Page 442 - Mexico Diving From the Caribbean to Pacific Isles

This stony pillar attracts pelagics and large whale sharks are among the shark species you. The mantas here seem to be exception-
schools of jacks and tuna. Beneath the sur- seen here. Dolphins and humpback whales ally curious and friendly towards scuba di-
face the wall drops straight down to deep are also regularly sighted. vers and come very close indeed. You can
water. There are many shelves and ridges explore some small caves where whitetip
that give refuge to the animals that hide T here are vertical walls dropping down to sharks rest and lobsters lurk. In the shallows
there. At about 40 feet there are large caves 40+ meters and often current is present. there are sometimes clouds of creolefish
where groups of whitetip sharks can be However, it does not represent too much of and jacks completely encircling the divers.
found sleeping most of the time. Depend- a challenge to the experienced diver. The
ing on the current, its possible to swim pinnacle itself is quite small and can be T here are several small caves on one side
around the pinnacle several times in the circumnavigated more than once if that is of the rock where whitetip sharks are
course of one dive. Other times divers pre- how you choose to dive it. Alternatively you usually sleep until being disturbed by di-
fer to just hang out in one area and watch can swim away from the walls to take get vers. Large lobster can be seen quite often in
the pelagics swim by. Solmar V guests have closer to the passing pelagic action and im- this place. Going further away from the Roca
spotted schools of hammerheads, whitetip prove your chances of seeing the schooling Partida hammerhead sharks can be spotted
sharks, Galapagos sharks, silky sharks, giant hammerheads. Few places in the world are in large numbers. The rich upwellings from
manta rays, dolphins, an occasional whale- quite as prolific for big marine life as Roca deep water around Roca Partida provide
shark and even humpback whales enroute Partida and most divers relish the chance plentiful nutrients and oxygen for circling
to Alaska. For some, Roca Partida represents to drop in again and again into this incred- fish shoals, including huge black jacks and
the best spot in the Revillagigedos Islands ible site. One dive could see you hanging in dense schools of barracuda. Roca Partida is
and is an essential part of the Socorro div- the blue or holding to the wall while check- a great diving destination and quite often is
ing experience. It is a magnet for pelagics ing out a school of hammerheads or thou- being compared with Darwin and Wolf dive
like wahoo, marlin, giant pacific manta rays, sands of yellowfin tuna. On another dive you site in the Galapagos islands. The reputation
tuna and mackerel. Oceanic whitetips, scal- could see a group of enormous manta rays of Roca Partida is spreading, and it is rapidly
loped hammerheads, galapagos sharks and as they swoop, glide and barrel all around becoming an iconic site in the diving world.