Rocio Del Mar Liveaboard

(23 REVIEWS)

Rocio del Mar liveaboard, Mexico

Socorro Islands (9 Nights), Sea of Cortez (7 nights) and Explore Baja (12 nights) | From $385++/night

The Rocio Del Mar is one of the best dive liveaboards specializing in trips to the Sea of Cortez and Socorro Islands in Mexico. This 89-foot liveaboard yacht offers 10 cabins for up to 20 divers.

rocio del mar's key features

What we particularly like about the Rocio Del Mar liveaboard is how knowledgeable and friendly the dive staff are, the stability of the boat which is very important for the typically rough navigation to the Socorro Islands, the AMAZING Mexican food served aboard, and the sufficient space for underwater photographers to prepare their equipment before and after each dive. The Rocio Del Mar's got everything an avid diver and underwater photographer could need for an epic scuba diving trip in Socorro and the Sea of Cortez!

Location

Embarkation from San José Del Cabo (SJD) for Socorro and Puerto Penasco for the Sea of Cortez.

Dive Overview

Excellent big animal diving in Socorro with giant mantas, lots of sharks, humpback whales, and whale sharks. The Sea of Cortez is great for mammals and macro with large biomass of aquatic life.

Learn more on the diving in Socorro Islands and Sea of Cortez

Check Out This Awesome Video of diving the Sea of Cortez on board the Rocio Del Mar:

And see how is it to dive the Socorro Islands on the Rocio Del Mar:

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Accommodations

Types of Cabins, Amenities and Photos

Rocio Del Mar Cabin Overview

10 comfortable guest staterooms on two decks. All have private bathrooms with hot shower stalls, western-style toilets, lavatories, and above height window. Each cabin is carpeted and air-conditioned. There are room-length windows with privacy curtains and convenient gear and clothes storage drawers beneath the beds.

Cabin 1 - 6 (LEFT) & Cabin 7 & 8 (RIGHT)

Cabin 9 & 10 (LEFT) and Bathroom (RIGHT)

Rocio Del Mar Cabin Details

Eight cabins on the main deck - four on the port and starboard side. 6 cabins feature two single beds with reading lights. 2 cabins feature a double bed with lots of storage space underneath. Adjustable reading lights to focus the illumination without disturbing your cabin-mate.

There are two staterooms on the second deck behind the bridge on the port and starboard side. Each features a full-size lower bed and a single-size bed on top with adjustable reading lights.

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General Facilities

Dining Room & Salon

Camera Table & Dive Platform

Sundeck & Outdoor Kitchen

Rocio Del Mar Boat Features

Air-conditioning
Carpets
Storage space
En-suite bathrooms
Salon
Sundeck
Spacious dining area
Bar
Lounge area
Outdoor kitchen

Rocio Del Mar Dive Facilities

DIN Adaptors
Nitrox
Camera table
Wet gear storage

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Food & Drinks Aboard Rocio Del Mar

Each day starts early with a continental breakfast with fresh fruit, cereals, bagels, yogurt, bread, and freshly brewed coffee. After the first dive, guests enjoy a full, plated breakfast. After the second dive, guests will be served a full, plated lunch with a hot homemade soup to start. In the afternoon, they serve a large snack often of sandwiches, fruit, cheeses, and more. For dinner guests enjoy a three-course, plated meal with a salad, entrée, and dessert. Hot and cold beverages are always available including canned soft drinks. Divers also enjoy complimentary beer and wine after their last dive of the day. They can accommodate any special dietary needs.

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Rocio Del Mar Deck Plan

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Schedule, RATES & Availability

Rocio Del Mar Liveaboard Schedule & Rates

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Prices are per person in USD and are inclusive of all taxes. See the full 'Inclusions & Exclusions'. Click on 'Booking Request' to see available cabin options and to book.

Inclusions

Your accommodation and housekeeping
All meals, snacks, and beverages (including complimentary beer and wine)
Marine park fees
Port fees
Up to four guided dives per day (conditions permitting)
Tanks, air, and weights
Dinner on the day of embarking/breakfast on the day of disembarkation depending on the itinerary

Exclusions

Anything purchased on board
Gear
Clothing and sundries
Dive training and certifications
Equipment rental
National Park fees
Transfers
$120 Nitrox fee (if desired)
Crew Gratuity

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RAtes & Availability

For more information on rates and availability email us at info@bluewaterdivetravel.com or call us at +1-310-915-6677 and we will gladly help you plan your dream dive vacation!

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Dive Information & Itineraries

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Dive the Midriff Islands (7 Nights)

With clear, deep waters, abundant sea life, golden sandy beaches, and inspiring vistas, the Sea of Cortez - known as the Gulf of California - is a breathtaking destination for scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, boating, and exploring diverse marine creatures. Legendary diver Jacques Cousteau described the Sea of Cortez as the "world's aquarium". Dive on untouched walls and reefs abounding in marine life. Encounter large and small whale species, whale sharks, jumping mobula rays, and sea lion colonies.

