Nautilus Explorer Liveaboard

Check in at Cabo San Lucas SeeCreatures shop

You are welcome to drop your bags off and check-in whenever it’s most convenient, but we ask that you please check-in at SeeCreatures by 7pm latest. Please arrive back to SeeCreatures by 7:15pm for the mandatory safety video before boarding the boat at 8pm.

Today is a traveling and relaxing day at sea. It is a one day run out to the islands. An orientation briefing will be held in the morning, followed by a fire and boat safety drill. A drill? On holiday? Don’t worry, it is for your safety but we will make it lots of fun. We are proud to have been the first, and some of the only, ISM safety certified passenger vessel dive boats in the world, the same safety certification as the largest cruise ships. We’ll keep you as busy as you like on this sea day with Manta 101 in the afternoon, then you will have a chance to prep your gear, read a book, relax on the sun deck or check out the movie selection on our onboard wifi. We will be watching for the “green flash” at sunset, and while cocktail hour is officially at 7pm every evening, many of our guests enjoy some adult beverages well before that on sea days! We should arrive at San Benedicto Island that evening allowing you a calm night to relax and get a restful sleep before the next morning’s excitement of diving with the friendliest giant mantas in the world.

Over five full dive days you will be able to experience some of our favourite sites such as El Canyon, the Boiler, Red Rocks, Roca Partida, Cabo Pearse, Punta Tosca and Roca Oneal. We know that many of our guests want the option of as many dives as possible and we strive to offer an average of four dives a day, other than the day that we do our mandatory check-in at the local navy base when you will likely have the option of three dives. When the weather is really good and the seas are calm, certain dive sites like Roca Partida might become crowded with three or four dive boats in which case park regulations restrict us to offering three dives maximum that day. We cater to divers of all experience levels with what we call “dive butler”. We will quickly zip selfreliant and highly experienced divers straight to the dive site when it opens. Encouraging our newer divers who would like to be with a dive guide from start to finish to take their time gearing up and splash 20- 30 minutes later. Most divers are somewhere in the middle of this and we will shuttle them along with dive guides to the sites with our skiffs running back and forth like taxi cabs! Note that several dives may be quite challenging and not suitable for divers of lower experience levels. The number of dives on offer is subject to weather, the whims of Mother Ocean, and crowding by other dive boats. We will have other stuff going on to keep you as busy as you like with kayaks and paddle boards, shoreline tours, humpback whale watching (January to April), manta ID in the late afternoon and after-dinner presentations. Of course, it’s always your option to find a nice quiet place to relax with a book, have a nice snooze, or maybe have a splash in our sparkling clear hot tubs.

We will likely get underway very early this morning for the voyage back to Cabo San Lucas. This is the perfect day to check out photos and videos with the new friends you made onboard, pack your dive gear up and take time to relax before reality sets back in. The islands, the mantas, the sharks and the dolphins are almost “other worldly” and we hope the magic stays with you for a long time.

Always a sad time for us. It’s time to say goodbye and disembark the boat in Cabo at 8:30am for either SJD airport or to SeeCreatures in Cabo San Lucas. It doesn’t have to be goodbye for long, we hope to see you again very soon.

Please meet at SeeCreatures Cabo San Lucas. Feel encourage to drop by anytime to drop your bags off and maybe go for a couple of local dives!! We ask that all our guests are back at SeeCreatures by 4:30 pm for the coach transfer to La Paz.

Your first day at sea typically starts anchored off a quiet beach at Cerralvo Island for a warm-up dive and then over to the incredible tornadoes of fish at La Reyna. This is also our best chance of encountering giant manta rays in the entire Sea of Cortes. We encourage our non-diving guests to arrange before their trip for snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding, swimming coaching, or a complimentary discover scuba experience.

Where we go next will vary. We might have reports of a huge pod of dolphins or even orcas or sperm whales. Interactions are always on their terms. During your days at sea, we will almost certainly visit Isla Las Animas, which boasts a large population of sea lions. This can be a great hammerhead shark destination for divers and a great snorkeling opportunity and a chance for everyone else to go ashore. We’ll likely spend time around the National Park of Espiritu Santo, check out some wreck diving, go ashore for beach time or hikes into the hills guided by our naturalist, and enjoy kayaking, paddleboarding, swimming, or whatever you want. Divers usually have the option of 4 dives a day. You can expect 2 days in Loreto National Park diving Coronado and Danzante and perhaps Carmen Island.

Morning breakfast. Disembark at 8:30 am in La Paz and complimentary transfer back to either SeeCreatures Cabo San Lucas or SJD Airport.

The Nautilus Explorer will be berthed in Marina Bahia Golfito. It’s beautiful. We imagine you will be excited to board, but please give our hardworking crew time to get the ship turned around, cleaned, fueled, provisioned, and ready for you. We ask that you take advantage of the local facilities and not drop by the boat until 6:30 pm. We don’t mean to be rude, but it would be much appreciated if you could avoid coming by early to say “hi.” Boarding will begin after 6:30 pm, and we will sail by 8 pm for the approximately 30-hour run to Cocos Island.

Your ship is a heavy steel stabilized oceangoing ship, ensuring you the best ride possible. We encourage you to relax, and it’s usually a good idea to take some anti-seasickness medicine just in case. It’s far better to feel 100% and enjoy the crossing than to risk feeling under the weather without medication… There will be ample time for briefings, setting up dive and camera gear, and, of course, cocktail hour at 7 pm with all our other guests!

Anchored in the lee of Cocos Island!! Enjoy some of the best diving in the world on the pinnacles surrounding cocos. The choice of dive sites is at the discretion of the park rangers and influenced by Mother Ocean, with a lot of input from your captain and dive guides. Typically, there will be an opportunity for 2 dives in the morning and 1 in the afternoon, with water temps ranging from 78 – 82°F (27 – 28°C). Plus, there’s the opportunity to go ashore several times, whale watch with the humpbacks, relax, and have a great time!!

Voyage back to Golfito. Packing gear up, visiting with your new friends, and making plans for your next adventure with Nautilus.

Arrival back at the Golfito marina by 5 am for those catching the early morning Sansa flight. Early breakfast and 7 am departure for guests heading back to San Jose in our courtesy shuttle (to arrive SJO by 1 pm latest). Or a more leisurely 8:30 am disembarkation for this who are staying on in Golfito or heading off for another adventure in one of the nearby national parks.