Location: Guadalupe Island, Baja California, Mexico
Loading on board an IMAX 3D camera is no easy task. It takes a lot of pre-planning and a crane. Fortunately, we had both. With the camera safely loaded and the bus on-time from San Diego, the Nautilus Explorer cast off her lines and headed for Guadalupe. Our departure was delayed till noon in order to give the seas a while to calm. It was a good move because as we left port the seas were very manageable. On the transit, a pair of Blue Whales was seen feeding off the port bow. A nice ride overall to the island.
Diving Day 1
Sunrise at sea is a special time, especially when it rises to illuminate an island as unique and ominous as Guadalupe. Motoring along the north east corner of the island, we were given a good look at the cloud forest that is slowly growing back and recovering from the time that the island was covered with goats. As the anchor dropped, the scene was set. The cages were set up and the pool was opened for diving. The film crew went to work right away preparing their gear while the divers all jumped into the stern cages to get the first look at the White Sharks of Guadalupe Island. It took a little while for the action to get started. The first couple submersible cage rotations got a good look at the mackerel, but little else. Then, the action started. First one then another female white shark came in. Towards afternoon, every rotation was coming up with bigger and bigger smiles. Three mid sized white sharks took turns checking out the divers. The film crew, finished with their prep work, craned their massive camera into the cage. We had to modify one of the cages with a larger door and two filming ports for the camera to fit out of. The sharks came in one at a time to check out the new camera. With daylight savings time over, it gets dark a bit earlier. Soon it was near dark and with no light left to film by, everyone came to the surface and called it a day. What a great start to the trip. The conversation over dinner was lively and everyone was looking forward to starting bright and early the next morning.
Weather: Sky Sunny, Wind slight breeze, Swell calm
Water: Visibility 100-120‚ Temperature 67° F
IMAX 3D Comes to Guadalupe