Day 1. Embark at 5:00 p.m. Puerto Peñasco, leave at 6:00 p.m.
Day 2. Wake up at Refugio Bay on Angel Island Potential Dive sites: Angel Rock, La Vela, Lolo’s Cove, El Jardin
Day 3. Angel Island Potential Dive sites: Andrea’s Eagle, El Aquario, Las Vivoras, Las Vivoras Night Dive
Day 4. Salsipuedes Potential Dive sites: Los Cuervos, El Caballo, In Animas, El Lavadero, El Lavadero Night Dive
Day 5. San Pedro Martir Potential Dive sites: Ravijunco, Xareni’s Pinnacle, Coromel, Morrito
Day 6. San Pedro Martir Potential Dive sites: El Arroyo, Punta Martir (Sea Lions), Chayo’s Cove
Day 7. Start trip back to Puerto Peñasco Potential Dive sites: El Pescador, Baja Ca., Animas in Bahia de Los Angeles with whale sharks, La Ventana.
Day 8. Disembark between 7:00 am.

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Dive the Socorro Islands Itinerary (8 Nights)

Socorro Island is the most diverse in flora, fauna, and topography. The islands lie 250 miles off Baja Mexico's southern shore. When embarking on a trip to the Socorro Islands; possible destinations on the itinerary are San Benedicto, Socorro, Roca Partida, and Clarion Islands. These islands are a spectacular magnet for the largest ocean pelagic animals in the world. Schooling Hammerhead sharks, Tiger sharks, dolphins, silky sharks, Galapagos sharks, clouds of jacks and barracuda, tuna, wahoo, oceanic white tips sharks, whale sharks, and mantas.

Day 1 - Departure 9:00 a.m. For all 9-night trips in 2020, boarding is at 5:00 p.m. at San Jose del Cabo on the day of departure.
Day 2 - Rocio del Mar arrives at San Benedicto around 11:00 a.m. Start Diving! 2 dives scheduled...
Day 3 – San Benedicto, 4 dives scheduled.
Day 4 – Roca Partida, 3 dives scheduled.
Day 5 – Roca Partida, 3 dives scheduled.
Day 6 – Socorro Island, 4 dives scheduled.
Day 7 – San Benedicto, schedule 4 dives. At the end of this day, we will start our departure to San Jose del Cabo.
Day 8 – Arrive at San Jose del Cabo around 11 p.m. Guests may sleep on the boat.
Day 9 - Disembark by 8:30 a.m.

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Socorro islands, including clarion - san jose del cabo to san jose del cabo - 13 nights

Day 1 - Board Rocio del Mar at 5 pm in San Jose del Cabo
Day 2 - Day at Sea
Day 3 - San Benedicto, 4 dives scheduled
Day 4 - Socorro, 3 dives + Navy Inspection scheduled
Day 5 - Roca Partida, 3 dives scheduled
Day 6 - Roca Partida, 2 dives scheduled - leave for Clarion after the second dive
Day 7 - Clarion, 3-4 dives scheduled (depends on the weather during the crossing)
Day 8 - Clarion, 2 dives scheduled - leave Clarion after second dive
Day 9 - Roca Partida, 3 dives scheduled
Day 10 - Socorro, 4 dives scheduled
Day 11 - Open - we will go wherever conditions are best, i.e. San Benedicto or Socorro, 4 dives scheduled
Day 12 - Open - we will go wherever conditions are best, i.e. San Benedicto or Socorro, 4 dives scheduled
Day 13 - Day at Sea
Day 14 - Disembark at approximately 8:30 am in San Jose Del Cabo

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Explore Baja - San Jose del Cabo to Puerto Peñasco Itinerary (12 Nights)

The bio-diversity between the Northern and Southern Sea of Cortez is incredible. Diving the entire Baja is spectacular. The sea life we witness on the surface from the boat, dinghy, or snorkeling is fantastic. Dolphins, sea lions, pilot whales, humpback whales, blue fin whales, orca, and sperm whales. Flying mantas, blue and brown-footed boobie birds, cormorants, frigate birds, and the endemic yellow-footed gulls.

Day 1. Check-in at the boat at 5:00 p.m. - San Jose del Cabo
Day 2. Cabo Pulmo
Day 3. Isla Cerralvo
Day 4. El Bajo, Shipwreck (fang ming). Visit La Paz for the afternoon
Day 5. Early hike on San Francisco Island, Dora's Pinnacle, Los Islotes
Day 6. Animas
Day 7. Coronado, walk Loreto Mission Square in the evening
Day 8. Isla Alfonso
Day 9. San Pedro Martir
Day 10. Animas and Salsipuedes
Day 11. Bahia de Los Angeles - Whale Sharks, El Pescador
Day 12. Angel Island
Day 13. Disembark 8:30 a.m.

