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Socorro Island rises abruptly from the sea to 1,050 meters (3,440 feet) in elevation at its summit. The island is the emerged summit of a massive, predominately submarine shield volcano. The island is part of the northern Mathematicians Ridge, a mid-ocean ridge that became largely inactive 3.5 million years ago when activity moved to the East Pacific Rise. All four islands along with the many seamounts on the ridge are post-abandonment alkaline volcanoes. Socorro Island is unusual in that it is the only dominantly silicic peralkaline volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean. It most recently erupted in late January-early February 1993, which was a submarine eruption off the coast from Punta Tosca. An earlier eruption was on May 21, 1951. Earlier eruptions probably occurred in 1905, 1896 and 1848. The island's surface is broken by furrows, small craters, and numerous ravines, and covered in lava domes, lava flows and cinder cones. 

There is a naval station, established in 1957, with a population of 250 staff and families living in a village with a church. The village stands on the western side of Bahia Vargas Lozano, a small cove with a rocky beach, about 800 meters east of Cabo Regla, the southernmost point of the island. The station is served by a dock, a local helipad and Isla Socorro airport, located six kilometers to the north. There is a freshwater spring about 5 km northwest of Cabo Regla, at the shoreline of Ensenada Grayson. This is brackish and sometimes covered by the sea at high tide. In the 1950s, a small freshwater seep was known to exist some 45 meters (49 yards) inland at Bahia Lucio Gallardo Pavon, about 800 meters NW of the naval station. 

The islands are located nearly 400 km (250 miles) from the Baja California peninsula. Due to the isolated location, the only way to visit Socorro is through liveaboard. Most visitors begin their trips by arriving at Los Cabos International Airport in Mexico. Then, divers travel 45 minutes to Cabo San Lucas where they take off on a liveaboard. It usually takes about a day for the liveaboard to arrive at the islands. 

The diving season lasts from November to May as that is when the often-rough waters are at their calmest. However, even the calmer waters have strong currents, making this trip best for advanced divers.

Although the Socorro’s waters are not filled with the colorful reefs many divers look out for, the marine life more than makes up for it. Manta rays, dolphins, hammerhead sharks, tiger sharks, are just a few of the common sights in these waters. Humpback whales can even be seen on their migration path through the months of January and February, and the dolphins are known for coming into close contact with divers, most commonly from January to March.  

When divers first arrive at the islands, they often begin their scuba adventure at El Fondeadero. This dive site is located in San Benedicto’s shallower waters where there are three pinnacles and sightings of lobster and eels. The famous sightings of humpback whales are east of Socorro island at the Cabo Pearce dive site. Abundant pelagic life can be seen at the isolated Roca Partida dive site. This site is over 80 miles from San Benedicto and has a pinnacle peaking up out of the water. This site is best suited for advanced divers and has over 100 feet of visibility. 

When planning your next dive trip, make sure the Socorro Islands are at the top of your list. The close encounters with dolphins, sharks, and manta rays at this location are unmatched, and the humpback whale sightings are one of a kind. 

Spanish for “two eyes,” Dos Ojos is commonly explored in two dives. This is one of the most popular cenotes, so it can get a bit crowded. However, experiencing the stunning stalactites, stalagmites, and bat cave makes it worth it. There is even an underground tunnel that connects the two caverns — creating a perfectly unique experience for any diver.  Divers and snorkelers alike can also spot the small fish that call Dos Ojos home. Photos courtesy of cenotedosojos.com and cenotesmexico.org

Calavera Cenote

Often referred to as the “Temple of Doom,” Calavera is arguably one of the best diving cenotes in Mexico. Located in Tulum, this spot has three entrances to its underground waters. The main entrance is a large hole with a ladder that leads its sparkling blue-green waters. When diving Calavera, guests usually dive to a depth of around 15 meters. A popular sight to see is the halcyon layer: where freshwater and saltwater meet. Due to the overall clarity of the water, this layer is very visible. Photo courtesy of todotulum.com

