Scuba Diver Ocean Planet Issue 04/2016 | Page 39

SDOP 37 WHEN November to June, outside the cyclone season. Water temperature is 24–26°C in November to January and April to June, and otherwise 21–23°C. The humpback whales visit Socorro during these cooler water months and you can hear these gentle giants singing on almost every dive. Whale sharks arrive November to December. PRACTICALITIES STAY/DIVE • Solmar V liveaboard www.solmarv.com In Cabo San Lucas • Solmar Suites and Grand Solmar www.solmar.com • Playa Grande Resort www.playagranderesort.com • Quinta del Sol www.quintadelsol.com HOW Flights come through Los Angeles, Mexico City or Miami from all main international airports around the world. Then it’s a short flight on Aeromexico, Aero California or Mexicana de Aviaciòn to Cabo San Lucas. 11 TOPSIDE Los Arcos, near some popular beaches in Cabo San Lucas is a beautiful natural arch eroded into the rock. This is the very sourthern tip of the Baja Peninsula, where the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez clash with the cooler waters of the Pacific Ocean. This produces strong waves which shape the coast out of solid rock. The concentration of nutrients in the water also produces a huge quantity of fish. All manner of water activities are available in this resort town. There are also numerous restaurants, bars and a buzzing nightlife. 10 12 ENTRY No visa is required, but if you are coming via the USA you need to check with your local embassy, as certain requirements apply for many nationalities. diving is challenging because the currents can be very strong and the dives are often deep, sometimes in the blue. Due, also, to the remoteness of this archipelago and the distance from any mainstream facilities, this is definitely an adventure for experienced divers only. But once you have that experience, this is a mind-blowing place and for me, the best big animal diving location on Earth. SDOP The water column was filled with swarming creolefish and amberjacks