The captain and his mates worked very hard searching for the best waters to dive with best vis and calm waters. The first day we had 3 dives and we were 100% dives with the Great White. The 2nd day was 3 for 4 dives with our friends about and some of the best pictures of the trip with a big boy 20 inches from my camera port. Actually had to pull myself back into the cage because he did not seem to stop before hitting my camera and or me.
Imagine coming up from the first dive at 8am, cold, hop into the hot tub to warm up and head for the mess hall and eat eggs benedict. Simply amazing. 1st breakfast, 2nd breakfast, snacks all day long, hot coffee or tea as you escape the cold water.
Outstanding crew who went out of their way to make sure you enjoyed yourself day or night. If you arise before the official coffee at 6:15, there is an expresso maker waiting to grind the beans and serve you great café to start an early day.
www.critter-hunter.smugmug.com
Howdy! Yesterday was my first time diving with great whites. I was the second group in the water on that day, and the previous group had no great whites show up, so I wasn’t too sure what to expect. My father and I got in to the four person cage and began our decent and I started to fiddle with my camera settings, and eventually we reach bottom and I look up and there’s a great white swimming right at me. I was so captivated and awestruck that I forgot to take pictures during this first passing of the great white. But needless to say it was exciting to see the great white and as soon as I snapped to reality I began to take pictures, and they turned out to be great! I found that strobes did not help shooting due to the water clarity problem.
– Timothe Conklin
Today is my second day of diving. I have fine-tuned my camera better to the water, I find the best setting on my Nikon d300 is on manual and a shutter of 1000 and an f stop of 4. I was skunked on two runs in the cage but the first and last dives were good. So far I have not been in a cage where the shark has bumped the cage or bit it at this point is has kept at best a short distance of 3 feet from the cage. We also saw a sea turtle today swimming on the surface. Today was a good day but I hope tomorrow we really see some action.
-Timothé Conklin
Great day to dive. First 2 dives were the best. He came in fast and low as if to catch his prey off guard. Then slowed down to investigate the cages and their occupants. He came close enough to touch my video camera. Best dive yet for me this week and there is more to come.
Roberta Beals
My day was great, it is my first time with the great white shark and it was wonderful it is the best dive yet for me this week and there is more to come.
Gerardo Flores Jr.
This is a great ship to dive from, everyone is primed to please us, good food and sleeping quarters, the hot tub is an awesome way to recharge the body core, food is delicious and talk is always engaging in the ample salon area. This is early in the season for Great Whites so it is a hit or miss on every other dive.
This has been a great bonding experience for my son & I before he heads off to Euorpe for college, we’ll be talking about this experience for a lifetime. Thank you Nautilus Explorer for providing this lifetime memory.
Walt Conklin (Tims Dad)
Day 1: After a good nights rest awoke to sunny skies, calm seas and a slight breeze, a good omen.
Day 2 Saturday Aug 6th: 1st submerged cage dive. Roger, claims I stepped on his hand. Seemed like the cage felt unusually padded. Told him he could not use the first aid kit unless the bone was showing. Glad he did not bring his dive knife. 2nd submerged cage dive of the day. Very active male shark. Good animal interactions with close approaches. Shark came in from a variety of directions and angles.
Surface interval. Warm and cold beverages waiting. Tasty snacks provided by an attentive crew. Missed, official breakfast, no problem. Warm French toast with powdered sugar and syrup waiting.
Surface cage you can’t see anything from there wrong! Sea Lion, turtle, and oh yeah white shark 3 feet away. Shhh don‚t tell anyone, so I can keep the cage to myself.
Bill Malley
I was so captivated and awestruck that I forgot to take pictures during this first passing of the great white. Guadalupe Aug 3rd – 8th 2011
