Nautilus Explorer Liveaboard

Three of us ladies took a trip of a lifetime in December. The Tiburon was very luxurious and was a great spot to observe the mountains and sea around the island. When we arrived, before we could even get unpacked, orcas were swimming around the yacht! We hopped in tenders to see them even closer. What a way to get pumped for the trip. The next day we got to experience our first day of diving nearby. The water was warmer than I expected and very clear. We saw clusters of whitetip sharks resting here and there, along with the Pacific fauna we are not used to. Our trip included Darwin Arch and Wolf Island, so we had two nights of 200-mile voyages. We were in the lower rooms, and the waves were large enough that we watched bioluminescent plankton "flow" by the windows. It was awe-inspiring. The hammerheads at Wolf Island showed up like clockwork, and we were there to witness it. Divers were nestled in rocks as the sharks amassed beside us slowly against the current. Every now and then one would swim right over us, so we got good chances for photos. The dives were varied, ranging from sharks to corals of every color. Water visibility was good, and we wore 5mm wetsuits. The underwater landscape and creatures were more beautiful than I expected. The Tiburon liveaboard was all one could ask for: a friendly, attentive crew; great food in beautiful surroundings; top-notch dive tanks and dive deck; spacious and modern rooms with comfy mattresses and linens. The captain stopped mid-trip coming back from the northern islands and bought fresh tuna from a fisherman—the chef used it to make sashimi and sushi for an "equator crossing party." It has been a difficult year for Ecuador, yet our crew gave us their all in attention and detail. P.S.: I must mention the nice little boutique we stayed at in Puerto Ayora before the trip—La Isla. It was convenient, lovely, and very comfortable. It is family-owned and new. The best ceviche I have ever eaten.

Had a fantastic 9day live aboard trip to Socorro Islands in June 2023.This is our second trip on Nautilus Explorer. We very much like the boat and crew.Food was amazing throughout, sadly we both put on weight it was so good!!The dive facilities and organisation of dives is truly impressive.The sea life was as we had hoped for. Mantas, and 8 different species of shark, schools of tuna and many more species, even Nudibranch.This trip we booked the premium cabin, super luxurious and great panoramic view out the huge window.Can’t recommend this boat and amazing crew enough.

I bought my Mum a trip on Nautilus’ liveaboard for her birthday, as soon we showed up in Mexico they helped us through every stage. They offered a free checkout dive package for us right there before we got on the boat, it was a great way to knock the dust off since it had been a few months. The trip itself was awesome, sea lions, manta rays, and so many fish! We even got a surprise with two schools of hammerheads! The best part was how relaxing the crew made the trip, my mum describes the week as “truly magical” and it really was great.

This trip to Guadalupe Island is what I wanted to take but never thought I would. I love sharks and this is an expensive trip. The opportunity came up and I got to go. I was a little worried that the chance of seeing this massive sharks was going to be a little bit of hype. When we arrived on site it took a few hours of slapping the water but when they came they did not stop. I was amazed at the constant arrival of beautiful animals This was for me one of my most memorable experiences.Besides the outrageous animal experience the boat, crew and accommodations were also top notch. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this trip to anyone that loves big fish and good people. The crew were amazing and did whatever it took to make everyone happy. There were a bunch of smiling faces when we landed back in port.Regards,Jason

The Nautilus fleet (I've been on both Explorer and Undersea) is top notch. The crew is incredibly friendly and entertaining, they keep their guests safe and the food is amazing. Admittedly some of the rooms can feel a little small but its really not a problem since the only time you're really in them is to sleep and the beds are comfortable. The boat itself is spacious, has plenty of camera space and of course, the crew puts you on the Great Whites. There are no words to accurately describe Great White Sharks. They are incredible, beautiful, powerful and graceful. There is no other feeling like having one of these giant sharks swim by and lock eyes with you as it passes.

I went to Guadalupe on the Nautilus Explorer in September 2015. Overall, it was excellent.Food: We had all types of food allergies on our trip (gluten, dairy, eggs, etc.) and everyone was well accommodated, and the chef paid very close attention to cross contamination. The food consisted of a continental breakfast, full cooked breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Everything was delicious and there was plenty available. It was some of the best food I've had on a liveaboard.Cabins: I like the fact that the double cabins are side by side beds, not bunks. There's plenty of storage space. By comparison to most other liveaboards, the cabin are a decent size. The shower always had hot water and strong water pressure. The toilet was a real toilet (like you'd find in your house), not a marine toilet. The only complaint I have about the cabins (and why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5) is because the mattresses are really hard. However, I was told that you can ask them to put a comforter between the fitted sheet and the mattress, which would help.Crew: Stellar. Every one of them. The hostesses are always around to bring you a drink, snack, or whatever you need. The crew will bend over backwards to ensure you have an amazing trip.Diving: Great white sharks - what's not to love?!? Nautilus Explorer runs an on-time and efficient dive schedule for the submersible cages. The guys on deck are always available to help you don weights or get in/out of the surface cages.Overall, I was very impressed with this boat and I'm already scheduled to go on Nautilus Explorer again next year.

