
Nautilus Explorer
GuadalupeThe 40m Nautilus Explorer was custom built for divers in 2000 and is the sister ship to the Nautilus Belle Amie. Accommodating 24 divers in 13 staterooms, the Explorer’s steel hull makes for smooth and stable journeys, and as with all Nautilus vessels, you can expect high levels of service, comfort and safety.
The Nautilus Explorer is the flagship in the Nautilus fleet and features an incredibly large dive deck, water level platform and wonderful ocean vistas through the large windows in the saloon and dining room.
There are 5 night itineraries to Guadalupe from July to September. Witness the ocean’s most feared predator, the great white shark, up close and personal from the safety of 2 cages at different depths. There is plenty of surface activity as well as great visibility below the surface to witness these magnificent creatures for a truly once in a lifetime experience. You don’t even need to be a qualified diver to enjoy this experience!
How to get there
The port town of Ensenada, in Mexico, where the liveaboards for Guadalupe Island are berthed, is very easily reached. A popular air routing for Guadalupe trips is to San Diego, in California. We recommend you take one night’s accommodation there prior to the liveaboard. From San Diego, the liveaboards offer a courtesy bus transfer across the Mexican boarder (they will take care of visas for you) and the journey time to Ensenada is about 2.5hrs. Another option is to fly to Tijuana, and from there you can take a bus to Ensenada. We will happily advise which option is best for you and to give all the details.
Guide price for 5nts Nautilus Explorer from £2200pp*
Includes: Accommodation, all meals (continental breakfast, breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert), non-alcoholic beverages, snacks, daily room service, towels, in-water divemastering, end of trip DVD and onboard facilities.
Not Included: International flights, Port & Park fees ($65.00 total USD) per person payable in cash onboard, gift shop purchases, bar tab, gear & tank rentals, nitrox, transfers, crew gratuities are customary in this part of the world if you think the service is deserving, typically $300 per guest.
*Price shown is for guide purposes only and is based on low season travel and for lowest cabin type. Please contact us for a confirmed cost based on your preferred duration, cabin choice and time of travel.
Exploring Mexico
Mexico offers world class diving on both its Pacific and Caribbean coastlines. There is something for everyone here, and at all diver levels. Visit our Mexico section for an introduction to where to go throughout this country, including Guadalupe Island, the Sea of Cortez, the Socorro Islands and the Yucatan Peninsular.
Accommodation
The 13 spacious staterooms are split into 5 cabin types, all cabins have ensuite bathrooms with hot shower, toiletries, fresh towels and linen upon request and individually controlled air-conditioning.
The triple stateroom is located on the lower deck and has 2 bunks and 1 double bed with a porthole window. The 6 twin cabins are located on the lower deck and have a double and twin bed with porthole window. There are also 2 single cabins on the lower deck which have a large bed & porthole window. The 3 superior suites are located on the wheelhouse deck and have king size double beds and big ocean view picture windows, 2 of the suites can be converted into twin accommodation on request. The premium suite is located on the wheelhouse deck. Formally the owners private suite, it contains a double bed, sitting area, bathroom with full sized bathtub, 2 flatscreen TV’s & large ocean view windows.
The Explorer was designed with comfort in mind, and with 4 decks, there is plenty of space to relax between dives. There is a large air-conditioned lounge located on the main deck, which has comfortable sofas, TV with entertainment systems, PC and Mac computers, library, games and well stocked bar which serves wine, spirits and microbrew beers. On the wheelhouse deck you will find a hot tub and on the top deck there is a spacious sun deck with loungers and deckchairs.
Meals are served in the large dining room located on the main deck. The comfortable seating makes for a relaxed and sociable atmosphere. A pre-dive continental breakfast of freshly baked bread, fruit, cereals and juices is served daily, with a full cooked breakfast after the first dive consisting of cooked to order eggs, sausages, bacon and pancakes, as well as some Mexican influences including breakfast burritos. Lunches are a variety of Mexican and North American cuisine, with tacos, fajitas and quesadillas, as well as western choices of burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, soups and fresh salads. The buffet-style dinners offer a range of meat and seafood dishes, together with vegetarian and vegan options on request, which you can enjoy with the wide range of alcoholic beverages available to purchase, including red and white wine, champagne, 30 different microbrew beers, single malt whiskeys and selected spirits. Snacks are served between dives, including cheese platters, freshly baked muffins, cookies and brownies, sushi and nachos ensuring that you will never go hungry!
The huge dive deck located at the back of the main deck has ample storage with personal lockers for each diver, together with a large camera table and charging points. On Guadalupe itineraries, there is 1 surface shark cage and 2 submersibles to get you up close and personal to the great white sharks. All certified divers will have the opportunity for a minimum of three dives per day in the submersible cages and unlimited time in the surface cages. Surface cages open at 6.30am and diving in the submersible cages begins at 8.00am. Both are available until dusk.


Stay a bit a longer
Guadalupe trips are not particularly easy to combine with other diving spots, but there are endless possibilities for extending your stay. If you choose to travel via San Diego, then adding a domestic flight to see other regions of the United States is very straightforward and quite cheap. Popular choices are to head over to visit the Grand Canyon National Park and Monument Valley, or Los Angeles or San Francisco. The choice is yours!
For flights via Tijuana, then staying on in Mexico is your best option. This is a wonderful country to explore. You can head inland to the countryside, or to visit Mexico City.
If you did want to add on something that included diving, then you could – if you are happy to allocate a full day of travelling – consider flying over to the Yucatan Peninsular, where you can dive the Cenotes Cave systems, Cozumel and visit ancient Mayan ruins.
Whatever you may fancy adding on to your Guadalupe trip, we will be happy to guide you and to assist with all your travel needs.
Mexico by region
Guadalupe
Adrenalin-fuelled cage diving with great white sharks
Socorro Islands
Schooling hammerheads, humpback whales and huge oceanic mantas
Sea of Cortez
Playful sea lions, bull sharks and close encounters with whale sharks
Yucatan Peninsular
Cenotes cave diving, reef walls of Cozumel and ancient Mayan ruins
Ready for your next adventure?
Great Escapes Diving Holidays Ltd
Combs Tannery
Tannery Road
Combs
Stowmarket
Suffolk
IP14 2EN
United Kingdom
Office hours: Mondays to Fridays, 9am - 5pm
Tel: 01449 535010
Email: info@greatescapesdiving.com
All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLcertificate

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