Bumpy ride home from Socorro and San Benedicto Island with the biggest seas we have seen in many years.

After a bumpy ride back home on the last trip the wind had abated and seas calmed enough to allow for a very pleasant crossing from Cabo San Lucas to our first stop of the Socorro Island, San Benedicto. The seas were rough on the ride in with very unusual weather.  No associated fronts or […]

Read More

A fantastic trip comes to a close but only after seeing Giant Mantas, Hammerhead Sharks , Yellowfin Tuna, White and Silver Tip Sharks and Humpback Whales – Guest Blog – March 10/10

March 10, 2010.  Today is the last day of the cruise, we’re a little sad because it’s finished, but not too much as it was fantastic : Giant Mantas, Hammerhead Sharks , Yellowfin Tuna, White and Silver Tip Sharks, Humpback Whales (on surface, only). That’s for the fishes, I haven’t mentioned the crew, very efficient […]

Read More

Stranded tanker Sichem Osprey refloated after grounding on remote Clipperton Atoll. The French navy reports that the vessel was towed off the barrier reef after lightering soyabean oil, tallow and xylene onto a second tanker. The hull was intact and the 2009-built ship was able to continue on to Mexico without any environmental damage. March 9, 2010.

PHEWWWWWW!!!   We have been feeling sick about this ever since the Sichem Osprey grounded on our favourite atoll on February 10th..  We were especially nervous when the tsumani went through.   Hard to believe that the Eitzen product tanker managed by Glasgow-based V.Ships Shipmanagement  ran onto the island at full speed and I can […]

Read More

3 days of diving at San Benedicto Island before heading out into open ocean for Roca Partida. Guest and Divemaster log – March 7, 2010.

Swam with manta on every dive site, giant manta very friendly…. DAVID SPALDING, KY Aujourd hui, 3eme journee de plongee, San benedicto island sur la chaudiere (the boiler) Le bleu du pacifique n est pas une legende, plongees avec le chant des baleines et le bolchoi des mantas… Antipalier avec les baleines en visuel dans une eau […]

Read More

Diving at Rocal Partida with a Tsunami warning – what it was like. Divemaster Log for 27 – 28 February, 2010.

Location: Roca Partida, Socorro island, Baja California, Mexico Approaching Roca Partida in the morning we got a Tsunami warning via our Inmarsat communicating a earth quake outside of the coast of Chile on a scale of 8.8 We got the information that it would arrive around 1045 AM at our site.  We are in this […]

Read More

14 gold medals for Canada!! Plus chance of a lifetime diving with a humpback whale and calf 2 metres away in over 100 feet of water. Guest log. 28 Feb 2010

The last dive of our Socorro  trip was spectacular: a summary of what we have seen on the trip so far. At 30m a school of hammerhead sharks was waiting for us and on the way down two large silvertip sharks were following us accompanied by rainbow runners. At the same time two silky sharks […]

Read More

We activated our tsunami action plan this morning after the earthquake in Chile. The ship halted dive operations and stayed in deep water > 200 metres until the tsunami passed through the area per the recommendation of NOAA. No discernible tsunami effect was felt or detected on the Nautilus Explorer and we have recommenced normal diving operations.. Interesting times. Guest blog following. 27 FEB 2010.

Before this trip, I have only seen giant manta from the distance and very shy. Now I know that they like to play, seem to be ticklish from our air bubbles and enjoy our company. You feel like being their entertainment, not the other way round. In africa you go on a safari and watch […]

Read More