Nautilus Explorer Guadalupe

Overview

A luxury 35m steel hull long-range liveaboard built in 2000, the Nautilus Explorer was custom designed for divers. The Nautilus Explorer was designed to be very safe with heavy, strong steel construction and extensive soundproofing. The vessel's construction provides for a remarkably easy ride while heavy-duty commercial grade systems ensure that you have a smooth-running voyage. A water level platform aft of the dive deck provides easy entry into dive skiffs, kayaks and Laser sailboat.

Imaginative and fresh cuisine is served with up to four meals a day, a choice of entrees and plenty of snacks. A mix of both buffet and table service is offered with a menu that combines North American and European tastes with a touch of Mexico. 

ACCOMMODATION

For a small ship, the Nautilus feels quite spacious. There is ample room to find a quiet place to read, chat, fill out your dive log or journal or work on editing the images you shot that day - whether in the separate dining room, main salon or one of the upper sundecks. And there is nothing like a soak under the stars in the sparkling clear fresh water in the hot tub after a day of diving. The main salon also serves as the ship's entertainment centre with comfy couches, a great library, a well-stocked bar and select evening video showings, presentations and slide shows.

Accommodation on the Nautilus Explorer suits all preferences, ranging from a luxurious premium suite on the hot-deck, to a cost effective, mixed-gender triple occupancy stateroom on the lower deck.

All eight lower deck staterooms have private heads with separate shower stalls, central air conditioning and measure 90 sq. ft. Six of the staterooms have side-by-side beds. Two of the staterooms have large double beds and additional storage area. There is also one co-ed triple occupancy stateroom.

Three superior suites on the hot-tub deck measure 145 sq. ft and have large exterior windows. They each have private facilities, a desk and either bureau or wardrobe. Two of these suites have doors that open directly outside. The third suite boasts a large flat screen TV and DVD player.

The premium suite is also located on the hot-tub deck and is twice the size of the other suites. It has a separate bedroom and lounge each with a large flat screen TV and DVD player, private facilities with a full-size bathtub and shower plus large private windows looking out on an ocean view. 

SPECIFICATION

• 35m long, 8.2m wide. 
• 11 - 12 mph cruise speed. 
• Steel hull and superstructure. 
• 7000 gallon fresh water capacity and 3600 gallons-per-day water maker allowing you to shower as often as you like. 
• Quiet twin 70 kw gensets operating 24 hours per day with precise voltage and frequency control.
• Ship's power is 110 volts ac, 60 Hz.
• Air-conditioning and heating throughout. 
• The Nautilus Explorer is a Millenium Boat Built and Launched in Vancouver, B.C. in 2000.

SAFETY

All safety equipment is first class and certified to the same exacting international SOLAS and ISM standards as the largest cruise ship.

Schedules & prices

Dive info

PLEASE NOTE: The Guadalupe Marine Park is currently closed, please contact us for alternative options. 

Guadalupe Island is a volcanic island 150 miles off the west coast of Baja California and outperforms every other great white shark destination with shark-seeing consistency and beautiful diving conditions.

Dive to 10 Metres and Go Face to Face with Great White Sharks!

Great white shark encounters at Guadalupe Island are nothing short of spectacular. Guadalupe feels like a remote outpost at the end of the earth, but is actually quite easy to get to. It’s the best destination in the world for calm, clear water and a consistently high probability of multiple shark encounters per day.

The sheer number of animals in the bay is jaw-droppingly amazing. Guests are likely to see two to three on most dives. The bay itself is home to over 200 recognised individuals, ranging from 12 to 19 feet long! At times, guests have seen as many as nine sharks on one dive—and that’s because Guadalupe is just the sort of place where magic regularly happens in the water.

Unlike traditional shark cages, Nautilus Liveaboards use submersible cages that descend down to 30 feet where the sharks naturally congregate.  A permitted wrangling platform is also used and action in the surface cages can be just as exciting!

Even the island itself, 180 miles from the Mexico coastline, seems magical. The coast of Guadalupe is 25 miles of rocky cliffs, but above this is dense forest, giving it the feel of an exotic, South Pacific destination. You can expect between 125 and 150 feet of visibility. You can literally see the sharks come in from beyond the anchor line. Nothing but clear, cobalt blue water.

This experience isn’t limited to advanced divers. You don’t need to be a certified scuba diver to join, although it is recommend that you take a Discover Scuba Diving course prior to your trip, and that you possess a strong in-water comfort.

