Dive Isla Guadalupe: It's an incredible shark
adventure!
Travel to the crystal clear waters of Isla Guadalupe, Mexico
aboard the Nautilus Explorer, a 116 ft luxury liveaboard custom-built
for smooth sailing in rough waters. Isla Guadalupe is considered
one of the best places on the whole planet to view great white
sharks.
Spend three adrenaline-filled days cage diving in one of the
boat's five shark cages. It's an incredible adventure open to
both certified divers and non-divers.
Shark
Adventures, Isla Guadalupe
Sample Itinerary |
|
Day 1
Arrive either San Diego, California or Tijuana, Mexico
to begin your adventure with great white sharks! We will
have a hospitality suite available in both cities after
1pm. "Meet and greet" with one of our staff members in the
late afternoon and transfer to the ship in Ensenada by chartered
highway coach. The trip itinerary and transfer should be
seamless - the driving time from San Diego to Tijuana is
1 hour and then it's another 75 minutes of driving time
to our berth in Ensenada. Evening departure and overnight
run to Guadalupe Island. The Nautilus Explorer is
a heavy, steel, stabilized ship and the downhill run in
open ocean should be quite comfortable.
|
|
Day
2
At sea. Welcome Aboard safety briefing. Presentation on
Guadalupe great white sharks. Afternoon video and cocktail
hour. Arrival at our sheltered anchorage at Guadalupe Island
just before dinner time. We will put our shark cages in
the water tonight.
|
|
Day 3
Cages open for diving at 0630. Shoreline expeditions daily
while on site to check out the local populations of elephant
seals, Guadalupe fur seals, California sea lions and even
the odd feral cat! We will wrap the diving at sunset and
finish the day with a crab feast on the hot-tub deck under
the Mexican sky.
|
|
Day 4
Cages open for diving from 0630 until sunset. As Captain
Mike always says: "You can't see the sharks if you are not
in the water". This isn't strictly true as the surface action
with the white sharks can be almost as thrilling as being
in the cages. Plus we will also have an underwater "shark
cam" setup and constantly playing on the 42" plasma screen
in the main salon.
|
|
Day 5
Our last dive day unfortunately. So sad. This is your last
chance to beat the record of 31.5 hours of cage time over
3 dive days!! The diving will wrap at 5pm today and then
it will be time to steam back to Ensenada. The seas will
likely be an ocean swell of 6 feet or so which is relatively
comfortable in a heavy, smooth riding ship like the Nautilus
Explorer. Of course sometimes it will also be flat calm.
|
|
Day 6
Morning slideshow of the trip's highlights
with copies for everyone to take home. Pre-breakfast, breakfast,
snack and lunch (nobody ever goes hungry on the Nautilus
Explorer!) arriving in Ensenada at approximately 1:30 PM
for port clearance and coach transfers back to Tijuana and
San Diego.
|
Pricing & Trip Details:
Luxury staterooms are available in three categories. Share a Standard
room for $2950, a Superior stateroom for $3450 or a Premium stateroom
for $4200. Additional charges include a $65 port fee paid on location,
a recommended trip gratuity of 10-15%, bar tab, if any, and dive
gear rental fee, if applicable. A slight fuel surcharge is also
possible. Airfare to and from departure point is not included.
The Nautilus Explorer - Certified Safe
& Sea Worthy
The Nautilus Explorer was custom built and launched
in 2000 as a liveaboard expedition dive boat. Her heavy stabilized
steel hull provides an easy ride across the open ocean. She is
certified to the same exacting international standards as the
largest cruise ship, and has earned a SOLAS passenger certificate
to voyage anywhere in the world outside of the polar regions,
the ultimate confirmation of seaworthiness and safety. We're also
very particular about keeping the Nautilus Explorer ship-shape
and spotlessly clean. In 2001, she received ISM certification
from Lloyds Register. This is the marine equivalent of ISO 9000
and is your assurance that the ship's organization and support
services are all first-rate. The ISM rating also means that the
Nautilus Explorer undergoes regular internal and independent external
audits to ensure that the vessel is always safe and well maintained.
The Nautilus Explorer is the only Canadian berthed passenger vessel
with this certification.
| Certified divers will love spending time in the Nautilus
Explorer's new three-person submersible cages. Modeled after
shark cages used in Australia, they can submerge to a depth
of 40 feet. Dive tanks and regulators will be provided. Rebreather
divers are welcome to bring their equipment. |
The Nautilus Explorer - Incredible Comfort
at Sea
The people behind the Nautilus Explorer have thought of just about
everything! There's a
hot tub, perfect for post-dive relaxing and socializing. The ship's
main salon features a 42" plasma TV mounted above the ship's library.
Next to the TV is a well stocked bar. (How well-stocked? Choose
from over 40 microbrews and 50 kinds of wine.) The ship is very
photographer friendly and the main lounge is fitted out with both
a Mac and a PC, complete with Photoshop Elements for our guests'
convenience.The salon's comfy couches will be calling out your
name after a day in the cages. Although we doubt you'll spend
much time in your stateroom, if you do, you'll find it first-rate
too. While a dive boat isn't a cruise ship, you definitely won't
be roughing it! Each Nautilus Explorer stateroom has its own private
washroom and shower.
Crew Matters
It takes more than a great boat to make a great trip. It takes
a great crew. Accompanying you to Isla Guadalupe will be a carefully
selected team of 10 incredible people, including three divemasters,
whose primary mission is to see to your safety and comfort. They'll
work hard to make sure you enjoy maximum cage time, great food
and wonderful customer service.
|