Cenote Tajma Ha 

With a visible halcyon layer, Tajma Ha is located between Tulum and Playa del Carmen. This spot is best for more advanced divers as it has cramped spaces with jagged walls. This site is usually explored over the course of 50 minutes with one tank. Guests will drive through tunnels and into caverns as they spot the stunning speleothems. The halcyon layer is located in one of the tunnels, and that is just one of the many unique sights divers see. Photo courtesy of aquaworld.com.mx

Dreamgate Cenote

Located in Playa del Carmen, the Dreamgate Cenote is part of one of the largest cave systems in the world. Much like Tajma Ha, Dreamgate is best for advanced divers. There are plenty of stalactites, stalagmites, and columns that make this such a challenging, yet beautiful, dive. Dives at this site are usually short with the use of just one tank, but there is still plenty to see. Photo courtesy of cenotesworld.com

Miguel Colorado

Hidden away in the jungle, Miguel Colorado Cenote appears to be a pond. However, open cenotes such as this one tends to be much older than ones located in caves. This is usually due to the collapse of the roof of the cave. This cenote is surrounded by breathtaking greenery, and there are plenty of activities for guests to enjoy. This includes nearby hiking trails, kayaking, and ziplining across the stunning waters. Photo courtesy of viamexico.mx

Chihuan

With its waters completely under the overhanging cave, Chihuan Cenote is popular for swimming. The waters are crystal clear, and there are ropes tied to the low hanging ceiling for swimmers to rest on. This location is not very well known, so it usually only has a few visitors at a time. Photo courtesy of cancuntochichenitza.com

Taak Bi Ha Cenote

Although most might not know of Taak Bi Ha Cenote,  it is a snorkeler's dream. This site is located 40 minutes from Playa del Carmen, not too far past Dos Ojos. It is owned by the local community but can be dived through local diving centers. Inside one of the caves is a river-like path that guests typically need to explore with the help of a guide. Photo courtesy of advanceddivermexico.com

Angelita

Arriving on the island is simple, as it has its own international airport. Flights from Miami, Montreal, and Mexico City all arrive directly at the Cozumel International Airport and are usually only 2 to 5 hours long. Visitors can also board a 20-minute connecting flight from Cancun.

Cozumel is a year-round scuba diving destination off Mexico's eastern Caribbean coast. The island is known for gentle drift dives, excellent visibility, and reefs teeming with marine life including corals, sponges, turtles, nurse sharks, and small rays. 

Cozumel is also known for its variety of dive resorts, from budget to luxury, and many of the resorts are all-inclusive. With a list of land-based activities, Cozumel is a popular travel destination for scuba divers and non-divers alike. Cozumel’s peak season typically runs from November to April and the resorts can be quite busy.

Geographically, the island is 45 kilometers long and 15 kilometers wide. The dive sites are all on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, which runs past Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, and is the second largest barrier reef in the world. The Marine Park of Cozumel was established in 1996 and protects the southern area of the island. Diving in Cozumel is suitable for beginning divers with shallow sites and advanced divers with deeper drift dives along walls and swim-throughs. Water temperature is warm year-round. Many of the dive sites are perfectly suited to underwater photography and offer opportunities for both wide-angle and macro subjects. 

The reefs are home to more than 500 fish species and a wide variety of coral. Divers also encounter turtles, groupers, green moray eels, nurse sharks, the splendid toadfish and other colorful tropical fish. Shore diving from resorts offers macro critters on the artificial reefs and the sandy bottom. Currents are minimal at these sites, providing ample opportunity to shoot anemone shrimp, juvenile drumfish, spotted moray eels, stingrays, trumpetfish and more. Night dives bring out more critters, including curious squid. And while rarer, divers should always be on the lookout for seahorses.

Some of the best dive sites around Cozumel include:

·      Santa Rosa Wall, one of the most popular deep dive sites. The wall begins at around 15 meters and extends deep into the abyss. 

·      Colombia wall, over 30 meters high and is home to a stunning cave, tunnel and cavern systems. 

·      Palancar Reef is the perfect first dive site for individuals not confident in their skill set. The reef extends over 5 kilometers and is home to huge coral clusters. 

