Dive Review of Nautilus Explorer in
Mexico (Western)

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Nautilus Explorer: "Rough Seas Made for Tough Diving", Mar, 2019, by Michael J. Millet, CA, US ( Top Contributor 96 reports with 61 Helpful votes). Report 10885 has 4 Helpful votes.
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
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Comments	This was my 12th trip to the Revillagigedos Archipelago aboard a Nautilus fleet vessel. This trip was a board the Belle Amie (NBA). The NBA is a very spacious live aboard vessel but it also takes many divers. This trip we had 30 divers. In spite of the crew's best efforts to not overload the dive sights with divers, there were occasions when it was very difficult to not have divers or bubbles or both in your photo. The divers were divided into 4 groups of 7 or 8 divers and put in the water at about 10 minute intervals. This procedure was effective for most dives. Most of the diving is from Zodiacs except for a few dives at The Canyon at San Benedicto Island. We spent the 1st day here and did 4 dives, which is 2 more than usual. This is an OK dive site but not one that warrants 4 dives. The better dive site is The Boiler where mantas and dolphins are pretty much guaranteed. We spent the 2nd dive day at this site with some great encounters with the marine life. The 3rd dive day was spent at Roca Partida, which can be very good or just OK. This trip it was just OK. There were not mantas or dolphins and minimal sharks other than whitetips, which are always in abundance. The 4th dive day was spent at Cabo Pierce on Socorro Island. Here we encountered a ripping current with rather poor visibility. Again, this dive site can either be really awesome or just OK. This trip it wasn't even just OK. So for the 5th dive day we headed back to San Benedicto Island and did 4 dives at The Boiler with more manta and dolphin encounters. The dive operation is well managed with DM's who really know what they are doing. This trip there were 5 DM's. There is a real emphasis put on safety, which on this trip was well warranted due to the high seas and big swells. These conditions made it quite challenging boarding the dive skiff with a tank on then takin the gear off in the water before getting back in the skiff after the dive and then getting out of the skiff after it was back at the NBA. With both the big boat and the skiff swaying and lurching, one had to be quite careful. I had a cabin designed for a single diver. It was quite spacious with plenty of room for bags, clothes, gear, etc. It has easy access to electrical outlets that are 110. The food is plentiful with most meals served buffet style. The serving area can become quite congested so best to get in line early or just wait awhile. The food was pretty good but not as tasty as on my previous trips. The boat was a well stocked bar (wine, beer, spirits). On most evenings, one of the crew would make a presentation on the marine life present at RA. These were informative but on some evenings its nice to just chill out. The boat was a spacious area for cameras with 3 tables with plenty of outlets for battery charging. One table has an air hose. The Nautilus operation has a hospitality area at the Tesoro Hotel at the Los Cabos Marina. Here one can store bags, relax and use free WIFI. There are several restaurant nearby for getting a bite to eat before boarding the vessel. It's also a place to hang out before heading to the airport at the end of the trip. I would like to thank Mike Lever, the owner of the Nautilus fleet, for recognizing my steady patronage by enhancing my cabin with a bottle of wine, wine glasses and a very nice fruit platter. Such recognition of repeat customers is effective. I am booked on the Nautilus Explorer for next February.
Websites	Nautilus Explorer
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	All over the Caribbean; Galapagos, Socorro, Fiji, Solomons, GBR, Vanuatu, PNG, Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Yap, Kosrae
Closest Airport	Los Cabos	Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, rainy, cloudy	Seas	choppy, surge, currents
Water Temp	75-77°F / 24-25°C	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	40-80 Ft/ 12-24 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	No Deco and 1 hour dives; Do not go "Blue"
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	Squadrons
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Great place for wide-angle photography of large pelagic -- manta rays, various species of sharks, large schools of jacks and bottlenose dolphins. Spacious camera table area.

Report currently has 4 Helpful votes

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Dive Review of Nautilus Explorer in Mexico (Western)

Nautilus Explorer: "Rough Seas Made for Tough Diving", Mar, 2019,

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)