Nautilus Explorer Itinerary
Manta Trust Expedition: Socorro9 days / 8 nights
About Nautilus Explorer
- Facilities include nitrox, gear storage, spacious zodiacs, and camera stations
- Adventurous itineraries in Socorro and Revillagigedo, and Guadalupe
- Enjoy zodiac tours, marine life presentations, paddleboards and kayaks
- Comfortable cabins for various budgets and personal travel styles
Nautilus Explorer liveaboard offers adventurous dive itineraries, with voyages exploring some of the eastern Pacific's most exciting big fish destinations. Choose from trips to Socorro and Revillagigedo, Guadalupe, or pioneering itineraries combining both! You'll enjoy personalised service, well appointed cabins and common areas, and custom-designed divers' facilities to help make the most of your time in the water. Plus, thoughtful details like warm deck showers and hot drinks after each dive and a hot tub for a hint of luxury. This boat perfectly balances a comfortable and unfussy atmosphere with little luxuries, creating the ideal environment for divers and social guests.
Itinerary details
Length of trip 9 days / 8 nights
Number of dives 15 - 20
Experience Advanced Open Water - Minimum 50 dives
Insurance Required
Highlights
- Explore the remote Revillagigedo Archipelago National Park
- Tiger sharks, Galapagos sharks, oceanic whitetips, and whale sharks
- Meet the friendliest giant oceanic mantas in the world at "El Boiler"
- Share your dives with large schools of jacks and tuna at Roca Partida
- Get up close with the curious bottlenose dolphins of Cabo Pearce
- Encounter schooling hammerheads and dozens of silky sharks
- Opportunity to interact and learn from a leading manta expert
- Participate in cutting-edge conservation research
On this expedition, you’ll have the opportunity to experience and participate in cutting-edge conservation research to protect one of the ocean’s most majestic animals. Manta Trust scientists will be collecting photographic identification images of all mantas encountered throughout the expedition—a task that guests are welcome and encouraged to participate in. All new manta rays will be added to the database, and guests will be invited to name these new mantas. Every manta sighting is crucial information in developing effective management and conservation strategies for these increasingly vulnerable animals.
Day 1:
Meet at our dive centre in the sunny vacation hotspot, Cabo San Lucas. Cabo Dive Centre is located next to the main lobby and bar of the Tesoro Hotel on the picturesque walkway of the Cabo marina. Our staff will be there to assist you with any rental gear you need, pre-trip day boat diving, and the loan of a Nautilus LifeLine, Dive Alert, and SMB. Starting in January 2019, we will also be offering a complimentary warm-up dive off Land’s End. Your ship will be available for boarding at 8pm and is located just a short scenic stroll away, where appetizers and champagne will be waiting for you.
Meet at our dive centre in the sunny vacation hotspot, Cabo San Lucas. Cabo Dive Centre is located next to the main lobby and bar of the Tesoro Hotel on the picturesque walkway of the Cabo marina. Our staff will be there to assist you with any rental gear you need, pre-trip day boat diving, and the loan of a Nautilus LifeLine, Dive Alert, and SMB. Starting in January 2019, we will also be offering a complimentary warm-up dive off Land’s End. Your ship will be available for boarding at 8pm and is located just a short scenic stroll away, where appetizers and champagne will be waiting for you.
Day 2:
Today is spent travelling out to the islands. An orientation briefing will be held in the morning, followed by a fire and boat safety drill. We’ll keep you as busy as you like on this 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 the bar will be open for alcoholic beverages. 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.
Today is spent travelling out to the islands. An orientation briefing will be held in the morning, followed by a fire and boat safety drill. We’ll keep you as busy as you like on this 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 the bar will be open for alcoholic beverages. 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.
Day 3-7:
Over seven 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 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 - plus our world-famous silky shark night snorkel. 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.
Over seven 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 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 - plus our world-famous silky shark night snorkel. 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, you can always find a nice, quiet place to relax with a book, have a nice snooze, or soak 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.
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 08.30am for either SJD airport or our dive centre in Cabo San Lucas.
Always a sad time for us. It’s time to say goodbye and disembark the boat in Cabo at 08.30am for either SJD airport or our dive centre 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.
Transfer details
Departure
08:00pm
SeeCreatures, Cabo San Lucas
Los Cabos International Airport: SJD
Return
08:30am
SeeCreatures, Cabo San Lucas
Los Cabos International Airport: SJD
Current availability and prices: https://www.zubludiving.com/itineraries/nautilus-explorer/itn-2311200206131-manta-trust-expedition-socorro