Chobe Under Canvas

The Nautilus Explorer is a large, modern, steel, ocean going SOLAS safari boat from Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada in Baja, Mexico. The company was founded in 1992 and Captain Mike Lever has been solidly at the helm throughout the company's evolution from our original 14 meter wooden 8 passenger Nautilus VI to our current state of the art luxury 37 and 41 meter "big white boats".

For a small ship, the 132 foot Nautilus feels “plenty big” (or so our guests tell us). There is ample room to find a quiet place to read, chat, or work on editing the images you shot that day – whether in the separate dining room, main salon or one of the upper sundecks. And there is nothing like a soak under the stars in the sparkling clear fresh water of our hot tub after a day of diving or exploration. The main salon also serves as the ship’s entertainment centre with very “comfy” couches, a great library, a well stocked bar and select evening video showings, presentations and slide shows.

We offer accommodation on the Nautilus Explorer to suit all preferences ranging from a luxurious premium suite on the hot-deck to a cost effective, mixed-gender triple occupancy stateroom on the lower deck.

When you set off on a trip on the Nautilus Explorer, you will experience "adventure" in every sense of the word. You will voyage out to remote volcanic islands in protected marine biospheres that very few people ever experience. Depending on the destination, you can either dive exciting sites in the Sea of Cortez or giant manta rays, wild dolphins and up to 10 different kinds of sharks at Socorro.

Nautilus Explorer Specifications

• 116' x 27' ocean-going dive boat
• Millenium boat built by Sylte Shipyard, Canada
• Steel hull & superstructure, Stabilized, 12 knot maximum service speed
• ISM audited by Bureau Veritas
• The world's first and only fully SOLAS certified dive boat. This beautiful tough small ship carries the same certificates as the largest cruise ships in the world
• Water capacity: Unlimited with high capacity watermaker
• Compressors: 2 x water cooled Coltri MC-30
• Rebreather friendly
• Dive skiffs: 3 x high speed large inflatables
• Passengers: 25
• Crew: 10-11
• Spacious, comfortable and stable
• Satphone, email & internet access

All nine lower deck staterooms have private heads with separate shower stalls, central air conditioning and measure 90 square feet. Six of the staterooms have side by side beds. Two of the staterooms have large double beds and additional storage area. There is also one co-ed triple occupancy stateroom.

Three superior suites on the hot-tub deck measure 145 sq. ft and have large exterior windows. They each have private facilities, a desk and either bureau or wardrobe. Two of these suites have doors that open directly outside. The third suite boasts a large flat screen TV and DVD player.

The premium suite is also located on the hot-tub deck and is twice the size of the other suites.  It’s larger than many hotel suites!   It has a bedroom and a separate lounge featuring a floor to ceiling picture window with an incredible view out onto the oceans cape. The bathroom even features a full-size  bath-tub.

As of Jan 2023, the Guadalupe Great White Shark diving has been suspended indefinitely by the government of Mexico. The magical island of Guadalupe is 180 miles from the Mexico coastline. The coast of Guadalupe is 25 miles of rocky cliffs, but above this is dense forest, giving it the feel of an exotic, South Pacific destination. You can expect between 100 and 150 feet of visibility. We can literally see the sharks come in from beyond the anchor line. Nothing but clear, cobalt blue water.

Moreover, this experience isn’t limited to advanced divers. You don’t need to be a certified scuba diver to join us, although we recommend you take a Discover Scuba Diving course prior to your trip, and possess a strong in-water comfort.

All certified divers will have the opportunity for a minimum of three dives per day in the submersible cages—and your trip includes the opportunity for unlimited time in the surface cages. Divemasters are in the water during every submersible-cage dive to ensure your safety. Note that the surface cages open at 6:30 a.m., and diving in the submersible cages begins at 8 a.m. Both are available until dusk.

Our conservation efforts also continue at night when we kick back in the salon and identify who we spent the day with. And should you realize that you hung out with a great white shark not yet catalogued, yes, the naming rights are all yours.

Day 1
San Diego option: Meet at Best Western Palms Hospitality Suite and travel by coach to board the ship docked in Ensenada. Tijuana option: Fly into Tijuana and travel by express coach to Ensenada (90minutes).
Activities:  Evening departure from Ensenada

Day 2
Dinner time arrival at Guadalupe Island with a nice relaxing evening  at anchor.
Activities:  Safety Briefing  Diver Orientation  Shark 101 Cocktail hour at beautiful and peaceful anchorage

Day 3-5
Another full day of diving starting at 6:30 AM. Submersible diving starts at 8:30 AM.  Dive until dusk!
Activities:  Our famous Mexico taco Fiesta on the upper deck Shark ID​, cocktails with friends, theatre under the stars.

