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Customer
Testimonials
Thank you for visiting our web site. Here
are some comments from friends and visitors
who have been aboard the Solmar V. We would
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The soundtrack of humpback whales plays in the background. The hammerheads passing below us reflect the sun beams and some Galapagos shark patrol the area while a group of silvertips feels curious. Oops, I have a manta over my head ! The school of tuna escapes from the sharks and a large wahoo gets very close. Time to wake up? No! Just another day in Roca Partida, diving with the Solmar V folks. Boilers is probably the best dive in the world to take manta photos. How about a dolphin and a manta in the same frame? Been there done that in San Benedicto. I even saw three whales and a manta at the same time. Great to see some of the staff is the same from my previous trip 7 years ago. Plan on a longer belt (not talking about weight belt here) after the trip, food is very good.
Carlos Villoch
Spain - Thursday, May 01, 2008 at 18:15:00 (PDT)
Just got home from our trip to Socorro Island. We had the lucky opportunity to swim with Mantas, dolphins and different varieties of sharks. The crew and diving were top notch!!!!! Thank you Solmar V for an incredible adventure.
James and Gigi Forth - April 22 to April 28, 2008
New York, USA - Thursday, May 01, 2008 at 16:42:58 (PDT)
Byron and I are back from the Solmar trip. I wanted to let you know the trip lived up to all the claims on your website: mantas, sharks (hammerheads!), tons of eels, etc. It was a great trip and if anyone is on the fence about booking you certainly can use me as a reference. The food was great, too.
Rob Courter
- Monday, February 04, 2008 at 11:22:01 (PST)
We came back from the Nov 9 trip to Socorro. I just want to tell you how pleased we were with the upgrades and changes you have put in since taking over ownership. The addition of Nitrox was great but we could also see improvement in the food, upkeep of the ship etc. (Since the chef was the same I can only assume you have expanded the budget on this.) We have made 7 or so trips on the Solmar and this was the best. Its so nice to see most of the same crew working and working well. Once again congratulations on what you have done for the Solmar.
Dan & Genevieve Hartman
Cozumel and the U.S. - Wednesday, January 02, 2008 at 18:07:00 (PST)
We had an absolutely fantastic time... My husband has been diving for 55 years......about 40 weeks in the Sea Of Cortez from the days of the Marisla to the Baja Explorador to the Solmar V and of course the Solmar is absolute luxury. He had never seen so many sharks of every variety and mantas and whale sharks...Unbelievable. He said he had THE most fabulous dive of his life on this trip...the whale sharks, hammerheads and all the other kinds of sharks and mantas were out to play.
We want to reserve a trip for 2009 with our daughters who actually encountered a whale shark and hammerhead simultaneously in the Sea of Cortez when they were 15 and 17 years of age and had no idea what they were seeing. They are 38 and 40 now!
oxoxm
Marsha Bohr
Pasadena, CA USA - Monday, November 12, 2007 at 13:15:40 (PST)
In the past I have photographed great white sharks in South Africa, Australia and Guadalupe Island, but no expedition has yielded more fantastic images than my week on the Solmar V with Lawrence and Shark Diving International. I think I finally met someone with more enthusiasm than even I have for these magnificent animals. Mr. Groth is a wealth of information and I look forward to repeating my trip next season. It will take me that long to go through everything that I shot in my five cage days at Guadalupe. Thank you too to the Captain and crew of the Solmar V. My cage time would not have been anywhere near as rewarding without their constant hard work wrangling the sharks in for a close look. My only complaint is that I was hoping to loose a few pounds with all my hard work...but the food was too good!
I would like to express my special thanks to the Captain and Crew of the Solmar
V and the Great White Sharks of Isla Guadalupe. This was a high octane, adrenaline
pumping, and heart-pounding trip of a lifetime. It far exceeded my pre-trip expectations
of 2-3 Great Whites. I had over 100 encounters each day, many within inches to
5 feet. I even had 6 camera bumps with the HD video to prove it!!! The submersible
platform was fantastic with as many as 5 Great Whites circling at one time. The
action above and below the surface was nonstop. I cannot express how exciting
and awe inspiring it was to see this magnificent, powerful yet graceful apex
predator in such clear clam water. The trip out and back was better than expected.
We had excellent conditions with a special treat of one Fin Whale, two Mola-Mola's,
and a large pod of Common Dolphins. Now get this, we also saw about 18 Blue Whales
lunge feeding on Krill. All of this took place within the luxury of your beautiful,
safe, comfortable vessel along with a highly experienced, attentive Captain and
Crew. Thank you for fulfilling a childhood dream...
Dr George Willis
Miami, Florida USA - Thursday, September 06, 2007 at 07:18:17 (PDT)
You guys are truly the best and exemplify extraordinary guest and customer service. I look forward to my next trip with your crews and hope to bring the rest of my family to share in your experience. Keep in touch and I can send reimbursement when it is needed. Thanks for your help and we will talk soon.