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Explore Baja - Puerto Peñasco to San Jose del Cabo Itinerary (12 Nights)

Day 1. Check in at the boat at 5:00 p.m. - Puerto Peñasco
Day 2. Angel Island
Day 3. Bahia de Los Angeles - Whale Sharks, El Pescador
Day 4. Animas and Salsipuedes
Day 5. San Pedro Martir
Day 6. Isla Alfonso
Day 7. Coronado, walk Loreto Mission Square in the evening
Day 8. Animas
Day 9. Early hike on San Francisco Island, Dora's Pinnacle, Los Islotes
Day 10. El Bajo, Shipwreck (fang ming). Visit La Paz for the afternoon
Day 11. Cerralvo
Day 12. Cabo Pulmo
Day 13. Disembark 8:30 a.m.

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Other Information

Boat Specifications

Year built: 2010
Year renovated: 2014
Length: 110'
Top speed: 10 knots
Cruising speed: 8.5 knots
Engines: 2 x Perkins
Max guests: 20
Number of cabins: 10
Number of bathrooms: 11
Tenders: 2 x Yamaha 75hp
Water capacity: 40000lts
Fuel capacity: 60000 lts
Freshwater maker: 7000 lts per day

Practical Information

Time Zone: UTC-6
Local Currency: MXN (Mexican Peso)
Language Spoken: English & Spanish
Electricity: 110 V
Payment Onboard: US, Mexican and European currency, Traveler’s checks and Credit Cards

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Got Questions? Ready to Book?

Call us today at +1-310-915-6677 or email us info@bluewaterdivetravel.com

And let us book your dream vacation!

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Underwater Gallery

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Reviews (23)

Chris McM

2 Reviews

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ROCIO DEL MAR SOCORRO REIVEW

This was one of my best-ever experiences. If you like big pelagics and zillions of fish just hanging out in the blue, this is the trip for you. While Rocio Del Mar is not a glitzy as some liveaboards I've been on, it's perfectly suited to this type of trip, the crew are delightful, the food fabulous and the diving absolutely stunning.

GETTING THERE AND BACK

My trip was arranged through a dive travel agent, and I flew from Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas where I met up with other dive friends. There was a convenient bus service from the airport and we were able to board Rocio Del Mar as soon as we arrived in Cabo, just before it sailed. Although some of our group chose to stay on after our return to port, it was possible to fly out to LA the same afternoon. The crew made us very welcome when we arrived on board and gave us a thorough safety briefing, including instruction in how to use the CB radios that would be attached to each of our BCDs. Soon after we left port it was too rough to do much other than turn up for meals and hope the 36 hour voyage to Soccorro would be over soon. The return trip isn't nearly so rough.

THE BOAT

Rocio Del Mar has four levels, with the kitchen and dining room down in the hull and cabins and recreation space on the upper decks. Unusual, but it makes sense because you spend less time in the dining room than elsewhere and, since the bottom of the boat is the most stable part, plates and glasses are less likely to skid off the table. Cabins have big windows and their own showers and toilets. We were very thankful that there were no top bunks to roll out of.

THE FOOD

The daily fare is three beautifully presented meals with a Mexican influence, morning and afternoon teas with hot bakes, cocktail snacks, wine with dinner, tea, coffee, soft drinks and biscuits always available and conscientious provision for special diets...this part of the trip really was five star plus.

THE COMPANY

Social harmony is pretty important when you spend a week or two in the close confines of a liveaboard, and our party of 19 guests was pretty varied. The crew of Rocio Del Mar are not only utterly charming, they are also very skilful at managing social situations. They ensured that some major differences in attitude and approach were kept well under control and there was nothing more than a bit of mumbling and avoidance when it could have been so much worse.

THE DIVE ROUTINE

The wonderful, kind and helpful crew are used to mature-age customers (who else has the time and money to do liveaboard trips to remote places?) and, while extremely conscious of dive safety, took every opportunity to make things easy. Divers gear up on the dive deck then descend a few steps to a wide dive platform at the rear of the boat. From there they step into Zodiacs, and there are always plenty of crew standing by to grab arms, pass cameras and other gear and even to lift equipment onto backs if necessary. Getting out of the water is just as easy, with the option of removing both weight belt and tank in the water before climbing the ladder into the Zodiac if preferred. We dived in loose groups of about six, each with its own guide. Warm showers and good spots for drying wet suits were available on the dive deck.

