The 116-foot (35-meter) all-steel Nautilus Explorer was custom built for open-ocean cruising. She takes 25 lucky divers and her itineraries include Socorro & Guadalupe .
A word from Dom : “Mike Lever’s operations aboard the Nautilus Liveaboards offer the opportunity for spectacular diving at the most thrilling pelagic destinations in North America. Nautilus Explorer is sturdy, stable and well-appointed …. and one of the most sought-after vessels for trips to Socorro & Guadalupe. Highly recommended.” Dominick Macan
1 upper deck DOUBLE master stateroom
2 room suite: king bed, separate private lounge, bath tub, picture windows
2 upper deck DOUBLE / TWIN superior staterooms
king bed or 2 twin beds (adjacent), private entrance & picture windows
1 upper deck DOUBLE superior stateroom
queen bed, private entrance & picture windows
6 lower deck TWIN/DOUBLE staterooms
1 double bed, 1 twin bed (adjacent) & port window
2 lower deck SINGLE staterooms
1 large bed & port window
1 lower deck TRIPLE stateroom
1 large twin bed, 2 bunk style twin beds & port windows
All are en-suite & have individually controlled air conditioning & ample storage
up to 4 dives per day from tenders
12 liter & 15 liter aluminium tanks (15 liter at extra cost)
aqualung gear rental (request in advance)
nitrox
rebreather support (request in advance)
water temperature: 73 – 82F, 23 – 28C
5 – 7mm wetsuit recommended
accommodation & diving
meals, snacks & non-alcoholic beverages
compressed air, tanks, weights and weight belts
use of sea kayaks
(except at Guadalupe)
a lounge area in a local hotel until boarding time
round-trip transfers from the hotel to the boat
international & domestic airfare
airport transfers to & from the hospitality suite
alcoholic beverages
optional wifi
Aqualung rental gear (please request in advance)
nitrox, re-breather support & steel tanks
15 liter tanks
port fee & possible fuel surcharge
Nautilus Explorer has 4 decks, the top deck being exclusively a sun deck. Below that you find the wheelhouse, the hot tub deck and 4 very large cabins. On the third deck is the dive deck with stations accommodating 24 guests. Also, a 5-ton hydraulic crane, water level platform and reinforced steel deck permits the staging of white shark cage diving and supports film and scientific crews. The lower deck houses the remaining 9 cabins.
Also on the main deck, Explorer’s salon serves as the ship’s entertainment centre with very “comfy” couches, a great library, a well stocked bar and select evening video showings, presentations and slide shows. You’ll also find a place to download digital images on dedicated PC and Mac computers and view them on a 42″ plasma TV. The roomy dining room, separate from the salon, features large picture windows and offers tasty cuisine.
Soups are homemade; bread, pastries and desserts are baked onboard and there is always a choice of entrees and plenty of snacks. You’ll find a mix of both buffet and table service with a menu that combines North American, Mexican & European dishes. Most special diets can be accommodated with advance notice. For beverages, you may want to enjoy some of the 30 different microbrews or something from the extensive wine list or a choice from the great selection of single malts in the ship’s bar.
Nautilus Explorer has nitrox, is re-breather friendly and offers everything a photographer could wish for.
Guadalupe
You have two options for airports for your Guadalupe adventure.You can fly into the San Diego airport (SAN), and then proceed to the Nautilus San Diego Dive Center. Alternatively you can also fly into the Tijuana airport (TIJ). From the San Diego Dive Center, you will depart at 7:30 pm for the approximate 2 hour transfer to the ship in Ensenada, Mexico. Alternatively, guests may meet the Nautilus team directly in Ensenada.
At the end of your cruise the ship normally arrives back at Ensenada at 2:00PM or a bit later. Guests who met the crew in Ensenada will be be transferred back to the airport in Ensenada. Guests who met them in San Diego will be transferred back to San Diego Dive Center or San Diego Airport. The coach typically arrives in San Diego by 7:00 PM. Please do not book return flights earlier than 9:00 PM.
Socorro
You will fly into the San Jose del Cabo airport (SJD), and then proceed to the Nautilus dive center at the Tesoro Los Cabos in Cabo San Lucas. There you can leave your bags and then tour town and enjoy a nice dinner before boarding the ship. The crew works hard right up to boarding time to get the boat ready so please meet them at the hospitality suite and not at the boat.
On the final day disembarkation is at 8.30am for transfer back to San Jose del Cabo airport (SJD). We recommend that you book your return flights for 10:00 AM or later.
Lengthened to 132 feet (40 meters) in 2018
27 foot beam (8 meters)
Built in Canada & launched in 2000
World’s first fully SOLAS certified dive ship
Stabilized
ISM safety certified
13 ensuite staterooms & suites
Internet access & satellite phone
Cummins engine power
Air fills, nitrox, rebreather friendly
Depending on the time of year Nautilus Explorer offers 5-night trips to Guadalupe and 8-night trips to Socorro.
8-night Socorro trips are typical. Specific itinerary will be subject to weather conditons each day but will almost always include San Benedicto, Socorro & Roca Partida.
You can expect to dive with giant mantas with wingspans up to 20 feet. They accept your presence in their habitat and seem to approach divers seeking contact. The experience is spine-tingling. You may also see up to 10 varieties of shark: from schooling hammerheads, to Galápagos sharks, whitetip reef sharks, silver-tips, silkies, tiger sharks and oceanic whitetips. The list also includes whale sharks and dusky sharks and on occasion even a thresher shark.
A typical 8-night itinerary follows
Day 1 – boarding begins at 8pm in Cabo San Lucas
Day 2 – at sea … arrival at San Benedicto in the evening. You’ll have a briefing and cocktail hour before dinner.
Day 3 – San Benedicto (3 – 4 dives, depending on conditions)
Day 4 – Socorro Island – 3 dives + evening snorkeling with silky sharks under flood lights
Day 5 – Socorro Island (3 – 4 dives, depending on conditions)
Day 6 – Roca Partida (4 dives)
Day 7 – Roca Partida
Day 8 – at sea … return to Cabo the next morning
Guadalupe (August – October)
5-night trips to Guadalupe with 3 full days of cage diving.
Guadalupe is simply the best destination in the world for calm clear water and consistently high probability of multiple shark encounters per day.
A typical 5-night itinerary follows
Day 1 – meet in San Diego at 7:30pm …. bus ride to Ensenada …. boarding at 9:30pm
Day 2 – at sea … arrival at Guadalupe in the evening.
Day 3, 4 & 5 – cage diving from 6:30am to dusk
Day 6 – at sea … arrival at San Diego at 7:30pm
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