Nautilus Explorer Itinerary

Socorro (Cabo San Lucas) - 8N

Socorro is all about amazing interactions with giant mantas. You can also spot dolphins, ten species of shark, and humpback whales. You will see loads of whales on the surface, and you will hear them singing when you are in the water. Most incredible of all is the opportunity to snorkel with the whales and sometimes even see them during a dive.

Our Nautilus-owned SeeCreatures is located downtown in Cabo San Lucas, near the marina, and is your home away from home. We encourage you to fly in early and allow us to arrange for some local diving, whether it’s Gordo Banks, Cabo Pulmo, or the La Paz whale sharks. Your trip includes a complimentary Backscatter lesson in the afternoon. Our photo pros will coach you on how to get that perfect manta image, help set up or service or repair your camera gear, and assist with camera rentals. 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 at the latest. Please arrive back at SeeCreatures by 7:15pm for the mandatory safety video before boarding the boat at 8pm.

Day 2 

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, with 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, and 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. 

Days 3-7   

Over five full dive days, you will be able to experience some of our favorite sites, such as El Canyon, the Boiler, Red Rocks, Roca Partida, Cabo Pearce, 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 self-reliant 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 paddleboards, 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. 

Day 8 
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 on board, pack your dive gear up, and take time to relax before reality sets back in. 

Day 9
Always a sad time for us. It’s time to say goodbye and disembark the boat in Cabo at 8.30 am for either SJD airport or our dive center in Cabo San Lucas. 

Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics, and local regulations.