Photo wrapup from 5 days in the Revillagigedo Islands May 28 - June 1, 2021

Here's my selection of photos from all five days of diving with the Nautilus Explorer (formerly the Undersea Hunter) in the Revillagigedo Islands. The first day of diving was at a site called "The Canyon" off San Benedicto; the second day of diving was also four dives on "The Boiler" also off San Benedicto Island; the third day was four dives on Roca Pardita after an overnight cruise from San Benedicto; the fourth day was three dives on a site called Cabo Pearce off Socorro Island after another overnight cruise; the final day was four dives back on the Boiler off San Benedicto Island after another overnight cruise. Here's a link to this full selection of 98 photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/8GBbyKZ4P7nLowZg7 or you can copy and paste: https://photos.app.goo.gl/8GBbyKZ4P7nLowZg7 Below: A Silver Tip leading, I think, a Galapagos Shark (could be a Silky...) at the Canyon.

A Giant Manta bathes in bubbles from Audry and our divemaster Juan at the Canyon:

Above, an approaching Galapagos (or maybe a Silky) Shark at The Canyon Below, a Giant Manta gives me a close pass with Guy and Audry looking on:

The unforgettable seascape of "The Boiler"

Above: Another Giant Manta visit in bright sunlight as we surface from our safety stop. Below: A view of Nautilus Explorer at Roca Partida from Guy's drone.

Above: A picture of me cruising along from Guy Foster Below: Juan with a huge Spiny Lobster

Below: We were occaisionally passed by a big beautiful Yellowfin Tuna

Below: Following an exciting but brief feeding frenzy over a large jack I had a close inspect.ion by an excited pack of four Silky Sharks.

Above: A beautiful Silver Tip Shark at Roca Partida

Above: The dive site diagram for Cabo Pearce off Socorro Island for our fourth day of diving Below: We had lots and lots of Giant Manta visits during our four dives at Cabo Pearce.

After another overnight crossing we returned to the Boiler off San Benedicto Island for our final day of diving.

Above: A pair of mating octopuses, if you look closely you can see the special reproductive arm coming from the octopus on the left to the one on the right. Below: Another view of the magnificent Boiler site:

Above, Guy with Giant Manta. We had lots of great Manta interaction on our final day of diving:

A wonderful trip, a great boat, fantastic crew, magical diving, and a great group of people. But all good things come to an end:

Four final dives at "The Boiler" of San Benedicto Island June 1, 2021

The Nautilus Undersea made a nightime crossing from Socorro to San Benedicto, 59 km/37 miles to give us a final day of five days of diving at the spectacular "Boiler" site. We once again had great conditions and lots of Giant Manta interactions, it was a great final day of diving for a great trip. Here's several of my photos from our last day of diving, to see the rest, please copy and paste: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Q5A6Y9sGNwYh6zut6 I'm having you cut and paste if you wish to see more because at present, the Google process for imbedding links is fubar.

Above, a Green Moray swimming down the side of The Boiler before Mantas showed up. Below, Guy Foster with an octopus:

Below: Octopus

Above, if you look closely, you can see that the octopus on the left, a male, has slipped a specialized arm for reproduction over into the female octopus on the right. They are mating. Below: A large spiny lobster on a "walkabout" on the Boiler before the Mantas showed up.

Below, Guy approachs the magnificent rock structure "The Boiler":

Soon we began getting many passes by Giant Mantas, the picture below is one intentionally bathing itself in the divers' exhaust bubbles. Sometimes Mantas get in the mood for a bubble bath!

Three at once!

I had one I nicknamed "stumpy" because he had lost his left chephalic lobe. He gave me several close passes, clearly enjoying my exhaust bubbles. On this pass, he completely fills my wideangle camera frame because he was only about 8 inches over the top of my head:

There are many more manta pictures at the link you can find back at the top, just copy and paste it to see them. Alas, all good things, like this wonderful trip, come to an end. The sun sets on our diving.

Three Dives at Cabo Pearce off Socorro Island May 31,2021

After making the 72 mile trip from Roca Pardida overnight we promptly starting diving the Cabo Pearce dive site off Socorro Island. The dives all quickly became filled with visits by friendly Giant Manta Rays. By the way, water temperatures throughout the trip ranged from 71 to 74 degrees, I was comfortable in my well worn 3 mm full suit, a mini hood, and a hooded 5 mm vest. Here's a view of the Cabo Pearce dive site at Socorro Island:

Above, the dive briefing diagram for Cabo Pearce. Before the Giant Mantas arrived, I photographed a few of the local dive site denizens, here's a Stingray, a Scrawled Filefish, and a Bicolor Parrotfish:

The rest of our three dives were just filled with great Giant Manta visits, here's a sample of pictures. To see more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/jjqmaWPYMaRevsJK8 , you'll have to copy and paste because the Google link embed process is snafu.

Here's one of many gopro videos I shot on these dives. This one begins with a Giant Manta landing from a sudden leap into the air, directly above me. You'll have to copy and past the link because the Google process for embedding links is currently fubar: https://youtu.be/2vv9I4aaApk