Socorro Manta & Shark Madness Liveaboard Trip Feb 2025

Tim Johnson shares his underwater footage from Bluewater Travel's Socorro 2023 Underwater Photo Workshop

Trip Type

This trip is a PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP. It will be led by one of our photo instructors who will provide daily instructional tutorials, in-water photography support (when appropriate), and one-to-one advice and guidance, as required. Each workshop offers a bespoke syllabus, crafted by the trip leader and detailed on the trip webpage. While our Photography Workshops are aimed at divers with an interest in underwater photography, anyone is welcome to join.

Learn more about what's included in this trip type.

NOTE: Over the last couple of years we have received reports that some visitors have been charged a tax for bringing their camera housing into the country. Please click here for details on how to naviagate this issue should it arise.

Trip Syllabus

Bluewater's Socorro workshop with Nirupam Nigam is all about photographing and swimming with ocean giants - from giant oceanic manta rays to the numerous silvertip & whitetip sharks to the occasional humpback whale! Learn how to shoot wide-angle, quick-action photos and videos while experiencing one of the best destinations in the world for large, pelagic wildlife.

This workshop will include 7.5 days of instruction including 7 x 60-minute presentations as well as 2-3 x 30-minute image review sessions and a final underwater photo contest. Teaching will take the form of PowerPoint presentations, informal group discussions, 1-on-1 training, streaming live demonstrations (e.g., using programs like Lightroom), and underwater help.

• Introductory Topics (Days 1 & 2): 
• Introduction to Socorro's Top Creatures and Photographic Opportunities: This introduction will go over our favourite subjects and reef scenes we can photograph in Socorro. Nirupam will cover his top tips for photographing each subject as well as information about their natural history, habitat, and lifecycle. Top subjects include giant oceanic manta rays, silvertip sharks, whale sharks, white tip reef sharks, whale sharks, and humpback whales. 
• Introduction to Underwater Photography: This class is Nirupam's grand introduction to the hobby of underwater photography. He will cover essential information from the phenomenon of light attenuation to the triangle of exposure to underwater composition and strobe positioning. This class can sometimes span over 2 days.
• Internediate Topics (Days 3 & 4): 
• Underwater Lighting Demonstration: This is a short class that will cover general positions for both underwater strobe and video lights with a single light source or dual light sources. Nirupam will cover both wide-angle and macro photography as well as what to do in difficult conditions with limited visibility or white sand. 
• Adobe Lightroom - the Full Spectrum: This is the largest class of the workshop. Nirupam's Adobe Lightroom class includes the full spectrum of use for underwater photography including importing images, using the star rating system and sorting, creating collections, basic underwater editing, backscatter removal, and new AI masking tools/denoise/sharpen. As a follow-up, students will have the opportunity for 1-on-1 lightroom instruction in the evenings. Introduction to Wide Angle Photography (short class): This class introduces students to wide-angle lenses, photographing large pelagic subjects, and dome port optics. It covers ideas for composition and lighting as well as different techniques for photographing the ocean giants of Socorro. 
• Photographing Sharks: Nirupam's top tips for photographing sharks with an overview of shark behaviour, approaching sharks, and techniques for focus and lighting. This class will focus on silvertip sharks, whitetip reef sharks, Galapagos sharks, and whale sharks.
• Advanced Wide Angle Topics (Days 5 & 6):
• Ambient Light & Close Focus Wide Angle: This class covers more advanced wide-angle techniques for close focus and ambient light. We take a look at lighting techniques, lens selection, capturing refraction, and light attenuation. Motion Blur Photography: Motion blur can add a sense of drama and chaos to your Socorro shark photos. This class introduces the concept of motion blur and teaches students how to use it in their shark photography. We will practice these concepts with silvertip sharks at the Canyons and whitetip reef sharks at Roca Partida. 
• Advanced Dome Port and Wide Angle Optics: The group will be covering optics from an engineering perspective and how different optical devices like dome ports or wide angle correction ports affect your underwater photography. This presentation will review virtual images, apertures & f-stops, minimum focusing distance, diopters, and more! 
• Capturing Quick Action Underwater: It can be difficult to photograph quick pelagic subjects underwater. This class will cover my top techniques for locking focus, using burst shooting, and composition with quick underwater subjects.