Day 6
At sea, arriving in Ensenada approx. 2:00 PM.  Coach transfers to Tijuana Airport, San Diego Airport, or Best Western Island Palms Resort. Activities: Trip Slide Show Our coach should arrive TIJ by 4:00 PM or San Diego by 7:00 PM if there are no  customs or weather delays.

Socorro Island is part of the Revillagigedos, a group of small islands off the coast of Baja California, Mexico. Dive sites include Socorro, San Benedicto & Roca Partida but may change due to ocean conditions. Our goal is to provide you with the best possible diving. It’s one of the reasons we stay committed to the Socorro Islands (a.k.a. the Revillagigedo Archipelago), well worth the full-day motor south from Cabo San Lucas. Volcanic in origin, these islands serve as an oasis amid the Sea of Cortez, 250 miles off the Baja Peninsula coast. The raw lava flows and active volcanoes in these islands resemble the lost world of “Jurassic Park,” which seems fitting as these outpost islands, including Roca Partida, beckon not just to giant mantas but to a host of big animals.

Your journey with us will include four dives per day (subject to weather and unforeseeable circumstances)—each an opportunity to encounter resident pods of playful dolphins. You may also see up to 10 varieties of shark: schooling scalloped hammerheads, solitary giant hammerheads, Galápagos, whitetip reef, silver-tip, silky, tiger and oceanic whitetips. The list also includes whale sharks and dusky sharks and on occasion even a thresher shark.

On most days, we enjoy visibility of 70 to 100 feet. When the current picks up, the ash from these volcanic isles can rise, reducing the visibility to 30 feet. For the wide-angle experience that is big-animal diving, this isn’t ideal. But, we’re still cruising one of the most pristine underwater environments—so we then choose dives where we’re closer to the reefs and marine life such as eels, octopuses and Socorro lobsters.

The onboard experience isn’t just about diving, but exploring this outpost that few people will ever visit. To that end, we carry kayaks and paddle boards. We offer an option for a night dive and a night snorkel. For added entertainment, we invite you to our “theater under the stars” for an open-air movie. It is our hope that the Nautilus team excels not only in surpassing your expectations of safety and excellence—but of fun and connection with the crew, the animals and the destination.

Day 1

Arrival in San Jose Del Cabo. Meet up and enjoy the hospitality suite of the beautiful El Ganzo hotel. Boarding your ship after 8:00 PM. Sailing time at 9 PM.

Day 2

Spend the day unwinding at sea as the vessel heads to Socorro. Evening arrival at San Benedicto Island.

Activities:  Safety Briefing Diver Orientation Manta 101 Cocktail Hour!

Day 3

What you’ve been waiting for - Diving Day! San Benedicto is home to the friendliest giant mantas in the world! Activities:  4 dives Our famous Mexico taco Fiesta on the upper deck Manta ID

Day 4

Dive at Socorro Island.  Night snorkel with Silky Sharks. Activities:  3 dives + Snorkeling with silky sharks under flood lights Manta ID

Day 5

Dive at Socorro Island. Activities:  4 dives Shark Behaviour Manta ID

Day 6 + 7

Dive at Roca Partida. Activities:  4 dives Shark Behaviour Manta ID

Day 8

Voyage home.  Making our way back to Los Cabos. Activities:  Ship shop Trip slide show Cocktail with friends

Day 9

Disembarkation at 8:30AM. We recommend that you book your return flights for 10:00 AM or later.

Sea of Cortez - Ocean Safari

The Sea of Cortez is a diver’s paradise. With its unique ecosystem and the overall natural beauty, have earned a UNESCO World Heritage Site status. We have been diving here for almost 5 decades and every time it has been exciting! Come see firsthand why this sea is called the “Aquarium of the World” and all of it’s natural wonders. Meet the playful sea lions of Los Islotes, surround yourself in a tornado of big eye jacks and schools of skipjacks. Lets not forget the huge pods of dolphins, turtles, mobulas, the hammerhead sharks around El Bajo & Los Animas, whales of all types of descriptions, shipwrecks and night dives. And if you’re lucky, giant mantas swimming around La Reina and orcas.

Trip boards in Cabo San Lucas at 7:00 pm on Day 1
Returning to Cabo San Lucas on Final Day at 8:30am

Ultimate Combo Trip
This trip offers a spectacular combo of mobula rays, orcas and whale sharks! Who doesn’t want to swim with whale sharks, especially when there are lots of the in a deserted bay and national park deep into the reaches of the Sea of Cortez. Up to 220 friendly and curious whale sharks visit every season. But wait there is more. The seasons only overlap once a year for all 3 of these iconic animals (orcas are hoped for and searched for but not guaranteed) PLUS mega pods of dolphin, whales and some of the best diving in the Sea of Cortez
Trip boards in Cabo San Lucas at 08:00 pm on Day 1. Meets at SeeCreatures Cabo San Lucas. Please drop by anytime, checking in at 7 pm the latest. We have transfers arranged at 7:30 pm to your ship. This is the trip of a lifetime!