·      Palancar Horseshoe is named after the U-shaped protrusion on the wall. This site is home to tunnels and swim-throughs carved into the reef. 

·      Punta Tunich offers swift currents and drift dives. Diving this location starts at around 20 meters where the sand bottom leads to extended ridges of coral. 

·      Barracuda Reef offers divers crazy currents and abundant marine life including hammerheads, black-tip reef sharks, eagle rays and barracuda. This is a northern dive site and a limited number of dive shops travel there.

Many travelers visit Cozumel from Caribbean cruises, typically just for a day. However, divers often spend their entire vacation on the island. With warm temperatures year-round, it is almost always a great time to dive in Cozumel. May to September has the warmest, calmest waters that are perfect for any level of diver. November to March is most popular for those hoping to spot bull sharks. While the waters are generally calm, they do tend to get rougher in between seasons. However, the more advanced waters typically allow for sightings of sharks and eagle rays. The waters are usually full of colorful reef fish and corals, but stingrays, nurse sharks, lobsters, turtles, and groupers can also be seen by lucky divers. 

The island itself has a rich history that is kept alive by the Mayan ruins scattered throughout the island. Visitors often take tours to the areas due to their remote locations on the island, but the venture is worth it in order to be immersed into a world that once was. Some of the most popular historical sites include San Gervasio and Cedral. In addition to the ruins, the island has plenty of stunning natural structures to explore. The island has what is known as a karst topography due to its foundation being made of limestone. Guests can choose to explore this as the limestone base results in cenotes, which are sinkholes filled with water. These are usually done through tours as well. 

Exploring downtown is a great way to experience the culture in Cozumel. With countless restaurants and shops, there is so much to discover. By nightfall, all of the tourists visiting from cruises will be gone, and the nightlife begins to vibrantly take over the island. Since most visitors are gone by this time, nightlife in Cozumel is mostly spent with locals, taking away the touristy feel and replacing it with a more authentic vibe. There are plenty of bars along the coast of the island, and there is often plenty of live music to dance to. 

Cozumel is a unique, vibrant island that provides many experiences. No matter who is visiting, they will be able to fall in love with some part of the island. Whether it be its history, the sandy beaches, the lively Caribbean waters, or the unique landscape, there is truly something for everyone. 

Four uninhabited volcanic islands make up the Revillagigedos: Socorro, Clarion, San Benedicto, and Roca Partida. They raise up from sea level from 100 to 3,800 feet out of the water from the seafloor, creating exceptional walls, pinnacles and sheer drop-offs that act as cleaning and feeding stations for oceanic mantas and half a dozen shark species, including mass aggregations of scalloped hammerheads.

Revillagigedos is an oasis in the middle of the eastern Pacific. The four islands sit at the convergence of the cool California Current flowing from the north and the warmer North Equatorial Current, creating an ideal spot for nutrients to rise from the deep and attract passing pelagics. This makes Revilla a hotspot for manta rays, humpback whales, whale sharks, dolphins, hammerheads, Galapagos sharks—nearly every variety of hungry traveler.

The Revillagigedos are part of a unique chain with amazing undersea volcanic mounds. Because of the remote nature, there’s just not a lot of pressure on the sites.

Cabo Pierce, the Aquarium, and El Canyon dive sites offer the chance to see just about any big animals you can imagine—humpback whales, pacific bottlenose dolphins, whale sharks, the list goes on.

Because these are important waterways for endangered megafauna, the islands were deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016, and a year later were established as the Revillagigedo National Park. Even though they’re remote, they’re patrolled by the local government to prevent illegal fishing.

Because the archipelago is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, certain protective measures are in place. Night diving, solo diving, and diving in the blue are not offered for safety reasons. Also, reef hooks, knives, dive lights not connected to cameras, and gloves are not permitted. In order to manage the number of divers on each site, liveaboards coordinate the timing of their dives. Because of this, if there are several boats at a site, they may limit the number of dives per day to three. The park has a set limit on the number of liveaboards that can visit, but flexibility is key in these parts.