Nautilus Under Sea

Socorro Islands

The wild, remote and exhilarating Revillagigedo Islands, Mexico are famous for their big animal encounters.

Commonly known as the Socorro - they are located in the Tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean, approximately 400 kilometres south of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, at the tip of the Baja peninsula. Socorro is just one of this group of islands which comprise of San Benedicto, Roca Partida and Clarion.

Socorro is the largest of the four islands and was discovered by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Grijalva in 1533. It has been home to a Mexican Naval Station since 1957.

The area is famous for close encounters with the Giant Pacific manta ray, which can grow to 6.7 metres across. Divers will also see many species of shark and several hammerhead cleaning stations. Whale sharks can be found between November–December and late April–May. 

Pods of wild bottlenose dolphin are encountered on a regular basis, and from January – March the islands are home to a large population of humpback whales that visit the islands to breed and calve. Divers also frequently see extremely large tuna (the world record yellowfin is from these waters), wahoo, large schools of jacks and endemic tropicals found nowhere else in the world.

Best Times to Dive

November to May reflects the Socorro liveaboard safari season. The winter months of late January to early April are the best times to see humpback whales. This is when water temperatures are at their lowest (21 to 23°C). Outside of this time it is likely to be warmer (23 to 26°C) and a better time for manta rays and sharks. This is roughly the November to early January period and most of April and May.

Climate

The climate is tropical subhumid with summer rains throughout the archipelago. Socorro Island also has a tropical semi-dry climate zone and a subtropical subhumid climate zone with occasional summer rains.

When To Go

The Socorro trips are only available from November–May, due to weather conditions.

Water Visibility

The visibility throughout the liveaboard season (November – May) is variable with the lowest visibility occurring during November and December when it can drop from 30–40m to around 15–20m.

Guadalupe

Guadalupe Island is a volcanic island 150 miles off the west coast of Baja California and outperforms every other great white shark destination with shark-seeing consistency and beautiful diving conditions.

PLEASE NOTE: The Guadalupe Marine Park is currently closed, please contact us for alternative options. 

Great white shark encounters at Guadalupe Island are nothing short of spectacular. Guadalupe feels like a remote outpost at the end of the earth, but is actually quite easy to get to. It’s the best destination in the world for calm, clear water and a consistently high probability of multiple shark encounters per day.

The sheer number of animals in the bay is jaw-droppingly amazing. Guests are likely to see two to three on most dives. The bay itself is home to over 200 recognised individuals, ranging from 3.6 to 5.8 metres long! At times, guests have seen as many as nine sharks on one dive—and that’s because Guadalupe is just the sort of place where magic regularly happens in the water.

Unlike traditional shark cages, Nautilus Liveaboards use submersible cages that descend down to nine metres where the sharks naturally congregate. A permitted wrangling platform is also used and action in the surface cages can be just as exciting!

Even the island itself, 290 kilometres from the Mexico coastline, seems magical. The coast of Guadalupe is 40 kilometres of rocky cliffs, but above this is dense forest, giving it the feel of an exotic, South Pacific destination. You can expect between 38 and 46 metres of visibility. You can literally see the sharks come in from beyond the anchor line. Nothing but clear, cobalt blue water.

This experience isn’t limited to advanced divers. You don’t need to be a certified scuba diver to join, although it is recommend that you take a Discover Scuba Diving course prior to your trip, and that you possess a strong in-water comfort.

All certified divers will have the opportunity for a minimum of three dives per day in the submersible cages—and your trip includes the opportunity for unlimited time in the surface cages. Divemasters are in the water during every submersible-cage dive to ensure your safety. The surface cages open at 6.30 am and diving in the submersible cages begins at 8.00am. Both are available until dusk.

The overall aim is to keep guests safe, and also to protect the growing shark population. The dive guides and crew teach and ask for responsible shark interactions that do not impact or change the behaviour of these magnificent animals. Oil, chum or blood is not used. A piece of tuna, wrapped in a burlap sack, is all that the sharks need to know that we have arrived.

These conservation efforts also continue at night when guests kick back in the salon and identify who we spent the day with. Should you realise that you hung out with a great white shark not yet catalogued, yes, the naming rights are all yours!

Itineraries

Please note that liveaboard itineraries can change without notice. The itinerary will depend on several factors including, but not limited to, weather, diving ability of guests & the number of other boats already present at the various dive sites. All dive sites visited are subject to weather conditions and are at the discretion of your dive guides and vessel captain.

Guadalupe Island Liveaboards

For trips to Socorro or the Sea of Cortez, you will need to fly to San Jose del Cabo in Mexico. There are several flight options connecting via Mexico City or the USA and an overnight in either Atlanta, San Francisco or Los Angeles is required. Direct flights to Cabo San Lucas with AeroMexico are also available.