The very popular 110-foot (34-meter) Rocio del Mar can accommodate 20 divers. Her itineraries include Sea of Cortez and the Revillagigedos Archipelago which includes Socorro.
A word from Dom : “Hugely popular, this vessel is always a good choice for either Socorro or Sea of Cortez. She typically is booked well in advance, so you won’t want to count on last-minute planning ! Not a luxury liveaboard but a wonderful warm welcome is always on hand and the crew will know your name by the end of the first day. A truly top-notch adventure boat.”….. Dominick Macan
ON BOARD ROCIO DEL MAR
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ROBUST & RELAXED FOR LONG CROSSINGS
Rocio del Mar was custom-designed for diving the waters on Mexico’s west coast and in the Sea of Cortez. The owners know this region well and wanted a vessel that was large, stable and comfortable. Rocio is the result. She isn’t a luxury vessel, but she has 4 decks and plenty of comfortable living space. On the top deck you’ll find a good-sized sundeck, with lounge chairs set up in covered and uncovered areas, plus a great bar & barbecue area and an al fresco dining area for meals, when the weather permits. The upper deck houses 2 large staterooms, the indoor salon and dining area … plus a spacious, covered & protected outdoor salon on the aft deck. The dive deck is located on the main deck along with the other 8 staterooms.
The dive deck is ample and well-designed, with plenty of room for gear and a large camera table for photographers. Nitrox is available and a satellite phone is available onboard for emergencies
LAYOUT & SPECS
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DECK PLAN
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ITINERARIES
Depending on the time of year and season Rocio del Mar offers adventurous trips to the Midriff Islands in the Sea of Cortez & to the Socorro Islands (see Socorro for information on these trips). {slider View the highlights of these trips and an itinerary map..….. open|dest|closed} Three times a year, Rocio offers trips exploring the entire Baja Peninsula. Please feel free to contact us for information on these trips. The final itinerary for any trip is, of course, always dependent upon weather, sea conditions and where the best animal sightings are at any particular time of year
SEA OF CORTEZ – MIDRIFF ISLANDS
Sea of Cortez is a place that Jacques Cousteau described as the “world’s aquarium” and it’s true that the waters here are filled with life … largely the big pelagic types of marine life: whales, whale sharks, jumping mobula rays, and sea lion colonies. Rocio del Mar gives guests an opportunity to disembark in various places to hike the surrounding hills and explore small inlets.
Although the conditions in the Sea of Cortez are mostly calm, there are times that the sea is rough. Please be prepared for this type of situation.
Day 1 – Embark at 5:00 p.m. in Puerto Peñasco. Depart the dock 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. Sunset zodiac cruise with sea lions.
Day 3 – Angel Island
Potential Dive sites: Andrea’s Eagle, El Aquario, Las Vivoras, and Las Vivoras including a night dive.
Day 4 – San Pedro Martir
Potential Dive sites: El Arroyo, Punta Martir (Sea Lions), Chayo’s Cove
Day 5 – San Pedro Martir
Potential Dive sites: Ravijunco, Xareni’s Pinnacle, Coromel, Morrito. In the after we go looking for whales!
Day 6 – Salsipuedes & Animas
Potential Dive sites: Los Cuervos, El Caballo, El Lavadero, and El Lavadero including a night dive.
Day 7 – Baja and Snorkeling with Whale Sharks in Bahia De Los Angeles
Potential Dive sites: El Pescador, Baja Ca. Start to head back to Puerto Peñasco in the afternoon.
Day 8 – Disembark at 7:00 am.
SOCORRO
Socorro – November through May … 10 Days / 9 Nights / 6 Days of Diving
Day 1 – Board the boat at 5pm / Dinner is served at 7pm / Boat departs shortly thereafter
Day 2 – At Sea
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 – 3 dives scheduled (check in with naval station)
Day 7 – Socorro Island – 4 dives scheduled
Day 8 – San Benedicto – 4 dives scheduled – at the end of the day we will start our return to San Jose del Cabo
Day 9 – At Sea
Day 10 – Arrive at San Jose del Cabo in the early morning hours – disembark at 8:30am
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TRAVEL & CRUISE LOGISTICS
For the Sea of Cortez trips, Rocio del Mar is docked at Marina Fonatur in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico. Marina Fonatur is approximately a 4-hour drive from Phoenix, Arizona and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is the most convenient and closest airport to fly into to reach the port.
We can help you to arrange transportation services to and from Phoenix and the Marina with a shuttle service which has 14 passenger vans and trailers for your gear. The cost is currently $125 per person, round trip, payable directly to “Head Out to Rocky Point” shuttle service (price may change). The van will pick you up at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: Terminal 4, Door#5, curbside (northbound side) at 1:00 p.m. and take you to the boat where you can board at 5:00 p.m. Upon your return to port at the end of your cruise, departure time from the boat is 7:00 a.m.
FIND AVAILABLE SPACES & BOOK YOUR ROCIO TRIP