All certified divers will have the opportunity for a minimum of three dives per day in the submersible cages—and your trip includes the opportunity for unlimited time in the surface cages. Divemasters are in the water during every submersible-cage dive to ensure your safety. The surface cages open at 6.30am and diving in the submersible cages begins at 8.00am. Both are available until dusk.

The overall aim is to keep guests safe, and also to protect the growing shark population. The dive guides and crew teach and ask for responsible shark interactions that do not impact or change the behavior of these magnificent animals. Oil, chum or blood is not used. A piece of tuna, wrapped in a burlap sack, is all that the sharks need to know that we have arrived.

These conservation efforts also continue at night when guests kick back in the salon and identify who we spent the day with. Should you realise that you hung out with a great white shark not yet catalogued, yes, the naming rights are all yours!

BEST period to travel

Guadalupe Island trips are only available from July - November when the sharks are in the area. July and August features rowdy gangs of male sharks. Female great whites start showing up in October and November.

CLIMATE

The climate is tropical sub humid with summer rains throughout the archipelago. Guadalupe Island also has a tropical semi-dry climate zone and a subtropical sub humid climate zone with occasional summer rains. 

WATER VISIBILITY

The visibility throughout the liveaboard season (November – May) is variable with the lowest visibility occurring during November and December when it can drop from 30-40m to around 15-20m.

FLIGHT INFORMATION 

For trips to Guadalupe, the best flight option is the direct flight to San Diego in the USA, from Gatwick. These flights are daily. Alternatively, these is the option of flying via Mexico City to Ensenada, where the liveaboards depart.

PASSPORTS & VISAS

All non-US citizens travelling to the USA will need to obtain a US visa or Electronic System of Travel Authorization (ESTA) at least 72 hours prior to travel. Travellers without the required visa or ESTA may be denied flight boarding. Citizens of 37 countries, including most European nations, Australia, New Zealand and Japan are eligible for the ESTA and can apply for these online. There is a charge of $14 and the issued authorisation is valid for 2 years and allows for multiple entries into US territories within that period.

British passport holders visiting Mexico as a tourist don’t need a visa, but you do need a tourist card, which you can get on arrival by completing an immigration form available at border crossings or on-board flights to Mexico. Immigration officials at the port of entry may ask to see proof of your departure plans from Mexico before allowing you entry to the country, although this isn’t a formal entry requirement.

Always check for last minute changes in entry requirements at the Foreign & Commonwealth website. Nationalities other than British citizens should check with their own consular office.

Please always check your own entry requirements, regardless of your nationality.

Passport Validity

Passengers travelling to Mexico must have a minimum of six months validity on their passport from the date of entry into Mexico. 

Note: If you are travelling to Mexico via the US, even if you are only transiting, you must check the US entry requirements. If you do not have the correct authorisation you will not be allowed to travel to or transit through the US.

AIRPORT TAX

There’s a departure tax of circa £50 when leaving Mexico by air. Some airlines include this in ticket prices.

VACCINATIONS & HEALTH INFORMATION

There are no compulsory vaccinations, but we recommend protection against typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A and rabies. The risk of malaria in Mexico is generally very low and therefore anti-malarials are not required for travel to the Playa del Carmen or Cozumel area. 

However, there is a moderate risk in some south western parts of the country. If you intend to travel beyond the Yucatan Peninsula we would recommend that you contact a travel clinic for the most up to date advice.

Vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed before departure. For the most up to date advice please consult your travel clinic. 

Further information regarding vaccinations for travel to this country can be found at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk and from your local healthcare provider.

Itineraries

Please note that liveaboard itineraries can change without notice. The itinerary will depend on several factors including, but not limited to, weather, diving ability of guests & the number of other boats already present at the various dive sites. All dive sites visited are subject to weather conditions and are at the discretion of your dive guides and vessel captain.

Guadalupe Island liveaboards embark from Ensenada, Mexico.

The Nautilus team will meet guests in San Diego, CA and then travel by coach to board the ship docked at Ensenada, Mexico. Alternatively, guests can also meet the Nautilus directly in Ensenada, but the San Diego option is more popular.

Nautilus Guadalupe Island Itinerary - 5 or 6 nights 

In addition to Guadalupe Island, this vessel also offers Socorro Islands trips: 

Nautilus Socorro Island Itinerary - 8 or 9 nights         

Nautilus Socorro Combo Expedition - 10 or 12 nights

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