Nirupam will have open sessions for 1-on-1 time at least one hour per day. During dives, he will be alternating dive groups and offering underwater help to provide lighting and triangle of exposure settings advice to the best of his abilities during the dive. He will be available by request to anyone. Many of these dives have currents or variable encounters with subjects, so there may be fewer underwater instruction opportunities than in other workshops. Nirupam will also be available underwater to anyone who is having camera issues, and I can try to fix any issues that are occurring underwater. He will be available for 1-on-1 advice throughout the workshop and will have open sessions in the evenings before bed to help with lightroom and any questions that people have.

About the Rocio Del Mar

Rocio Del Mar is one of the most popular liveaboards sailing in the area, offering excellent service and fantastic food. There are 10 cabins for up to a maximum of 20 divers, all offering private bathrooms with hot shower stalls, Western-style toilets, and above-height windows. Cabins are carpeted and have air-conditioning, plus convenient gear and clothes storage drawers beneath the beds. 

Check this page to see more details and customer reviews on the Rocio Del Mar.

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Flight Information

Guests on this trip will need to fly into Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) and take a taxi to the Marina Puerto Los Cabos. The boat is located by the Hotel El Ganzo. Boarding time is at 5 pm.

Note: Guests arriving early may avail of day passes at Hotel El Ganzo, where they can spend time before boarding at 5 pm. There's an area for storing luggage and restrooms for changing. First come, first served, but guests can email the hotel before arriving.

• Rooftop Pool - 1000 pesos, guests can use up to 750 pesos as a food and beverage credit
• Beach Club - 750 pesos, guests can use the whole amount as a food and beverage credit.

On the way back, we arrive in San Jose during the early morning hours of the last day of the trip, February 28. Guests must disembark by 8:30 a.m. Since transfers are not included in our fees, guests will need to take a taxi to the airport, which the Rocio crew can help arrange. Return flights should be made anytime on the last day of the trip.

Recommended nearby hotels to book for extra nights include the Tropicana Inn, Hotel El Ganzo, or El Encanto Inn & Suites. You can get 10% off at El Encanto Inn by mentioning that you will be staying on the Rocio Del Mar.

Flight Package 

Our group trips attract guests from all over the globe and many of our customers prefer to book their own flights to take advantage of mileage points or credit card discounts. For these reasons, flights are not included in our group trip packages.

However, we are more than happy to work with you to find the best travel itinerary for your trip and will gladly give suggestions and advice, even if you make the final booking. We will check through your travel reservations at any time to ensure they fit with the trip schedule and can give recommendations on transit hotels and day tours where needed. 

If you would like us to book flights, hotels, and transfers for your domestic and/or international travel on your behalf, we are also happy to arrange this. Please be advised that there is a 10% fee for this service to cover our booking and administration costs. 

Contact Us for more information.

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About the Trip Leader

Nirupam Nigam is a dedicated underwater photographer and fisheries scientist. While growing up in Los Angeles he fell in love with the ocean and pursued underwater photography in Southern California's Channel Islands. He received degrees in Aquatic and Fisheries Science and General Biology, as well as a minor in Arctic Studies, at the University of Washington. He spent some time as a fisheries observer on fishing vessels in the Bering Sea and North Pacific, collecting data for NOAA. When he is not at sea, he is traveling with his wife and taking photos.

As the Editor-in-Chief of the Underwater Photography Guide and the Chief Marketing Officer at Bluewater Photo & Video, Nirupam is one of the world's few full-time underwater photography editors. You can get in touch with him at nirupam@uwphotographyguide.com or through his website www.photosfromthesea.com. Read more about Nirupam here.

