Alaska and British Columbia
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Diving Conditions
Visibility can vary. Some dive sites are virtually always free of plankton blooms and the visibility ranges in 8 - 25 meters. Plankton blooms may affect other sites in which case visibility may be low on the surface but will be always very good underneath (10 - 25 meters). Note that low viz is because of massive upwelling of nutrients which sets out a vast profusion of marine life and that's exactly what makes this place so special. Current can be very strong but dives will only be staged during the slack tide. Current may still run at 1 - 2 knots around slack. All diving is done from a jet- (no props) powered skiff. Water temperature is usually 8 - 9 degrees Celsius, sometimes warmer.
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Diving Experience
Suitable for all divers with good buoyancy skills and drysuit experience. No problem if you are new to a drysuit as long as you take a training course before joining the ship. One of our divemasters will be pleased to accompany any diver looking for a wee bit of assistance. Diving is easily handled from a high-speed 38-foot dive skiff and most sites are within only 3-4 minutes ride. A good dive light is recommended on all dives.
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Sea Conditions
The Nautilus Explorer is a heavy 325-ton stable oceanic vessel and seas in this area are remarkably calm. Days or even weeks may go by without any motion on the ship whatsoever.
There is so much to say about Alaska, but the fact is - we don't know where to even begin! Many people have already heard of the beauty of this magnificent place and that is why they flock to Alaska every summer. But alas - staying above the surface they are bound to see only half of what you will see aboard the Nautilus Explorer. Anyone who has ever considered visiting Alaska should experience this at least once – it is a must-do for all cold-water divers.
How To Get There
Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada) and Seattle (Washington, USA) are both easy to get to with excellent connections from Frankfurt, Paris, and London. Seattle is the gateway to Alaska with multiple daily flights to Ketchikan, Sitka, and Juneau. Depending on the itinerary, trips board in Vancouver, Ketchikan, Sitka or Juneau. Boarding times on trips vary depending on the tides but are generally 7 p.m. in the evening. Still, we recommend arriving one day prior your departure date.
The Trip
Some trips are specialty British Columbia trips to Port Hardy, the Queen Charlotte Islands, or circumnavigations of Vancouver Island. However, most trips are either northbound or southbound Inside Passage trips between Vancouver and Alaska OR intra-Alaska adventures between 2 ports in southeastern Alaska. These are very different trips than anything else we offer and each itinerary and experience is different. Almost all traveling is done at night to maximize your time on-site during the day. Trip lengths vary between 7, 9, 10, 12 and 14 nights. Dives are planned around the slack tides which usually limits us to 3 dives per day. On certain days - i.e., when we spend the day viewing calving glaciers thundering into the water or kayaking around icebergs - there may be no diving at all. Diving and itinerary is subject to Captain Mike's discretion and he promises to do his absolute best to maximize your satisfaction. Safe to say that you will average at least 18 dives on a 10 night trip as well as a LOT of other activities.
What We Say
This is the perfect trip for both divers and non-diving buddies. We promise you scenery that simply defies description and intensely colorful diving. You will very likely see nudibranchs galore, giant kelp forests, humpback whales, orcas, Steller's sea lions, sea otters, bald eagles, grizzly bears, calving glaciers, spawning salmon, incredible waterfalls, natural hot-springs tucked alongside roaring rivers, and more when you are not swimming among icebergs or zodiac kayaking, doing shoreline tours, or building beach bonfires. Need even more? Just come and you will get it.
What People Say
- Saw lots of coral today all over the walls - orange, white, red, pink. There were also tons of nudibranchs. I got a picture today of a sea otter in the foreground, a whale spouting behind it and beautiful snowy mountains in the background. Where else can you see that. (Robbie)
- There wasn’t a highlight for me - the whole week was full of surprises! (Steve)
- Out of nowhere here are these hotsprings... really really hot hot springs!!! (Ben)
- Snorkeling in drysuits at the mouth of the river surrounded by salmon, occasionally poking your head up looking for bears! What a day… (Mark)
- If I ever imagined a dive in Alaska this is exactly how it would have been, seeing all the colors of the underwater world – that’s Alaska!!! (Oleg)
