At the end of our first day anchored near "The Boiler" the captain move our boat around San Benedicto to give us a calm, comfortable, anchorage for better sleeping. The next day we made dives on El Canyon, two dives on The Boiler, and Hidden Gardens (the site was renamed Tiger Gardens after our dive there!).
Val shooting a large Green Moray at El Canyon.
Clarion Angelfish cleaning station, this is what draws Mantas and other large fish to the dive sites for cleaning.
Trumpetfish and Flag Cabrilla cooperatively hunting.
Bluespot, aka Bluefin, Travale.
Black Jack
The view of San Benedicto from our anchorage at "The Boiler", the dive site called "Hidden Gardens" is aptly named for a reef next to a sand flat reached by passing between the center and right rock in this picture and is just on the far side of it. The sight was rightly renamed "Tiger Gardens" after our great dive and encounter there.
These shots of San Benedicto were taken from the Southern Sport's sun deck as we moved it back to "The Boiler" after a nice sheltered night on the leeward side of the island. We took Group Two's panga around to the sheltered anchorage after our dive at Tiger Gardens followed by the Southern Sport.
Hurray, another friendly Giant Manta, I was using my new 24 mm compact lens because of the fogging problems I had with my usual 10-17 mm Tokina lens due to the steaming it had gotten the previous afternoon. I sadly discovered the hard way that my extended dome allowed reflected light back into this lens in some lighting conditions, but I did get some good pictures with it.
Pink highlights from internal dome reflections...I had however been actually seeing red the previous dive when my other lens wouldn't focus and shoot......
A good Manta ID shot. Andrea was pleased that we encountered and ID'd 20 unique Giant Manta individuals on our trip, a record for her at the Revillagigedos Islands on a single trip. She also met her goal of getting 10 Manta tissue samples on the trip.
This Giant Manta enjoyed its bubble baths. The largest Giant Manta on our trip was right at 17 ft across as measured by another marine biologist's laser measurement system on his camera rig.
Giant Manta with a jack and Remoras.
Creolefish photo bomb!
Creolefish at "Hidden Gardens", soon to be renamed, the site, that is...
Surgeonfish at Hidden Gardens.
A large Tiger Shark (well not large for a Tiger Shark, compared to the giant at Cocos two years ago), makes a first pass on our group, then turned and made a second pass.
Val getting video of the estimated 10 ft Tiger Shark
Mark getting shots of the Tiger Shark, I got your back, Mark! I'm behind you all the way!
Magnificent, very confident, shark. We felt sorry for it trailing the hook and line but it should be fine.
A Barberfish, these fish, plus Clarion Angelfish, set up cleaning stations which is what draws Mantas and other large fish to the dive sites for cleaning.
A juvenile Green Turtle. Watch out, Ms Turtle, Tiger Sharks are infamous for munching sea turtles with their huge powerful jaws.
Beautiful Juvenile Clarion Angelfish
Tiger Snake Eel
Guineafowl Puffer
Diamond Stingray
Green Moray
Dos Amigos. A Guineafowl Puffer and friend, a damselfish. I'm really pleased with my 24 mm lens.
Coral Hawkfish
Giant Damselfish, really, that's its common name and it is well chosen.
Time to open up my camera and go back to my Tokina wide angle lens, now dry, for our final morning of diving before departing for the 22 hour cruise back to Cabo San Lucas.
To see more from these dives, please go to:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qfrKnK0jqD4xcqoy1
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