Visits Socorro Islands, Sea of Cortez, Magdalena Bay
All cabins with private bathrooms, TV & DVD
Camera: table, rinse tank, charging stations
Nautilus Lifeline GPS devices
Free beer and wine
Large boat with steel hull
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**Dive The World Promotion - 7.5% discount on all Solmar reservations made in 2025 (10% discount for guests that pay by bank deposit/transfer).**
MV Solmar V is a long established Mexican liveaboard operator which runs breath-taking Pacific Ocean diving cruises to the Socorro Islands and great white shark cage diving trips to Guadalupe. Stepping on board this 112 ft (34m) steel hulled liveaboard, you know a week of big fish action will soon unfold.
Solmar accommodates up to 22 guests in 12 cabins and has all the comfort and convenience you could ask for including TV and DVD player in each ensuite cabin, plus an air-conditioned dining area and saloon with communal TV and DVD player. There are 11 crew members onboard to serve the guests, including a captain, 2 engineers, chef, and 3 divemasters.
As you can imagine, the stunning underwater encounters mean that there are likely to be several photographers on board the liveaboard. For them there are camera rinse tanks, a camera table on the spacious dive deck plus a dedicated computer room to review the day's amazing encounters. The Solmar V crew are also used to helping divers with even the most unwieldy of camera equipment.
There is also plenty of space outdoors to relax on the upper deck where you can laze in the sun or the shade. Guests socialize there, in the saloon, or in the camera room checking out each other's snaps. The cruise includes free beer and wine during dinner times.
Whether you are interested in diving Mexico's legendary Socorro Islands, touring the Sea of Cortez in search of schooling mobulas, or freediving with striped marlin at the Magdalena Bay Sardine Run, the Solmar V liveaboard is always a great choice.
Solmar V has 12 cabins located on the lower deck of the liveaboard. There are 6 Superior double/twin bed cabins and 4 Standard double/twin bed cabins and 2 single bed cabins. The Superior cabins are slightly larger. Each cabin has top-of-the-line 'Pillow-Top' mattresses and non-allergenic down alternative pillows and comforters. All cabins have en-suite private bathrooms.
All the cabins have:
Air-conditioning with individual controls
Portholes for natural lighting
En-suite bathroom with toilet and hot water shower, hand basin, toiletries and towels
TV, DVD player and music
Reading lights
Cabinet, shelves and mirror
2 flat pin sockets for 110V electricity
Bedding
Life jackets
No. of bathrooms / showers - 12 / 12 - hot water
Socorro Islands
Trip highlights: whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, whales, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, drift diving, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: San Benedicto, Roca Partida, Socorro Island
Day 1
A Solmar V representative will meet you at the Marina Del Rey for a short ride to the boat. The liveaboard typically departs in the late afternoon, depending on guest arrivals.
Core Days
Diving the Revillagigedo’s Islands is a true expedition into the wild, remote, and unpredictable Pacific. This legendary archipelago, often called Mexico's 'little Galápagos', is a magnet for epic megafauna and dense marine life. Prepare for breathtaking encounters with giant manta rays, migrating humpback whales, playful dolphins, and an incredible concentration of sharks, including up to 7 different species, with occasional orca sightings!
The liveaboard adventure often begins as Solmar V visits San Benedicto, where you can immediately dive into action alongside schooling hammerheads and majestic oceanic mantas. Next, the massive volcanic island of Socorro, discovered by Spanish explorers, attracts vast numbers of pelagics, such as tunas, wahoo and marlin to its nutrient-rich waters, especially at the spectacular Boiler and Cabo Pearce. Finally, the sheer pinnacle of Roca Partida rises from the deep, surrounded by massive schools of trevally and tuna. Its walls feature large caverns full of resting whitetip reef sharks, while Galapagos, tiger, silky sharks, and giant mantas are common visitors. This is the ultimate bucket-list dive destination.
Final Day
You arrive early morning at Cabo San Lucas and disembark after breakfast.