DIVES AND MARINE LIFE

Our first dive was on the second morning near the extraordinary, barren volcanic cone of San Benedicto and we did three longish dives a day for the rest of the trip (night diving is not permitted in this part of the world). Apart from a few enormous lobsters and morays, the odd patch of colour on a rock and a few pretty little fish, there wasn't a great deal to see on the reefs and walls. Best to concentrate on the blue and the surface where the real action is. Every day around San Benedicto and Soccorro Islands we saw mantas, hammerheads, white tip, silver tip and Galapagos sharks, huge schools of big and small fish and even dolphins. If we had spent the whole week diving around those islands the trip would have been well worth doing, but bonus calm weather permitted a crossing to magical Roca Partida, surely one of the world's best dive sites. A tiny dot in the middle of nowhere, Roca Partida is a twin-peaked rock about 100 metres long and 40 metres high, gleaming white with guano from many roosting seabirds.

Below the surface you realize it is actually the summit of a giant sea mount that rises steeply from the depths thousands of metres below. Myriads of large and small fish, huge schools of jacks and at least six species of shark circle the rock face, with occasional breeding humpbacks. It is literally a mid-ocean pelagic meeting place. We were blessed with two days of rare calm weather with our own humpback mother and calf frolicking in the glassy sea. We snorkelled with them during our surface intervals and they even buzzed us underwater on some of our dives. Ten dives on this one site were not nearly enough for me, I could have done another 20 amid this endless, mesmerising parade of fabulous marine life. Definitely diving to dream about.

Visited on 01/2013 - Submitted on 02/27/2014

TrixiB

1 Reviews

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Cannot say enough about the Rocio staff- so hard working. Thanks to the chef, Cinco, Herson and the other dive masters, the captain and Engineer. Great accommodations especially for photography. Very wonderful and warm and skilled and professional crew.

This was a trip to remember for a lifetime! The Sea of Cortez biological richness, The Rocio Del Mar amazing staff - dive masters, chef, captain, engineer, will be hard to equal.

Visited on 07/2021 - Submitted on 08/11/2021

Divemonkey

2 Reviews

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I took a trip with BlueWater aboard the Roccio Del Mar. And though the boat was not at the same standard as many other liveaboards I've been on it was still very comfortable and the food was good.

Although I was concerned when I heard that viz was going to be fair on most site I never really noticed it. There was so much amazing macro life and critters that would let you get very close, I barely noticed the limited viz. Tons of nudi's, octos, jawfish, etc, etc. Saw my first bullseye torpedo ray....very cool critter. Also keep a close eye on what looks like little pieces of broken off coral...sometimes they move due to their odd little hermit crab residents that have tunneled a home into them. Oh, and the sea lions...the sea lions were unreal, barking and playing and teasing us as they zipped in and out of frame! We were also able to snorkel with Whale Sharks. I have to admit after having done this in Utilla I was less than excited about it. Mainly because in Utilla the Whale Sharks are visible for brief seconds, once they see you jumping into the water they dive....not so here! We were able to swim right next to them...and sometimes they swam into us (I got bopped by a tale fluke....very humbling to be moved so easily)

Last but not least I have to give a shout out to our amazing tour guide and shutterbug guru Todd Winner and probably the best models he has ever had....the notorious and beautiful Humboldt Squid. Holy scary and amazing!!!!!

It was a great trip that I won't soon forget!

Visited on 07/2013 - Submitted on 03/02/2014

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TimJ

2 Reviews

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Rocio, for me, was most excellent. It’s my only live aboard experience. I’m a former naval aviator so my previous years at sea haven’t been for this type of pleasure and it’s a welcome change. The food was much better than navy chow :) The crew was fantastic and really catered to the client’s needs. They were respectful, courteous, and extra helpful for any needs.

Everything about the Rocio, crew, accommodations, and safety were excellent!

Visited on 07/2021 - Submitted on 08/19/2021

sluggo

1 Reviews

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We loved our scuba diving trip to the Sea of Cortez!! And yes it met our expectations. I think Mike did a fine job as group leader, as well as doing a great job on the photos, reviews, courses etc. The crew on that boat are a bunch of hard working people, you could not ask for better people. They really went out of their way to learn all of our names, and also where we are from!!!
We made two recommendations to the boat. 1) perhaps some fans down in the dive deck area to provide some air flow (even if it will be hot!!)
2) a board which gives each crew member picture and name so we could learn their names as well as they learned ours!!

We found the Sea of Cortez diving interesting and challenging in a good way. We dive in Cayman a lot so that is our frame of reference. We did like getting to see many things we cant see in Cayman, like the whale sharks, sea lions etc.

This was our first live aboard experience and could not be happier. Your staff went out of their way to provide us the information needed, the boat crew worked their butts off, and Mike did a great job. So glad we went!!!

Pete

Visited on 07/2014 - Submitted on 07/30/2014

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