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Dive Review of Nautilis Explorer in
Mexico (Western)/Socorro Islands

Nautilis Explorer, Dec, 2005,

by Jill Crocker, TX, USA . Report 2256.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 5 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 1 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 2 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments This was our annual New Years Eve trip, and we all had a great time diving together. We all arrived in Cabo San Lucas and were taken to a nearby hotel. Once the group was gathered, we took a 2 hour bus ride to the marina in La Paz. We were greeted by the Nautilis staff, who took our bags either to the dive deck or to our rooms. Once we settled in, we had dinner. We did a safety drill with life jackets, then went to our rooms to unpack. Our room had plenty of storage space. Then we had a long ride to the diving site (about 30 hours or so) but we enjoyed relaxing and sleeping and visiting. Captain Mike, who also owns the boat, was on top of everything. They could have used another ice machine, but other than that, the boat was well stocked and very clean. The staff was friendly and helpful. Everyone was required to attend the dive briefing the night prior to diving. The chef, Vickie, was from New Zealand, and although she prepared some unique dishes that were uncommon to us "southerners", I rather enjoyed the variety! The food was hot and plentiful. The diving was great! We saw mantas, sharks, hammerheads and dolphins. Whales were seen at a distance. We were told we could "interact" with the mantas, on their terms. We would reach our hand up, and the mantas would glide over our hands. We were not allowed to "ride" the mantas, and we were warned if we did that, our trip would be over. We were told not to pet the top of the mantas as well. We did some planned "blue water" dives, which were great. Many saw schools of hammerheads. We also saw a den of white tip sharks. Nitrox and steel tanks were available for a fee. Safety stops were highly encouraged. Gloves and lights are not allowed. Safety sausages and Dive Alerts were provided. One girl went sailing while others kayaked. The hot tub was always inviting! We spent the evenings either looking at each other's photos, or viewing the videos that were shot during the day. Movies were available for those who preferred that. Our room was a little warm (no top sheets were on the beds, just a comforter, which was a little warm) but we had 2 fans. There was plenty of hot water. Overall, it was a great way to ring in the new year!

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Fiji, Bonaire, Belize, Honduras, Mexico, Hawaii, Saba, Bahamas, Cozumel, Caymans
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas choppy, surge, currents
Water Temp 72-74°F / 22-23°C Wetsuit Thickness 5
Water Visibility 50-100 Ft/ 15-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile no
Enforced diving restrictions Don't go into the blue unless it was a planned "blue water" dive.
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas Squadrons
Dolphins 1 or 2 Whale Sharks None
Turtles None Whales None
Corals 1 stars Tropical Fish 3 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish 4 stars
Large Pelagics 4 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 5 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 5 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments Although I do underwater photography and video, I did not take my cameras because everyone else in the group also does photography, so I relied on them to take the pictures, while I stayed out of the way! But the photography table was good.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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