Great White Shark Trips + 8 Socorro Spaces
Available - May, 2009

Great White Shark Trips, 2009

Over the last few years, hundreds of divers have shot pictures and videos of these magnificent sharks from the Solmar V at Guadalupe Island, Mexico.  
 
The island, just 165 miles west of Ensenada, Mexico, is now considered one of the world's best destinations to view, photograph, or video Great Whites consistently.

Since 2005, our partners, Great White Adventures, have brought their unique shark diving cages and expert knowledge of these magnificent ocean dwellers to the Solmar V for the months of August, September, and October.

This year, we will host 15 different 5-Day Great White Shark Cage Diving Trips, running from Aug. 2 to Oct. 17th.  Visibility is typically very clear and water temp is 65 -70 F. These trips are all "Limited Load " with only 16 passengers (normal Solmar V trips are 22) to ensure plenty of cage time and a quality experience.

We operate 2 four-man cages using a propietary swivel system which hooks to our swim platform, making it very easy and safe to get in and out of the cages even in rough weather. Having only 16 passengers and the two main cages we are able to rotate 8 passengers in and out every hour all day long!

Meanwhile, we also operate a 2-man submersible cage offering 20 minute "rides" to a safe 30-40 ft depth where one guest is escorted by one of our shark experts while having surface communication to our dive deck the whole time they are down. We pioneered this submersible cage system at Guadalupe 3 years ago.

We feel that minimizing the total number of people and cages increases the quality of the experience. We have thought about adding more cages and people but decided we did not want a "circus" feel when meeting the apex predator of the sea in their enviornment.

Please note that you DO NOT NEED TO BE A CERTIFIED SCUBA DIVER to enjoy this trip.

The 2 main cages are right on the surface and and use a "Hookah" system so are available to all guests - divers and non-divers alike. This is the perfect trip to bring your non-diving family or friends who want to experience meeting the apex predator in a safe environment. We do require certification for the submersible cage.

Besides the "limited load" that distinguishes us from other operators, we also offer Geronimo's famous "panga rides ". Geronimo is our onboard amatuer naturalist who truly enjoys giving our guests rides around the island showing them the different seal populations, birds, and other creatures unique to this area. He does this at all our destinations and after 12 years onboard has quite a following. Onboard email and sat phone service also available at an additional cost.

Plus, no long international plane rides as you fly in and out of San Diego, CA, and will be personally escorted, as a group, in a luxury motor coach to and from the boat at the Ensenada Marina. The drive is very safe and scenic along the rugged baja coastline.

The shark encounters are extraordinary, and virtually every diver that's ever joined us has come back with exceptional pics and video. Participants on GWS trips are also eligible to join our You Tube Photo/Video Contest (details below).

Please call our office or email us for availability and special eNEWS pricing.

New '09 Socorro Trip Date: May 26-June 3
Due to demand, a couple of months ago we added a new cruise date for the Socorro Islands - May 26th to June 3rd. There are still spots left. The week May 26 - June 3rd, 2009 is now open to booking. First come, first served. Call or email asap, please. This is a spectacular time to dive the Socorro Islands. According to a trip report by Bill Gleason (former publisher/editor of Skin Diver Magazine): 

" My favorite time to dive the Socorro Islands is in late May and early June. Water temp is warm 78-82 degrees. We had whale sharks on 7 of our dives, giant mantas galore, and plenty of good shark encounters. Plus, some really amazing encounters with wild dolphins that I haven't experienced anywhere else in the world. Dolphin Encounters are typically brief in nature, but on all of our Roca dives we had long encounters with the dolphins. Very close. The males would actually pose upside down just a few feet from the camera lens. Amazing and worth a trip back just for the dolphin encounters. Throw in the Whale Sharks, the incredible mantas, and the shark activity and this is my favorite time to dive this area..."

Special Offer - This Trip Only: Special Pricing for eNEWS subscribers, plus complimentary upgrades to superior cabin (while they last), plus free nitrox for the the week. Please give us a call or email if you'd like to join us onboard the Solmar V.

As the Solmar V begins its 17th year of continuous operation in the Socorro Islands, and having hosted more than 10,000 guests, we are again delighted to sponsor a YouTube Video Contest. The contest is open to both Still and Video photographers. Still photographers may create a YouTube video just using images and/or graphics, or can mix and match video clips with still images. It's easy to do.

Winner gets a free trip to the Socorro Islands. For tips on how to enter, how the contest will be judged, and exactly what we're looking for please click here.

SOLMAR V
P.O. Box 529, Topanga, CA 90290
Toll Free: 1-866-591-4906, CA and Int: (310)455-3600
(Office Hours are Mon - Fri, 9-5, West Coast U.S.Time)
Contact us by email

ABOUT SOLMAR V eNews: This is an educational and news service provided by Solmar V. It is sent only by permission to those divers who have requested it via the services of WaterPath Electronic Publishing.

ALL EMAIL RECIPIENTS ARE AUTOMATICALLY ELIGIBLE FOR AN ANNUAL GRAND PRIZE OF A FREE WEEK ABOARD THE SOLMAR V ON A SEA OF CORTEZ TRIP.
The drawing takes place in December 2007 and the winner will be notified by email.
All email addresses and names are strictly confidential.

Just Two Hours by Air from Los Angeles...