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Recommended Scuba Gear

• 5mm wetsuit. Browse Wetsuits at Bluewater Photo
• Strong fins. Check out the Apeks RK3 Dive Fins.
• SMB. The Mares Dive Marker Buoy is our choice!
• Travel BCD. Read our Best Travel BCD Article
• Travel regulator. We suggest Mares Ultra 62X Dive Regulator 

Payment Schedule

Deposit: $1,000

Payment 2: $1,000 due 1 Feb 24

Payment 3: $1,000 due 1 Aug 24

Balance: due 1 Nov 24

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Want to Extend Your Trip?

We can help with that! See more of Mexico before or after your trip with Bluewater in Socorro. Flying all that way merits a multi-destination vacation! La Paz is an amazing destination nearby that offers a range of additional unique experiences. Here are some examples of packages we can add on to your trip reservation:

*Rates are subject to change at any time; please contact us for the most updated pricing.

7 Nights at the 5 Star Costa Baja Resort & Spa

Price: Starting at $2,087 per person based upon double occupancy.

The Hotel CostaBaja Resort & Spa is the first and only luxury hotel & spa in the city of La Paz. This boutique hotel offers a selection of ocean, mountain, and marina views. North of the hotel is Espiritu Santo Island, where you will find the greatest marine life in the world and the best sport fishing within Baja Sur.

• 7 nights in a king or twin room
• Full buffet breakfasts
• 5 days of 3 tank dives
• Lunches & drinks on the boat
• National park permit fees 
• Roundtrip Cabo transfers
• Free WiFi: Yes
• Swimming Pool: Yes

Costa Baja Resort & Spa

7 Nights at the 3 Star La Concha Beach Resort

Price: Starting at $1,803 per person based upon double occupancy.

A beach resort offering a peaceful and mellow atmosphere on the Sea of Cortez. Over a hundred sea view rooms are featured in La Concha Beach Resort. Located in front of the ocean and with a full view of the beach and pool, the accommodations include essential details to luxury amenities.

• 7 nights in a king or twin sea view room
• Full American breakfasts
• 5 days of 3 tank dives
• Lunches & drinks on the boat
• National park permit fees
• Roundtrip Cabo transfers
• Free WiFi: Yes
• Swimming Pool: Yes

La Concha Beach Resort

7 Nights at the 4 Star Hotel Catedral

Price: Starting at $1,670 per person based upon double occupancy.

Hotel Catedral La Paz is a new concept of accommodation to suit the needs of today's travelers. It is part of the historic center of the city, surrounded by major attractions next to Our Cathedral Lady of La Paz. With its sophisticated contemporary modernist architecture, Hotel Catedral La Paz focuses on every detail to offer its guests an excellent service and quality, both in the rooms and its gourmet restaurant.

• 7 nights in a king or twin sea view room
• Full breakfasts
• 5 days of 3 tank dives
• Lunches & drinks on the boat
• National park permit fees
• Roundtrip Cabo transfers
• Free WiFi: Yes
• Swimming Pool: Yes

Hotel Catedral La Paz

San Ignacio Gray Whale Experience

Price: Starting at $2,495 per person (Glamping Tent) or $3,045 per person (Luxury Tent)

The San Ignacio Lagoon Gray Whale Experience offers a unique opportunity to have up-close and personal interactions with Pacific gray whales in their breeding and birthing lagoon. These gray whales are known to be the friendliest on the planet and exhibit behaviors such as swimming over to the boats (pangas) to be caressed, stroked, and even kissed. They may also roll onto their backs to allow visitors to scratch their bellies. 

The experience is entirely on the whales' terms, and even mother whales may push their babies up against the boats for human interaction. The first whale interaction at San Ignacio Lagoon occurred in 1972, and since then, the experience just continues to get more magical each year. You can also expect to see not only gray whales but also a variety of bird species, including nesting ospreys and egrets, during your visit to the San Ignacio Lagoon.

• Return chartered flight from San José del Cabo
• Hotel transfers in San José del Cabo
• Accommodation
• Activities
• Meals, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages
• Unlimited whale watching subject to capacity control and weather
• On-site naturalist. 

Glamping Tent (L) & Luxury Tent (R)

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Photo Gallery 

Socorro Underwater Photos from Previous Trips  

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