The 90-foot (27-meter) Quino el Guardian is designed for expeditions & dive cruises. She accommodates 18 passengers in 5 cabins and offers diving at Socorro and in the Sea of Cortez..
A word from Dom: “An adventure from beginning to end of your expedition … regardless of which itinerary you choose. Not a boat for divers who need an overload of material pampering … but, she’s comfortable, she’s congenial, she serves hearty & soul-satisfying food … and she’s everything a serious diver needs.” Dominick Macan
4 lower deck QUAD cabins
2 sets of bunk style twin beds
1 lower deck TWIN cabin
2 bunk style twin beds
All cabins have air conditioning, storage & shared bathrooms on the main deck.
up to 4 dives per day mostly from the tenders
12 liter alu tanks (DIN & INT valves)
15 liter alu tanks (at extra cost)
scuba gear rental (by advance request)
nitrox available
water temperature: 63 – 87F, 17 – 30C … 5 – 8mm wetsuit recommended
accommodation & diving
meals, snacks & non-alcoholic beverages
beer & wine served with dinner
compressed air, tanks, weights & weight belts
port fees
international & domestic airfare
scuba rental gear (by advance request)
15 liter tanks
nitrox
National Park fee, chamber fee & possible fuel surcharge
airport transfers
Quino’s owner, passionate about protecting the oceans, re-designed Quino into a vessel specifically built for scuba diving trips, scientific research and educational programs. She offers some interesting specialty trips (such as Citizen Science programs, exploration to Clipperton Island and the Benito Islands, videography workshops, rebreather diving and education programs) in addition to regularly scheduled trips to Socorro and Sea of Cortez. If you’re the adventure type of diver, this liveaboard offers some exciting opportunities.
Between dives, you can grab a sun lounger on the top deck and position it in sun or shade.
For those with a preference for air con, on the main deck there’s a simple salon with plenty of sofas, a TV and a computer table. Dining can be set up on the top deck or inside on the main deck in the good-sized dining room. This area easily accommodates all 18 passengers and offers a projector and a drop-down screen for group presentations. All 5 cabins, 4 of which are quad cabins, are all located on the lower deck.
You’ll find the dive deck to be well-organized with gear storage and a large camera table. The dive platform offers easy access to the inflatable tenders.
For the Sea of Cortez trips, Quino is docked at Marina Fonatur in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico. Marina Fonatur is approximately a 4-hour drive from Phoenix, Arizona and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is the most convenient and closest airport to fly into to reach the port.
We can help you to arrange transportation services to and from Phoenix and the Marina with a shuttle service which has 14 passenger vans and trailers for your gear. The cost is currently $125 per person, round trip, payable directly to “Head Out to Rocky Point” shuttle service (price may change). The van will pick you up at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: Terminal 4, Door#5, curbside (northbound side) at 1:00 p.m. and take you to the boat where you can board at 5:00 p.m. Upon your return to port at the end of your cruise, departure time from the boat is 7:00 a.m.
Length: 90 feet (27 meters)
Beam: 23 feet (7 meters)
5 cabins:
4 cabins with 4 beds: 2 bunks on each side equaling 4 beds
1 cabin with two beds that sleeps 2 (typically reserved for a couple)
air conditioning throughout all interior areas
4 spacious bathrooms with a full size shower in each on the dive deck
2 community lavatories on the dive deck
Large dining area with a projector and a drop-down screen for group presentations
Salon with sofas, a TV, a computer table set up, books and DVD’s
Large, well organized dive deck with gear storage
Spacious camera table with multiple power outlets
Dive platform for easy access to the inflatable pangas
Rinse shower on the dive platform
2 on-board compressors
Large shaded sundeck with lawn chairs
2 inflatable pangas with drivers to get you to and from the dive sites
All power is 110V
Quino’s itineraries include Socorro …. and the Midriff Islands in the Sea of Cortez … plus some inter-season trips to the southern part of Baja and a few trips exploring the entire Sea of Cortez. Please feel free to contact us for information on these trips.
The final itinerary is, of course, always dependent upon weather, sea conditions and where the best animal sightings are at any particular time of year
Sea of Cortez is a place that Jacques Cousteau described as the “world’s aquarium” and it’s true that the waters here are filled with life … largely the big pelagic types of marine life: whales, whale sharks, jumping mobula rays, and sea lion colonies. Rocio del Mar gives guests an opportunity to disembark in various places to hike the surrounding hills and explore small inlets.
Although the conditions in the Sea of Cortez are mostly calm, there are times that the sea is rough. Please be prepared for this type of situation.
Sample itinerary information for the two primary itineraries:
Sea of Cortez – July through September … 8 Days / 7 Nights / 6 Days of Diving
Day 1 – Embark at 5:00 p.m. in Puerto Peñasco. Depart the dock at 6:00 p.m.
Day 2 – Wake up at Refugio Bay on Angel Island. Potential Dive sites: Angel Rock, La Vela, & Lolo’s Cove. Sunset zodiak cruise with sea lions.
Day 3 – Angel Island. Potential Dive sites: Andrea’s Eagle, El Aquario, Las Vivoras, and Las Vivoras including a night dive.
Day 4 – San Pedro Martir. Potential Dive sites: El Arroyo, Punta Martir (Sea Lions), Chayo’s Cove
Day 5 – San Pedro Martir. Potential Dive sites: Ravijunco, Xareni’s Pinnacle, Coromel, Morrito. In the after we go looking for whales!
Day 6 – Salsipuedes & Animas. Potential Dive sites: Los Cuervos, El Caballo, El Lavadero, and El Lavadero including a night dive.
Day 7 – Baja and Snorkeling with Whale Sharks in Bahia De Los Angeles. Potential Dive sites: El Pescador, Baja Ca. Start to head back to Puerto Peñasco in the afternoon.
Day 8 – Disembark at 7:00 am.
Socorro – November through May … 10 Days / 9 Nights / 6 Days of Diving
Day 1 – Board the boat at 5pm / Dinner is served at 7pm / Boat departs shortly thereafter
Day 2 – At Sea
Day 3 – San Benedicto – 4 dives scheduled
Day 4 – Roca Partida – 3 dives scheduled
Day 5 – Roca Partida – 3 dives scheduled
Day 6 – Socorro Island – 3 dives scheduled (check in with naval station)
Day 7 – Socorro Island – 4 dives scheduled
Day 8 – San Benedicto – 4 dives scheduled – at the end of the day we will start our return to San Jose del Cabo
Day 9 – At Sea
Day 10 – Arrive at San Jose del Cabo in the early morning hours – disembark at 8:30am
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