Everything started with watching hurricane Celia and wondering if we would even have a trip. Luckily, Celia only cost us a slightly delayed departure and a rougher than usual crossing. I had been to the archipelago once before (Nautilus Explorer, 4/2021) so I had an idea of what to expect, but we were a little unsure how following a hurricane would affect the wildlife and the diving.
It’s hard to single out highlights from the trip. Curious mantas were circling our group for what seemed like forever, playful dolphins swarming us and getting so close my wide-angle GoPro couldn’t keep up. A tiger shark at Canyon! Sure, there were dozens of Silvertips and some big Galapagos sharks, but when a tiger shows up, that’s all you can talk about. There’s no such thing as a quiet dive at Roca, but throw in a whale shark and a dozen dolphins and it’s hard to get out of the water.
The dive crew is fantastic. They give us fun information about the archipelago and wildlife, fill our tanks, guide us underwater, drop us off and pick us up with the zodiacs, haul our gear around, and generally take care of any need we have on or under the water. Pascal, Ivan, Pablo, and Mari are particularly dear to us since they took care of us underwater and Pablo was with us for some of the most incredible diving experiences I’ve ever had.
Once off the zodiac, there is Alice or Erica waiting with a hot drink (or a cold beer after the last dive of the day). Delicious and plentiful food makes four dives a day possible and the chefs worked magic keeping us fed with nicely varied meals. Any need, from a cappuccino in the morning to an anti-nausea pill for some rough sea, Alice and Erica took perfect care of us on the boat.
Revillagigedo is an incredible and beautiful place to dive, and Nautilus makes it fun and easy to enjoy everything it offers. 10/10, will be back for more.
- Nate Lipscy onboard the Nautilus Belle Amie
