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“The Socorro Islands”
Mexico’s Revillagigedos Archipelago
Text and photos by Barb Roy
Located 386km (250 miles) southwest of the tip of Baja
California and over 720km (446 miles) west of Manzanillo,
the Revillagigedos are one of three Mexican island groups
in the Pacific Ocean. All four islands that make up the
Revillagigedos Archipelago are remote, volcanic in origin
and offer some of the most unpredictable, wild diving in the
world. Isla Socorro is the largest of the Revillagigedos islands.
Over the years, visitors have adopted the name—“The Socorro
Islands”—when referring to this group. Depending on the time
of year and which island you visit, a diver might encounter the
graceful splendor of a humpback whale and her calf or be
able to swim alongside a gargantuan whale shark. These won-
drous creatures are all in addition to the archipelago’s regu-
lar residents: giant Pacific mantas, hammerhead sharks, yel-
lowfin tuna, sea turtles, over five other species of sharks and
countless other large pelagics who utilize this offshore area.
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