Sea of Cortez South & Socorro (15 Days / 14 Nights - 44 Dives)
Trip highlights: whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, whales, seals/sea lions, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Revillagigedos: San Benedicto, Roca Partida, Socorro Island; Sea of Cortez: Cabo Pulmo, Cerralvo, San Jose, Las Animas, El Bajo, Espiritu Santo
Day 1
Please meet the waiting Solmar V agent at the Marine Del Rey. They will escort you on the short trip to the boat, which usually departs in the late afternoon once all guests have arrived.
Core Days
Explore 2 of the world's most stunning marine destinations in a single journey. This itinerary combines the thrill of Cousteau's 'Aquarium of the World' with top world-class diving in the Socorro Islands. This adventure offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the Mexican Pacific, perfect for experienced liveaboard divers and marine life enthusiasts.
Dive the wild, remote, and unpredictable Revillagigedos Islands of San Benedicto, Socorro Island, and Roca Partida, home to giant manta rays, dolphins, tuna, 7 shark species and sometimes, even orcas! Often the first island visited, San Benedicto is a guaranteed blast. At sites like The Boiler, get ready for incredibly interactive encounters with curious oceanic mantas and possible sightings of whale sharks. You might also find schooling hammerheads patrolling the depths. The massive volcanic island of Socorro acts as a magnet for pelagics. Its nutrient-rich waters are a stage for dramatic encounters with dolphins and numerous shark species. Roca Partida is a sheer pinnacle emerging from the open ocean, surrounded by massive schools of trevallies and tuna. Its base features large caves filled with sleeping whitetip reef sharks. It's also a renowned hotspot for Galapagos, silky, tiger, and oceanic whitetip sharks.
The Solmar V liveaboard adventure continues into the calm, biodiverse waters of the Sea of Cortez to explore legendary southern sites. Dive the robust Cabo Pulmo marine reserve, swarming with massive schools of jacks, snapper, and grunts, and also home to bull sharks. El Bajo Seamounts are famous cleaning stations where you can witness schooling scalloped hammerhead sharks. Play with colonies of playful sea lions at Las Animas and Espiritu Santo and witness the breathtaking spectacle of massive mobula ray schools being hunted by orcas. A renowned pelagic magnet, Cerralvo Island offers chances to see hunting action, possible whale sharks, and massive sardine bait balls being worked by predators.
On the penultimate day of the tour Solmar will start its way back to the mainland.
Day 15
You will typically arrive in Cabo San Lucas early in the morning. After enjoying breakfast on board the liveaboard, you will disembark.
[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].
Your day will be structured around a series of 4 dives, with meals scheduled to fit the dive rhythm. A typical day on the Solmar V liveaboard begins with a light snack before the first dive, followed by a full breakfast. Lunch is served after the second dive, and the third dive precedes afternoon snacks. A final fourth dive (where applicable) is followed by dinner.
During your adventure, all meals are served in the vessel's comfortable indoor air-conditioned dining saloon. Dining is a highlight of each diving cruise, featuring a varied menu of American and Mexican cuisine prepared with fresh, local ingredients.
* Breakfast is a generous buffet with options like fresh tropical fruit platters, yogurt, pastries, a variety of cereals, juices, and Mexican-style coffee.
* Lunch is a satisfying 3-course meal, often starting with a homemade soup, followed by a main course like grilled fish or chicken, and concluding with a delicious dessert.
* Dinner begins with a fresh salad, followed by your choice of entrée such as beef, chicken, or the daily catch of fresh local fish, accompanied by fresh vegetables, and ends with another handmade dessert.
* Throughout the day, complimentary afternoon snacks such as ice cream, cookies, fruit, bread and toast are provided to keep you energized between dives.
* All beverages are included in your trip price, featuring soft drinks, juice, water, coffee, tea, beer, cocktails, and house wine with your meals.
Solmar V can easily accommodate any special requests such as food allergies, a vegetarian or vegan menu.
"
The staff was super, and Danny is the glue to the operation.
The food was great, the food service needs a revision back to buffet style as they just can't seem to get the timing and serving down. Too many times divers were served at the same table 8 minutes apart and too late for the next dive.