Patrick Drew
Telluride, Colorado USA - Thursday, June 28, 2007 at 15:52:45 (PDT)
Not being a diver, I thought I would take advantage of the Baja Nature
Cruise in the Sea of Cortez offered this year. What an amazing world I was introduced to!!
Snorkeling reefs or with Sea Lions, Mobulas, & a Whale Shark; Kayaking
around a Sea Lion Rookery watching babies nursing or playing in the water,
exploring the San Jose island estuary & all it's inhabitants. Sighting
Finback Whales with Dolphins among them. The nights were breathtaking,
The stars seemed close enough to touch.
Then you add a very friendly, attentive & professional crew, wonderful accommodations, Great food all around, an experience that became a home away from home. Talk about reality shock when I got back to the states!
Exceptional Experience, hope the Nature Cruise is a regular for the SolmarV.
I was so taken by the experience, I'm planning on becoming a diver for my next trip!
RCS de Leon
Tarzana, CA USA - Monday, June 25, 2007 at 07:14:48 (PDT)
Incredibly memorable trip with an outstanding crew. The boat was in impecable condition and their concern for our safety and enjoyment was paramount. Yes, the rooms are small but the diving and experience is tremendous. One dive will always remain as one of our best with three mantas, 7 or 8 dolphins, plus a few sharks all in sight at the same time. Thanks to every involved with Solamr V!
Dave & Jan Hinman - Delta Divers
Rome, NY USA - Monday, May 28, 2007 at 07:07:00 (PDT)
I just got back from a trip to the Socorro's and loved it. The boat and food were excellent. The diving at San Benedicto and Roca Partida was exceptional. I saw everything that I was hoping to and then some. Swimming with a Humpback whale and her calf was an incredible experience. The numerous dives where dolphins would play were really fun. Besides the Humpbacks and dolphins we saw lots of Mantas, sometimes four at a time, sharks including silkies, galapgos, silvertips hammerheads and two tiger sharks. Overall the trip was awesome and I would definitely do it again. Thanks Solmar V crew for making it really cool.
Terry Layton
Quartz Hill, CA USA - Monday, May 28, 2007 at 07:05:35 (PDT)
The Solmar V and the very efficient crew make this beautiful live aboard boat one of the best. It is a large & solid with all the safety equipment that gives you confidence when taking a trip to offshore Islands. The meals are great and I love the hot chocolate and soups after diving. The experience of diving with the Manta Rays at the Boiler at San Benedicto is one of my favorite all time dives. Diving at San Benedicto and Rocas Partida it is still possible to see varieties of sharks and all the big stuff that can no longer be found in most diving locations.
Chuck Nicklin
- Tuesday, May 15, 2007 at 11:52:25 (PDT)
Our trip in March was wonderful. We saw manta rays on several dives and sharks including hammerhead, silvertip, Galapagos, silky and white-tip reef on nearly every dive. On one site, a pod of dolphins joined us, diving repeatedly to visit us at 50 feet. A highlight for three lucky snorkelers in our group was seeing a humpback below them. The diving is fantastic, the boat, its crew and the food, terrific.
Bonnie J. Cardone, former editor, Skin Diver Magazine.
Bonnie Cardone
Santa Maria, CA USA - Monday, April 02, 2007 at 07:18:38 (PDT)
On behalf of myself and our entire crew, we want to take a moment to thank everyone from Solmar V who assisted us during the past months as we planned and executed our filming expedition to the Sea of Cortez. Everyone's dedication and attention to detail every step of the way during our stay aboard Solmar V helped to make this a successful trip. Throughout, every request was met with a smile and yet another offer to help in any way possible. Under challenging circumstances, each member of the Solmar V crew pitched in to assist our film crew in managing the activities required to capture the film sequence of Humboldt squid.
Hola Jose & Leslie,
We are now back to earth after our trip on the Solmar V. The upgrades to the Solmar were great but, the dives at Roca Partida made the entire trip. In two days of diving at Roca Partida we saw a Whale Shark up close enough to touch†5 times. We were excited about going out again on the Solmar in spite of the problems last year with the Mexican Navy. Even though they held us up for about 6 hours at Socorro Isle the Whale Shark made up for everything. The Giant Mantas were spectacular as usual but the Whale Shark was unexpected. Thank you again for a great trip. The crew on the Solmar V is the best bar none.
John & Paula Saunders
- Friday, March 16, 2007 at 20:13:24 (PDT)
I am back from the Solmar V liveaboard dive boat today. I am back from the
best dive trip ever. I saw manta rays and sharks on every dive, I even saw
a whaleshark!!! We had unusually good weather everyday out at sea. The
weather only got bad on the crossing from the Islands.
Mike Scammon
- Friday, March 16, 2007 at 20:12:51 (PDT)
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