Whether you are diving off the Nautilus Explorer or the Nautilus Gallant Lady, the experience that you will get being up close with marine life from the depths of the Pacific Ocean can never be replicated in your life.
You might have been on many liveaboards around the world but it is unlikely that you will get crew and support staff that is more hard-working, kind, and joyful with the professional expertise to make every dive a memorable experience. Everyone has multiple jobs to ensure your safety and comfort; you will never see them sit around without anything to do. The food on the boat is plenty and so, so good – they offer local dishes as well as Western fusion cuisine and therefore there is never a dull moment when you sit down for meals.
Amazing Dives with the Nautilus Explorer at Revillagigedo Archipelago
The Revillagigedo Archipelago is one of the best diving sites in the world and as it should be, we had a fantastic time diving with Nautilus Explorer. Nowhere else in the world will you have such close encounters with oceanic mantas. They are extremely friendly and actively socialize with divers. Despite Revillagigedo not being the most sharky destination, you still get to see them on every dive.
The first day of diving here was stunning and started with a bang. The plane spotted a whale shark and we quickly zeroed in on it with the drone. Before getting in the water, I launched the drone and was blown away by the view of the beautiful whale shark. Once in the water, it graced us with a slow pass by and then once again on a second dive. Next up was an amazing bait ball that two sea lions were surrounded in. They danced and twirled around the fish making it a memorable encounter. Glassy conditions finished the day out.
The next morning, we were treated to a huge group of mobula rays that surrounded us from all sides underwater. A mega pod of dolphins was next up on the menu, giving us the most epic experience that we could possibly hope for. It was impressive acrobatics all the way as they gave us the show of a lifetime. The dolphins jumped high into the air, twisted around, and fell with a massive splash. It was the perfect way to end the evening as we enjoyed the unreal glassy water and the gorgeous sunset from aboard the Nautilus Explorer.
Among Fin Whales and Sea Lions from the Nautilus Gallant Lady
It is always a breathtaking experience to be up close and personal with a new species, especially if it is the second-largest animal in the world: the fin whale but what we experienced from diving from the Gallant Lady was incredible.
We had a wonderful day diving in the bay of La Paz and photographing the cow nose ray fevers in the shallows. We then moved on to the sea lion colony of San Fransiquito. The little pups and the big bulls put on quite a show, but we were eager to get up close with something bigger. Little did we know that we were soon to get a sighting that dreams are made of.
We scanned the horizon desperately until the light was getting low. As we headed for the Gallant Lady, a cry went up. “Blow, 3 o’clock!” We turned to see two faint spouts on the horizon. As we got closer, we were able to identify the fins of two fin whales. We immediately launched our drones and in the last light of the day, we saw the beautiful silhouettes of a mother and calf. We were able to keep our eyes on them for several minutes before we were forced to land the drones, but not before being treated to one of the best sunsets any of us had ever seen.
What a wonderful day on the Sea of Cortez.
