Page 418 - Mexico Diving From the Caribbean to Pacific Isles
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n July 1861 President Benito Juarez base on Socorro and have had a permanent The scientists who visit the Revillagigedos
presence there ever since then. On March Islands every year to study the migrating
O signed a decree that awarded territo- 21, 1972 Pablo Silva Garcia became the first whale population tell the crew of the Solmar
governor of Colima to visit his state’s is- V that after twelve years of encountering
rial control of the four islands to the state land territories, as a result of this occasion the vessels, the humpbacks are now famil-
of Colima. Since that time the islands have a plaque was unveiled to mark the event iar and used to the vessel and the oppor-
been part of the Manzanillo municipality and cement Colima’s claim to the island. tunity for underwater encounters has im-
of the Mexican state. Originally Juarez had proved. Add to the mix extremely large tuna
hoped to convert the island into an offshore T here are lots of sharks in the Revilla- (the world record yellowfin is from these
penitentiary, a plan that was never realized, gigedos Islands - hammerhead schools, waters), wahoo, thick schools of jacks and
however despite this the decree was never whitetip, silvertip, silky, dusky, Galapagos many other big critters along with endemic
repealed and the land has remained a part and occasionally tiger sharks. There are sev- tropicals found nowhere else in the world.
of Colima. In 1865 the island was explored eral hammerhead cleaning stations that are
by ornithologist Andrew Jackson Grayson, visited each trip, weather permitting. Whale T he Revillagigedos Islands trips are only
who discovered the Socorro Dove, Socorro sharks are present at the islands during No- available November through May due
Mockingbird and Socorro Elf Owl, which vember/December and late April/May. Pods to weather conditions. During these months
were later given scientific names in his hon- of wild bottlenose dolphin are present on all the mantas and sharks are plentiful. The
or. At the beginning of the twentieth centu- a regular basis and from January through water temps are 75F - 80F in November, De-
ry Barton Warren Evermann, Director of the March, these islands are home to a large cember, beginning of January and late April
California Academy of Sciences in San Fran- population of humpback whales, that come and May. Humpback whales visit during the
cisco promoted the scientific exploration of here to breed and calve. In the last few years winter months of January through April.
the island. This turned out to be the most the frequency of underwater encounters
comprehensive biological collections ob- with humpbacks has increased dramati-
tained at this time and as a result the volca- cally, including mothers with new borns.
no on Isla Socorro was named in his honor.
In 1957 a Mexican Navy established a naval
