MV Southern Sport is one of the diving charter vessels from the renowned local operators, Club Cantamar, among the first names in Mexico liveaboards. This 115 ft / 35m aluminum-hulled motor yacht splits its time between the magnificent Socorro Island region and the unforgettable shark mecca of Guadalupe Island. It is renowned for its great crew teamwork.
Accommodating 18 guests in comfort, MV Southern Sport's main deck has an air-conditioned saloon with TV, DVD and music, plus a library of movies and books for your entertainment. The connecting dining area is where you will be served your meals and complimentary beverages: both soft drinks as well as beer and wine. This is the social hub of the boat together with the shaded area of the sundeck which features comfortable, in-built surround seating and a barbecue station.
Divers will appreciate features such as the 2 Yamaha inflatable dive tenders, scuba tanks of 10, 12 and 15 liters, nitrox, hot and cold showers and a toilet on the dive deck, for those urgent post-dive moments! Southern Sport's emphasis on safety is evidenced by the boat's stability in the water, and the provision of individual lost diver devices, mandatory dive insurance on all its liveaboard charters and a re-compression chamber on board its sister ship Sea Escape. Photographers will note the dive deck's camera table and camera rinse tank, as well as the many charging points around the liveaboard vessel.
So if safety, comfort, service, a boat full of facilities and an operator of good reputation are all on your Mexican liveaboard wishlist, be a sport and enjoy the southern hospitality of M/V Southern Sport.
There are 9 cabins: On the upper deck are 2 double bed Suites and 3 Comfort Plus (1 double, 2 twin bunk bed) cabins. All upper deck cabins have ensuite bathrooms. There are 4 Comfort twin bed cabins (with bunk beds), 2 on the main deck and 2 on the lower deck. The 2 main deck cabins share 1 bathroom, the other 2 have a private bathroom in the hallway.
All the cabins have:
- Air-conditioning (some with individual control settings)
- Upper and lower deck cabins have private bathroom with toilet and hot water shower cubicle, hand basin, toiletries and towels
- Main deck cabins share 1 bathroom
- Upper and main deck cabins have windows or portholes
- Reading lights
- Cabinet, shelves and mirror
- 2 flat pin sockets for 110V electricity, 2 round pin for 220V
- Bedding
- Life jackets
- Fire warning system
No. of bathrooms / showers - 9 / 9 - hot water
Socorro Islands (9 Days / 8 Nights - 20 Dives)
Trip highlights: whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, whales, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: San Benedicto, Socorro, Roca Partida
Day 1
At 7 am Southern Sport staff will meet you at your hotel in San José del Cabo and transfer to the boat that departs at around 10 am. A safety briefing and a dive orientation will be conducted on the way to San Benedicto Island that will be reached in the early morning of the next day, at which time you will start diving. Lunch, afternoon snacks and dinner will be served while at sea. Beer and wine are provided free of charge. You can spend the time by watching movies on a flat screen TV set inside the saloon on the main deck, or there is also a partially covered sun deck for sun tan lovers, or you can sit in the shade with a good book to read.
Days 2-8
Prepare to dive 4 times a day at the dive sites around Socorro Island, San Benedicto and Roca Partida, also known as the Revillagigedo Islands. This group of volcanic islands are home to large schools of fish and various shark species like silvertips, hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, and also whale sharks are spotted during the month of November. Oceanic manta rays are a frequent site at Roca Partida, the smallest of the 3 islands, but it’s probably the one that provides most underwater surprises, with dolphins and even humpback whales at the right times of the year. You will want to dive this site over and over again!
MV Southern Sport offers cookies and hot drinks when you wake up, followed by a more substantial breakfast when you return from your first dive that includes cereals, yoghurt, eggs, sausages, toast and beans. Mexican, seafood, international and BBQ meals will be served during lunch and dinner, plus snacks and hot drinks in case you get hungry from the afternoon diving.
Enjoy the last 3 dives of your safari on day 7, as the boat then departs back to the Mexican mainland.
Day 9
Enjoy a last breakfast and say farewell with the fantastic crew of Southern Sport and the other guests before being transferred to your hotel or airport.
