MexicoPacific Live Aboards: Chapbook 1997

1997 Chapbook
Mexico

Sea of Cortez

Ambar III, May 1995, Vernon Hartline, Dallas, TX. "Frequent mantas, sharks and other big stuff. Off San Benedicto mantas with 15' to 20' wingspans every dive. Rode them one day. Water rough (6' to 10' seas on crossings), 71F to 75F; vis 50' to 100'. Lots of schooling jacks, tuna, wahoo, bottlenose dolphins. Four kinds of sharks, lots of morays, lobster and reef fish. Almost no coral. . . . Incredible boat. Owner Mike is the captain and Sherry Shaffer is excellent chef. guests are limited to 6. Fished between dives catching tuna and wahoo. Twin Cat diesels, 600 gal/day water maker, every electronic device known to man. ScubaPro Steel 96 and 72 tanks - little camera room on the back deck. Fresh water showers off swim step. For experienced only"

Ambar III, November 1995, Carol Walker, Lafayette, CO. "Private boat, owner operated, excellent condition. Food excellent, caught Wahoo and tuna and spent more time fishing than I cared to, but got in 3 dives a day. No night diving. Best part: friendly mantas at San Benedicto Island. Sharks and eels every dive, bull sharks, Galapagos, tiger sharks, whitetips, silvertips. vis: 30100 ft. water: 75°80°, calm conditions. . . . Two trip members luggage didn't come in time so had to borrow: never check all the way through when going to Cabo!"

Don Jose, August 1995, Bill and Ruth Maki, E. Lansing, MI. "Crew great, but divemasters were a vacationing couple who got sick and had trouble with boat captain. Two other divemasters, Jose and Fredo, were great, especially for finding hammerheads at El Bajo. Schools of sharks. Sea lions approachable. Los Islotes has a lone male juvenile elephant sea who plays with divers. A real kick to have it approach and interact, but it's 'play' is really sexually oriented behavior of a young male. Can't help thinking this is a disaster waiting to happen and that the story will not have a happy ending for the seal. . . . Good trip - lots of big critters and action: Sea lions, morays, hammerheads, marlin, Water 78° to 80°F. Vis 30 to 50 feet."

Don Jose, October 1995, Ellen Jacobson, Littleton, CO. "Lovely weather, clear water, lots of hammerheads, no mantas. 5 dives at Las Animas - sharks, eels, great schools of fish. The boat is old and wood; whine of the compressors intrudes on my pleasure and enjoyment and solitude. No AC, but accommodations are above decks and I do not feel trapped in a freezing cold, lightless room below the water line. Crew - wonderful, helpful, kind, considerate. Bruce Brown, divemaster, always available but does not dive often. The dive operation is safe and efficient, the crew alert, the food is varied and excellent. Diving for advanced divers with computers; currents strong, depths deep."

Don Jose, October 1995, Drew Weiner, San Mateo, CA. "California topography with tropical fish and warm water. Sea lions at Los Illotes are friendly; photographing them easy. Seamounts amazing. Water: 84°. Vis: Unlimited. Hammerheads, a manta, huge schools of jacks, and moray eels in every crack. Don Jose is a neat old boat that has an accommodating crew and a captain that knows the Sea intimately!"

Solmar V, May 1995, T. Woodruff, Winterville, GA. "Giant mantas fantastic - 80% of dives. Beautiful ship. Beds not made everyday. Some diesel fumes below - tiny cabins. Plenty of water. One thin dive towel/day/person. Not much help with setting up tanks. Overcooked broccoli and cauliflower at every dinner, lots of fried food. Expensive by international luxury live-aboard standards. Full boat would be too much (we were only 12.)"

Solmar V, May 1995, Thomas Roos, Ithaca, NY. "Crossing rough. Large camera table, dive deck and platform. With full complement of 24 divers it would be crowded. Cabins small but well laid out; private head and shower. Crew excellent: friendly, helpful and competent. Significant current or surge at many sites, but not terribly difficult. Safety Sausages are provided and inflatables pick you up when you surface. Water mid 70's, vis averaged 50 ft. No night diving. Hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, huge turtle, several octopi, free swimming morays, tons of tropicals, big groupers and huge schools of jacks. Mantas - up to 7 on a dive, with spans 1020 ft. Love interacting with divers, often waiting in line to get their bellies rubbed. Pods of dolphins, schools of tuna leaping out of the water, and whales breaching in the distance. At night we would watch sharks and dolphins chase flying fish in the lights of the boat."