The Solmar V has some issues - the anchor stopped working, an anchor was temp. abandoned, one cabin flooded due to plumbing, and the main cabin A/C worked at 50% the whole trip. To be sure the cabins are very small on this boat compared to other liveaboards.
2 things really stand out about Dive The World - the payment plan and the online chat. Sheldon was a great help to me personally. Solmar did not offer a payment plan, Dive The World did.
" - Mitchell D Stuve, United States, 6 December 2023 ...
"The boat is small for 22 divers and cabins are equally tiny. Crew and dive staff are amazing as are all other aspects." - Duncan Wright, Netherlands, 8 January 2020 ...
DEPARTURE SCHEDULE & PRICES
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MORE TRIP DETAILS
Dive experience: Socorro: Divers must be Advanced Open Water certified (or equivalent) and have minimum 50 logged dives. Sea of Cortez: Open Water Diver license or equivalent required. Nitrox only: Solmar is a nitrox-only liveaboard. All divers need to be nitrox certified to dive and unlimited nitrox is included for all bookings. Nitrox courses are available onboard.
Cruise price per person includes: Fuel surcharge, cabin accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner (dinner on Day 1 of Sea of Cortez trips is excluded), snacks, drinking water, hot drinks, soft drinks, beer and wine with dinner, transfers to the liveaboard only from recommended host hotels in Cabo San Lucas, port fees, dives (as detailed in the cruises above), nitrox fill for enriched air divers, experienced English-speaking divemaster(s), Nautilus Lifeline, tanks, weights and weightbelts.
Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): 16% sales tax to be paid in advance, park fees (Socorro: USD218 per diving day, Sea of Cortez: USD50 per trip) to be paid in advance, scuba equipment (USD340 per 8-night Socorro trip), diving computer (USD150 per 8-night Socorro trip), dive and travel insurance (see our options) . Note: park fees are waived for retirees and pensioners over the age of 60 years old. A 75% discount on park fees is available for active students and teachers. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival.
Optional extras: Shared transfers (for Socorro cruises) from the airport to hotel in Cabo San Lucas (USD35 per way) to be paid in advance, alcoholic drinks (spirits), torches, 15 liter tanks (USD150 per 8-night Socorro trip) to be paid in advance. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival. Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.
How to get there: Socorro: These MV Solmar V liveaboard cruises departs in the afternoon (around 3 pm) from Marina del Rey, Cabo San Lucas for diving safaris to the Socorro islands. Guests fly into Los Cabos International Airport, approximately 45 minutes drive from Cabo San Lucas. You should plan to arrive the day before departure or no later than 11 am on the day of departure. You can be picked up from the host hotel, Bahia Hotel & Beach Club between 1-1:30 pm on the day of departure. The boat will spend the last night of the trip in the harbor and so guests may depart from 9 am on the last day. For reasons of port authority security and protocols, night landings are prohibited and all passengers must disembark the day the trip ends. We recommend flying out in the afternoon to have a stress-free departure. Sea of Cortez: For liveaboard trips in the Sea of Cortez, Solmar V departs from Ensenada, Mexico. Most guests arrive in San Diego, California the night before departure and stay at the host hotel (hotel to be advised). On the morning of departure meet in the lobby at 9:30 am and a luxury coach will pick guests up from the recommended hotel and transport you to Ensenada at 10 am. Alternatively you can be picked up in Tijuana at the host hotel, between 11-11:30 am. You will arrive in Ensenada at 1 pm. The trip ends at midday on the final day, then the coach will transport guests back to San Diego arriving 5-6 pm, depending on border traffic (arriving Tijuana 2 pm). It is recommended that you overnight in San Diego that night. If not it is strongly recommended that flights are scheduled only for after 8 pm on disembarkation day.
For more details, including airlines, see our Mexico tourist information section.
Non-diver rate: USD150 off the published price.
Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travelers may choose to share a cabin and pay the standard rate, or pay a supplement of 70% of the normal published price for their own cabin.
Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 10 divers and 1 extra person can join the cruise in a Standard cabin free of charge (total 11 guests or more).
Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 20 guests and 2 additional persons can join the cruise free of charge (total 22 guests).
Click to view product. Special discounted trips highlighted in yellow
