosing the right liveaboard in the Socorro Islands
All liveaboards visiting Socorro, San Benedicto, and Roca Partida follow similar itineraries, with only slight differences in trip length. So when choosing a liveaboard, it’s best to focus on factors like your budget, the onboard amenities, and whether you’re looking for a more luxurious experience. It’s also worth considering the number of guests and dive guides on board, as this can affect the overall experience during your liveaboard trip. If you’d like help choosing the perfect liveaboard in Socorro, ZuBlu’s expert travel team is ready to assist with personalised recommendations.
Liveaboard itineraries in the Socorro Islands
Liveaboard itineraries to Socorro are normally 8 or 9 nights, with 5 to 6 full days of diving. The crossing from Cabo San Lucas takes 24 to 27 hours, depending on the weather. Several liveaboards offering longer trips, as well as once-a-year extended itineraries that visit Clarion island, or head back to the Sea of Cortez at the end of the season. Longer trips offer more diving days but all itineraries include the famous dive sites at Socorro, San Benedicto and Roca Partida Islands where divers have the best chance to encounter the islands’ famous manta rays, dolphins, schooling sharks and even whales.
Top dive sites visited during liveaboard trips at Socorro:
- The Boiler at San Benedicto Island, known for manta ray interactions;
- Cabo Pearce on Socorro Island, another manta hotspot with playful dolphins;
- Roca Partida, a pinnacle teeming with sharks, dolphins, and other pelagics;
- The Canyon at San Benedicto, popular for deep water shark diving.
The liveaboard season in the Socorro Islands
The liveaboard season in Socorro is from November to June, when seas are calm enough to reach the islands. Early season trips - November to January - offer excellent visibility, calmer seas, and fine weather conditions. From January to March, humpback whales are more commonly heard and occasionally seen. Later in the season - April to June - the seas warm up again slightly and whale shark sightings become more common. The end of the season is also known as ‘bait ball season’ as the abundance of marine life reaches its peak!
Learn more about the scuba diving in the Socorro Islands, including further details about the seasons.
Experience requirements for joining a liveaboard in the Socorro Islands
Socorro liveaboards generally require a minimum of 50–100 logged dives and Advanced Open Water certification, due to the more challenging conditions at dive sites around the islands. Nitrox certification is also useful. We recommend guests have experience diving in cooler water with a 5-7mm wetsuit, are able to enter from a tender in surge, and can handle strong currents.
How much will a liveaboard to Socorro cost?
Liveaboard trips to the Socorro Islands typically run in the range of US $300 to $450 per person per day, depending on the vessel and cabin type, with a typical 9 day, 8 night trip starting at US$ 3,400 per person. These rates includes all food and accommodation, water, tea and coffee, and the diving. It is important to consider additional costs such as equipment rental, purchases onboard, marine park and port fees, dive and travel insurance, and transfers, which may or may not be included in the basic rate.
The Mexican government recently increased the park fees applicable to trips in Socorro to 3,622.02 Mexican pesos per day, which can add over US$ 1,000 to the total cost of your trip.
Special offers and last minute discounts for liveaboards to the Socorro Islands are rare - but you can browse all special offers for liveaboards to the Socorro Islands here.
