Best time to dive Socorro (Revillagigedo)
Liveaboards sail November–May; summer is closed for weather and conservation. Giant mantas all season, humpbacks December–April (most February–March), whale sharks often early season (November–December).
Peak season: November–May
Book a Socorro LiveaboardUpcoming departures on DivebookerOverall diving, month by month
Balanced scoring · forecasts include the 2026/27 El Niño outlook
Confidence: Nov medium · Dec medium · Jan medium · Feb medium · Mar medium · Apr medium · May medium · Jun medium · Jul medium · Aug medium · Sep medium · Oct low · Nov low · Dec low
What's good when
Each attribute scored 0–10 for every month
| Nov2026 | Dec | Jan2027 | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pelagic & big animals | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| Macro life | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Coral & reef health | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Visibility | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Water temperature | 10 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| Weather & sea state | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
| Operations & access | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 10 |
Climate outlook
How this year's forecast differs from a typical year
- Water temperature +1.6 °C · El Niño warms the Mexican Pacific (Nov 2026 – December 2027)
- Pelagic & big animals -1.3 · Warm, low-productivity El Niño water thins manta and pelagic action (Nov 2026 – June 2027)
Water temperature & visibility
| Month | Water | Visibility |
|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | 27.8 °C (82 °F) | 20–30 m |
| December 2026 | 26.5 °C (80 °F) | 20–30 m |
| January 2027 | 25.6 °C (78 °F) | 20–30 m |
| February 2027 | 24.4 °C (76 °F) | 20–30 m |
| March 2027 | 24.2 °C (76 °F) | 20–30 m |
| April 2027 | 24.4 °C (76 °F) | 20–30 m |
| May 2027 | 24.6 °C (76 °F) | 20–30 m |
| June 2027 | 25.9 °C (79 °F) | 15–25 m |
| July 2027 | 27.1 °C (81 °F) | 15–25 m |
| August 2027 | 28.0 °C (82 °F) | 15–25 m |
| September 2027 | 28.4 °C (83 °F) | 15–25 m |
| October 2027 | 27.8 °C (82 °F) | 15–25 m |
| November 2027 | 26.2 °C (79 °F) | 20–30 m |
| December 2027 | 24.6 °C (76 °F) | 20–30 m |
Marine life calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| giant oceanic manta | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| humpback whale | ● | Peak | Peak | ● | ● | |||||||
| whale shark | ● | Peak | Peak | |||||||||
| silky shark | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| bottlenose dolphin | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
Peak = best odds · ● = regularly seen · blank = unlikely. Calendar months, every year.
About the diving
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Current strength
- 4 / 5
- Luxury level
- 3 / 5
- Typical depth
- 10–30 m
- Max depth of interest
- 40 m
- Dive styles
- Liveaboard
- Suggested certification
- Advanced Open Water + 50 dives
- Nearest airport
- SJD
- Snorkelling
- Limited
Famous sites: The Boiler · Canyon · Cabo Pearce · Roca Partida
Season notes & sources
- Liveaboards sail November–May; summer is closed for weather and conservation. Giant mantas all season, humpbacks December–April (most February–March), whale sharks often early season (November–December).
- Oceanic manta survival and recruitment at Revillagigedo track ENSO and chlorophyll (Cabral et al. 2022).