Sea of Cortez South (7 Days / 6 Nights - 16 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, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: San Francisquito, Las Animas, El Bajo Seamounts, Cerralvo Island, La Reina, La Reinita
Day 1
The Southern Sport staff will meet you and your group at your hotel in La Paz in the evening and transfer to the boat that departs soon after. A safety briefing and a dive orientation will be conducted, before guests settle in to their cabins, ready for the excitement to begin tomorrow.
Days 2-6
This cruise will focus on diving the best of the southern Sea of Cortez. Shark and manta populations have rebounded well since having dropped away some years ago. At different times of the year this cruise will bring into focus different creatures. August can include amazing mass gatherings of mobula rays. And when there are lots of mobulas, there are orcas!! There is a good probability that guests will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to snorkel with an orca. Whales sharks are commonly spotted throughout the year with peak season being from November, and it’s an excellent time for dolphins and even whales. August to November is a great time to see giant oceanic manta rays at La Reina, as well as plenty of pelagic fish. Bull sharks are present at many times of the year, particularly October/November. Hammerheads at El Bajo from late August to November. Sea lions colonies are lively throughout the year.
The galley offers cookies and hot drinks when you wake up, followed by a more substantial breakfast when you return from your first dive that includes cereals, yoghurt, eggs, sausages, toast and beans. Mexican, seafood, international and BBQ meals will be served during lunch and dinner, plus snacks and hot drinks in case you get hungry from the afternoon diving.
The boat makes its way back to port after a full day of diving on the penultimate day.
Day 7
Disembarkation is after breakfast. Say farewell to the fantastic crew of Southern Sport and the other guests before being transferred back to your local hotel or La Paz Airport.
[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].
The crew of 9 comprise:
- Cruise Leader/Instructor
- Divemaster
- Captain
- Head Chef
- Cook
- Engineer
- Steward
- 2 Deck Hands
Nitrox - 2 Motorized dive dinghies - 344ft² (32m²) Diving deck & 130ft² (12m²) platform with 2 ladders, hot water shower, cold water shower and toilet - Camera table, separate rinse tank and charging stations - Main deck air-conditioned saloon and dining area with TV, DVD, music system, movie library, fish ID books, games - Partially-shaded sundeck with built in seating and barbecue station - Water dispenser.
Enriched air nitrox courses available onboard.
Meals on board the Southern Sport liveaboard consist of pre-breakfast before dive 1, then breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. There are also plenty of snacks in between meals to ensure no-one goes hungry. The menu is best described as international with an array of Mexican dishes. With a large contingent of customers from the USA, you can be sure of generous portions.
- Mexican, seafood, international and BBQ meals - 2 dishes per sitting.
- Air-conditioned canteen dining area.
- Pre-breakfast, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are provided.
- Snacks include candy bars, ice cream, cookies, pastries, fruit, bread and toast.
- Coffee, tea, drinking water and soft drinks are all provided free of charge.
- Beer and wine are also provided free of charge.
- All dietary requirements can be catered for - please send advanced notice.
- Cruise dining service begins with lunch on boarding.
"There were plenty of issues with the boat:
> Leaving much later than indicated on day 1 and much longer journey due to due technical or administrative issues, and a sick captain; we only arrived on the evening of day 2. The boat was in an overall desolate condition, strong rocking of the boat, freezing aircon which couldn't be adjusted individually, brown salt water coming out of shower, overall cleanliness of the boat was below standard, lax safety protocols. The worst boat I have even been on (and I have been on many different boats of all budgets)." - Sophie Kubik, Germany, 9 March 2024 ...
"The positives were the wonderful dives at sea lion colonies, lovely night dive with mobulas, very good food, nice and cordial service from both divemasters and crew members.
However in general, the group got the impression that the captain was not interested in sailing around to see the most interesting dive sites (official cause was port closure by the Mexican authorities). Apart from one day, we only did 2 or 3 dives a day - not enough to go back there, which is a pity because the Sea of Cortez is a place worth returning to." - Mariusz Pilat, Poland, 28 November 2022 ...
"2 dive instructors for 17 divers. Had my own cabin and bathroom. Rent all gears at 30 USD/day (without a dive computer). Pick-up from a recommended hotel. Free taxi to hotel after disembarking. Unlimited food of a variety." - Yuyao Wang, China, 8 January 2015 ...