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Dive Review of M/V Valentina in
Mexico (Western)/Socorro Islands

M/V Valentina: "Unbelievible Trip - Amazing Crew, Exciting Encounters", Dec, 2017,

by Kenneth Weinberg, NY, US ( 2 reports with 3 Helpful votes). Report 10672 has 2 Helpful votes.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 5 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments The Valentina is a large boat with plenty of room for everyone. The rooms were a good size with individual A/C units, a large bathroom and roomy shower. The crew kept everything in great shape and I always came back to a clean room. The food was plentiful and tasty, and there were always snacks and beverages available. The boat has 10 cabins for 20 divers, and the dive deck was large enough to handle all of us. Plenty of room for cameras and all equipment. The pre-dive briefings were right on, and the dive masters were relaxed and knowledgeable. Divers were divided into 3 groups of 5 -6 per inflatable. The dive groups rotated dive order and dive masters. This was a great idea because each one had their own style and we had fun with each of them. Carlos was the head dive master and is very experienced and ran a great operation. Jen and Yuri were also great to dive with.
The diving at the Socorro Islands was amazing. We encountered several species of sharks; silky, Galapagos, whitetip and silvertip sharks, and of course hammerheads. Plenty of manta rays and playful dolphins, along with numerous other types of fish, including yellowfin tuna. We also were lucky enough to see three different whale sharks on five different occasions in two days. The last one was a baby, only about 15 feet long. He came to me while on my 15 ft safety stop, unbelievable. I did all of the 22 dives we could, along with most of the guests. Visibility was good and the seas were pretty calm. The captain moved us when he felt conditions would be better elsewhere. He and the crew were on top of everything. All were friendly, hardworking, and efficient. I never wanted for anything.
Bottom line is, the MV Valentina is a great operation with a great crew. I already booked another trip with them to the Sea of Cortez for October, 2019. I can’t wait. I highly recommend it.

Websites M/V Valentina   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving Turks & Caicos, Cayman Islands, Aruba, Costa Rica, Grenada, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Cancun, St. Thomas, Florida
Closest Airport Los Cabos Getting There From New York JFK, with one stop and change of planes in Phoenix

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, dry Seas calm, choppy
Water Temp 77-80°F / 25-27°C Wetsuit Thickness 5
Water Visibility 50-80 Ft/ 15-24 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile no
Enforced diving restrictions We dove in a small group with a dive master, dives were limited to 60 minutes/no deco
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas Squadrons
Dolphins Schools Whale Sharks > 2
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 5 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish 5 stars
Large Pelagics 5 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 5 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 5 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments Nice setup, plenty of room on the dive deck for equipment. Separate dedicated rinse bucket for camera.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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