Destinations

Guadalupe Island

Get out from behind the bars and go diving with great white sharks in 40 feet of clear blue water. Guadalupe Island (Mexico) is the top destination for great white shark encounters. This small volcanic island located in the Pacific 240 kilometers (150 miles) off the west coast of Mexico's Baja California peninsula outperforms both South Africa and Australia with shark-seeing consistency and watching conditions. Only Guadalupe Island can boast shark viewing in one-hundred-twenty-five-foot visibility. The bay where we stage our suspended cage diving operations counts a population of 94 great white sharks, which guarantees unforgettable encounters. The Nautilus Explorer offers convenient evening departures, virtually unlimited diving, the opportunity to watch the great whites out in the open in 40 feet of clear blue water from the top deck of our double-decker suspended cages and all the services of a luxury liveaboard - from gear rental to attentive hostesses and sparkling-clear hot tub.

How To Get There

The boat is stationed in Ensenada (Mexico) and we offer complete round-trip transfers from San Diego (California, USA) or Tijuana (Mexico). The Nautilus Explorer departs in the evening for a 20-hour voyage to Isla Guadalupe, generally arriving the next day at dinner time allowing for a nice restful night's sleep before the action begins the next morning.

The Trip

Regular trip is 5 nights/6 days. Number of shark-dives on the trip is virtually unlimited. On the first morning upon arrival we do warm-up dives and afterwards the pool is always open. Current record is 31.5 hours of cage time over 3 dive days. We also offer 10- and 15-night Guadalupe combo-trips. 10-night trip combines diving with the great white sharks at Guadalupe Island with scuba diving in the giant kelp forests of the California Channel Islands and San Benito Islands and other remote islands on the Pacific side of Baja California. 15-night expedition in November combines Guadalupe and San Benitos with the famous giant mantas and dolphins of Socorro Island.

What We Say

On this trip, we offer a rich and natural experience of shark encounters by using suspended cages to descend down into the shark's world where they prefer to spend their time. We don't need to use chum at depth; the sharks are already there. We have seen up to six great whites at once circling the cage and even bumping up against it in a gentle way. Without chum around they are more relaxed, exhibit MUCH more curiosity, and come in MUCH closer to the cages. Best of all, our cages are "double-deckers," which means you can venture onto the upper deck and outside the bars to truly go face-to-face with great white sharks out in the open. It is an unforgettable rush when a great white looks at you from 50 feet away and then swims over for a very close look!

Diving is done via surface supplied "hookah" with backup dive gear in each cage. Our suspended cages go up and down every 30 minutes. The great whites often follow the suspended cages up to the surface and will hang around providing great viewing from our stationary 3-meter long surface cages tethered off the stern of the Nautilus Explorer.

What People Say

• Our eyes wide, we peered into the deep blue depths. A few minutes later a shadow caught my attention. Slowly, calmly, it approached. 14 feet long, swift, and strong. Face-to-face with a Great White Shark: what a moment! (Laurie)

• Breaching, biting, and burping!!! An incredible day… (David)

• I thought this trip would involve sitting in a cage and seeing the occasional shark but instead it was nonstop action and really exciting… (Linh)

• I knew when I came out with Mike the first time I had to come back. And I have fulfilled that dream. (Dan)

• Just amazing. Could I have dinner in the hot tub please? (Jaclyn)

• Imagine catching sight of a 4-meter white shark just as it enters your range of vision, swimming straight toward you. Now he's only 20 feet away and you drop inside with just your head poking up out of the top of the cage. The shark is now only 10 feet in front of you, and turns just slightly before swimming into the cage, passing literally only a few feet from you, at your exact eye level, looking directly into your eyes. Wow! (Captain Gordon)