I went on the Nautilus Explorer for a trip to Guadalupe Island to photograph Great White Sharks. This had been on my bucket list for awhile, and it exceeded my expectations. Despite the long crossing from Ensenada to Guadalupe Island, the trip was well worth it. Seeing the sharks up close and personal was incredible. We had multiple sharks around the cages at all times, which made for great photography. We also had a few visits from seals (including one adventurous seal who chased and nipped at the sharks) and one encounter with a massive school of yellowfin tuna. However, the main attraction at Guadalupe Island is great white sharks. If you are expecting a diversity of wildlife at Guadalupe Island, I would probably suggest going elsewhere. However, if you want to view great whites in good visibility (visibility was consistently 100 ft+), I'd highly recommend Guadalupe Island.The Nautilus Explorer was the perfect vessel for this trip. The staff is incredibly friendly, the food is great, the rooms are big (especially the master suite, but all rooms were quite nice for a liveaboard), the hot tub is WONDERFUL and the diving is incredibly easy. There are 4 cages on the Nautilus Explorer: two deep cages (40 feet deep), one medium cage (18 feet) and one surface cage. The two shallow cages are always open for divers (first come, first serve), and the two deep cages have schedules that allow for equal viewing among all divers. Shifts in the deep cages are 40 minutes and the time absolutely flies by.The other nice thing about diving Guadalupe Island on the Nautilus Explorer is that you don't need your Scuba gear. Air is provided from the surface, so you just need a wetsuit and mask.I would love to go back on the Nautilus Explorer for any of their trips, whether it is back to Guadalupe, the Sea of Cortez, or the Socorro Islands. And for those looking to see or photograph Great Whites, a trip to Guadalupe is a must, especially for those living in the United States. It's way easier to get to San Diego/Ensenada than Australia or South Africa.

I have taken two trips with the Nautilus Explorer and both were incredible. The first was to Guadalupe for the Great White Shark cage dive and the second to Socorro Island. While very different dive trips the service and food was equally amazing. The staff on the boat assists with everything you need. Preparation and break down of gear between dives, coffee, tea or hot chocolate as you exit the water and very good food during and between meals. The team of people working are incredible friendly and customer service oriented which makes for a great time while at sea.The shark dive was all that you hope it will be. I went in August of 2011 and was amazed at the size, grace and curiosity of the animals. The visibility was in excess of 100 feet making for excellent photographic opportunities. We saw sharks on every dive and could not stay out of the water.The Socorro trip is the best dive vacation I have taken to date and I went on the January 2013 excursion. The diversity of sea life and close interaction cannot be described. Giant Mantas, Hammerhead sharks, Dolphins became "common" and regular sitings of whales and their calfs were "commonplace". Coupling these experiences with top notch dive masters made the trip phenomenal.They offer trips to other locations and I can't wait to work them into my schedule.

I took the Nautilus Explorer to Socorro in November 2021. The crew was very good; however, I was not as impressed with the dive masters. They seemed to push the envelope and had us swimming against the current a lot. One dive master swam off and left half the group on one dive! A couple of the guest were very upset with the dive masters! The boat was very comfortable! The food was good. I stayed in one of the cabins for a single occupant. I found it to be wonderful! The bed was the BEST bed I have ever slept in on a liveaboard! I especially liked the night snorkel with the Silky Sharks! That was a lot of fun. One of the crew stood on the stern with a loudspeaker yelling when the sharks would come toward the back of the boat where the snorkelers were. It was a festive atmosphere! Despite not being impressed with the dive masters, I would go back on the Nautilus Explorer again! Sorry, but my photos are too large to download.

Trip dates, price & live availability

16 APR

8 nights

11/25 spots

$3,512

16

APR

$3,512

2 MAY

8 nights

11/25 spots

$3,512

2

MAY

$3,512

10 MAY

8 nights

16/25 spots

$3,512

10

MAY

$3,512

18 MAY

8 nights

14/25 spots

$3,512

18

MAY

$3,512

3 JUN

8 nights

22/25 spots

$3,407

3

JUN

$3,407

11 JUN

8 nights

22/25 spots

$3,407

11

JUN

$3,407

19 JUN

8 nights

25/25 spots

$3,407

19

JUN

$3,407

27 JUN

8 nights

25/25 spots

$3,407

27

JUN

$3,407

5 JUL

10 nights

23/25 spots

$3,879

5

JUL

$3,879

15 SEP

5 nights

25/25 spots

$1,989

15

SEP

$1,989

20 SEP

7 nights

8/25 spots

$2,934

20

SEP

$2,934

27 SEP

7 nights