The Mexican state of Colima is located on the west coast and touches the Pacific Ocean with its ~150km of coastline. Its largest city is Manzanillo, a diving hotspot, and the islands of the Revillagigedo Archipelago, which are located approximately 700km offshore and are also known for spectacular diving, are under the jurisdiction of Colima as well.

Diving in Manzanillo can accommodate all experience levels. Both sheltered and exposed areas of Manzanillo Bay keep dives interesting for beginners and advanced divers alike. Since most of Manzanillo’s dive sites are close to shore, liveaboards are not common. There are some remarkable shore dive sites, but most divers opt to dive with the daily boat tours that are operated by local dive shops.

Divers who travel from around the world to dive the Revillagigedo Archipelago usually have one objective in mind: to swim with megafauna. Diving in Socorro boasts intimate encounters with various marine mammals, including Humpback whales, hammerhead, whale, silky, oceanic whitetip, Galapagos, and tiger sharks, and dolphins. Giant Pacific manta rays are also a main attraction. These islands are remote, however, limiting dive access to these islands to only liveaboard dive boats.
 

The best-known dive site of Manzanillo is the wreck of the San Luciano. Since the shipwreck sits at a shallow 6m, divers have plenty of time to fully explore all of the wreck’s nooks and crannies. “Roca Elefante”, or “Elephant Rock”, is another popular dive site that has two swim-through archways and the occasional sea turtle and whale shark sighting. In general, Manzanillo offers divers the chance to experience pristine, healthy coral reefs and their inhabitants; an encounter that is sadly more and more difficult to come by as of late.

Some key dive sites of the Revillagigedo Archipelago are Roca Partida, “Roca O’Neal” (Socorro Island), and “The Boiler” (San Benedicto Island). Roca Partida, or “split rock” is considered the best dive site of the Revillagigedo Archipelago. Consisting of a pinnacle that splits above the surface, divers will find themselves in the midst of a congregation of big fish like tuna, mackerel, marlin, and manta rays, which attract the oceanic whitetips, hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, and whale sharks. “Roca O’Neal” is nicknamed Hammerhead Central, and divers can expect to see various species of sharks in addition to hammerheads here. Interactions with Giant Pacific manta rays are a highlight of “The Boiler”, and in some cases divers must duck to avoid making contact with the playful mantas!