Dive Review of Nautilus Explorer in
Mexico (Western)/Guadalupe Island

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Nautilus Explorer: "PINNACLE BUCKET LIST WITH THE GREAT WHITE SHARKS", Aug, 2018, by JAMES BURKHART, TX, US ( 1 report). Report 10441.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	We booked the trip with over a year in planning through Sharkdiver.com. Cindy is a total delight to work with especially considering the detailed preparations and organization needed for such an adventure. For us it was an opportunity to have a reunion with my four boys who range in age from 18 to 40. They have all been certified divers since they were in their early teens and they all jumped at the opportunity to see the apex predator up close and personal. My only knock on this entire operation was the selection by Nautilus Explorer the boat operator of the Best Western Plus Island Palms on Shelter Island as base for departure and arrival. Reservations were messed up, the property is stung out over quite a distance along the street with no luggage assistance. If you like the exercise component of dragging gear around this is the trip for you. The meeting room at the hotel is off the lobby and up some stairs to store your gear after you check out at 11:30AM and then at 7:00PM lug the gear back down the stairs and out to the bus. When crossing the border by bus into Mexico all the gear comes out again you clear immigrations and customs to scan the bags and then load the gear up again. Same drill upon return to states except the walk is 500 yards up hill to where the bus will pick you up. Arriving back at the hotel after 18 hours at sea and 3 hour bus ride all 20 of us were greeted to no one at the front desk at the Best Western! One Star for the hotel and even the restaurant service was poor. The memory of that fades when compared with the thrill of three days of standing in a cage filming the great white shark, learning their names and some history of their appearances to lucky divers at Guadalupe. In all we saw 27 names sharks (of 261) and 7 more new unnamed specimens. Martin Graf of Sharkdiver.com is a tremendous resource since he a pioneer of the diving efforts on the island and for that matter worldwide. He shared his own photography and video efforts with all of us. I heartily endorse and recommend his operation. The crew aboard the Under Sea from Nautilus was fantastic and the food was awesome. The boat and the cages were very safe, rooms comfortable, cool and clean. I want to go back in a few years in November to see the big females that arrive about that time. As a diver since 1985 reefs start to look all alike. The same old fish, turtles and rays. There is wonder in God's creations and most certainly nothing like the majestic motion of a menacingly large shark in the water unless of course it is staring you down in open water and heading right for you. The cage is your best friend. There are other operations conducting these cage dives however sharkdiver.com with Nautilus has earned my trust and respect since they follow the rules and do it the right way. During my 33 years as a scuba diver the facet of our sport that has changed the most is our understanding of sharks and that we have only scratched the surface. Put this on your list.
Websites	Nautilus Explorer
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Worldside since 1985
Closest Airport	San Diego, CA	Getting There	Bus from San Diego to Ensenada. Liveaboard boat to and from the island.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, cloudy	Seas	no currents
Water Temp	70-72°F / 21-22°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	100-150 Ft/ 30-46 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Cage diving alongside the boat for 45 minute sessions on surface fed regulators.
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	no
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals	N/A	Tropical Fish	N/A
Small Critters	N/A	Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Dive Review of Nautilus Explorer in Mexico (Western)/Guadalupe Island

Nautilus Explorer: "PINNACLE BUCKET LIST WITH THE GREAT WHITE SHARKS", Aug, 2018,

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

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

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

Dive Review of Nautilus Explorer in
Mexico (Western)/Guadalupe Island