Solmar V, July 1995, Rob Kronenbitter, Doylestown, PA. "Cabo Pulmo outer reef advanced drift diving. Occasional clumps of elegant coral and gorganians but myriad of wrasses, hamlets, angels and parrots. Inner reef: fields of elegant coral, Moorish idols, schools of fish. Water cloudy at times with fish fry. Inshore wreck too much work to dive: surge 15 feet in each direction. El Bajo seamount; drift diving in open water. Tens of thousands of fish. Return to the mother ship by Zodiac. Los Islotes a barren rock with a sea lion colony. Night dives yielded Mexican dancers, sticky sea cucumbers, anemones and jeweled eels. Guitarfish, bullseye rays. . . . boat and crew great, diving spectacular. Pelagics aren't there in great enough numbers."

Solmar V, August 1995, D. Keith Lamb, Columbus, OH. "7 crew catered to 9 divers. No whale sharks or mantas, glimpse of hammerheads, schooling fish abundant; hundreds of puffers and a landscape covered in jacks. Water 82 deg, at depth 74. Surrounded by 10,000 tuna who carved out holes just big enough for us to fit in. Sea Lion Rookery: Los Islotes an enchanted place. They dart in and out of the water all around you. Baby elephant seal played with divers."

Solmar V, August 1995, Stanley & Gretchen Gettis, Miami, FL. "Great. Absence of coral and sponges, unbelievable abundance of fish and mammals. Luxurious 110' boat. Showers (2) on dive deck, excellent storage. Staterooms have private heads and shower. Plenty of hot water. Book superior rooms (standards too small for 2). A/C really cold. Food: Grilled shrimp, fresh marlin, tuna, chicken, or steak with sit down service. . . . Thrilling diving with sea lions; play with elephant seal at "Los Isolates". Morays (2 to 3 in a hole) on every dive. All kinds of starfish, schools of tuna, grunt. Drift diving sea mounts (saw hammerheads but no other large pelagics) makes your heart beat faster. Vis 60'100'. Dive computer profiles. Crew affable, helpful, attentive and competent."

Solmar V, October 1995, James Johnson, Fairfax, VA. "Spoiled me. Spacious, comfortable and well run. The crew and dive staff seem dedicated to making the trip a special pleasure."

Solmar V, October 1995, Joe & Linda Coates, Colorado Springs, CO. "The best crew. Both divemasters, Enrique and Raphael (single!) should be in movies they are so handsome. They and Roberto did the utmost to satisfy a diverse group. Giant mantas at San Benidicto Island. At Socorro Island vis poor; saw a few Galapago sharks, no hammerheads or turtles. Disappointing. Mantas at Socorro not as friendly as San Benidicto. On our last dive at San Benidicto, as we hung on the safety rope for the 5-minute safety stop, the four mantas we had been playing with passed single file, waved their wings, and bade us farewell."

Solmar V, December 1995, Glen Mobbs, Batavia, OH. "Best live-aboard we've been on as accommodations go. Wish it had E-6. Food good, service good. Mantas everywhere, friendly and rode them easily. Wanted to be petted. Saw a few hammerheads, and more other sharks, lots of eels. Glad we went. Make Sure 10% Mexican tax is paid in trip price! Vis-4070 ft."

Solmar V, May 1996, Joseph Warren, Burlingame, CA. "Good trip but overrated for $21002300. Staterooms (2 adults can barely stand in a cabin) and main gathering area are small. Dive operation well run; mostly drift dives often from pontoon boat. Rough weather; could only go to San Benedicto and Socorro. Vis 3060 ft, water 77°83° 50 ft. Free to dive as buddies to 130 ft. Usually mantas, a few sharks, and a school of dolphins played with us for awhile. Weren t many small fish, not much coral. . . . Food and overall service poor. Mostly beef and chicken dishes, burritos. Fresh fish twice. No seconds available. Meals were served only at a specific time and the rear tables had to clear out as soon as they finished so the crew could eat. Snacks ordinary (fruit, packaged things,). 40 hour transition time too long for the quality of this trip."

Copyright 1997 by DSDL, Inc., publishers of Undercurrent. All rights reserved. No portions of this report may be reproduced in any way, including photocopying and electronic data storage, without prior written permission from the publisher. For more information, contact Elephant Socks Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1658, Sausalito, CA 94966.