Revillagigedo (Socorro) · Mexico · Pinnacle · Wall · Pelagic & blue water
Roca Partida
A rock small enough to swim around, sharks on every side
Photo: Raphaelgatti · CC BY-SA 4.0
Roca Partida is a bare rock standing alone in open ocean, with vertical walls dropping past 40 m to a base below 50 m. It is small enough to circumnavigate on a single dive, which means every direction you look off the wall is blue water, and that is where the sharks are. Access needs military permits as well as a liveaboard berth.
Where it is and how deep
18.9972° N, 112.0650° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The rock is small enough that a dive can be a lap of it. The walls fall vertically past 40 m and the whole thing rises from below 50 m, but there is no reef to work: the structure is bare rock and the interest sits in the water beside it. Divers pick a side, hold a depth along the wall and watch outward into the blue rather than down at the stone.
Oceanic whitetips, scalloped hammerheads, Galapagos sharks and whale sharks all pass here, while giant Pacific manta rays, tuna and mackerel work the same water. Dolphins and humpback whales are recorded at the site as well. Current is often present and does not represent too much of a challenge to an experienced diver, but it is a constant to plan the dive around rather than an occasional feature.
Background
The island's first reported sighting was in November 1542, by the Spanish expedition of Ruy Lopez de Villalobos, who charted it under the name it still carries. It now sits inside a military zone, and divers must obtain permits from the Mexican Armed Forces before entering the waters around it, which is one reason the rock is only ever dived as part of an organised liveaboard trip.
Marine life and season
- Manta rays
- Oceanic whitetips
- Hammerheads
- Reef sharks
- Whale sharks
- Tuna
- Dolphins
- Whales
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good |
Season follows Revillagigedo (Socorro): Liveaboards run November to mid-June; humpbacks pass late January to early April, and no boats sail in the late June to October hurricane season.
Know before you go
- Current is often present and the rock stands alone in open ocean: hold a depth along the wall, stay with the group and carry an SMB for the ascent.
Photos from Roca Partida
Lasertrimman · CC BY-SA 3.0
KABAYEK · CC BY-SA 3.0
Alicia Christman · CC BY 4.0
Dive videos
Diving Isla Roca Partida , Revillagigedo · Michael Rychna on YouTube
Sharks of Socorro - Scuba Diving in Roca Partida · Johnny FD on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the diving at Roca Partida?+
The walls drop vertically past 40 m and the rock rises from a base below 50 m, but recreational dives are worked along the wall rather than down to the bottom. Depth is a matter of where you choose to hold on it.
Do you need a permit to dive Roca Partida?+
Yes. Divers must obtain permits from the Mexican Armed Forces to enter the military zone that surrounds the island, and the only way to get there is by liveaboard.
Sources
- Roca Partida — Wikipedia
- Diving in Socorro Islands (Revillagigedo), Mexico — Dive The World
Photo credits
- Aerial drone view of Roca Partida, a split volcanic rock rising alone from open ocean. by Raphaelgatti, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Waves break white against the sheer volcanic spire of Roca Partida. by Lasertrimman, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Roca Partida's twin rock spires rising from calm blue water on a clear day. by KABAYEK, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A resting pile of whitetip reef sharks stacked on a rocky underwater ledge. by Alicia Christman, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In The Logbook
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