Guadalupe Mexico Liveaboards

Guadalupe Mexico Information

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 12 to 19 feet 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 30 feet 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, 180 miles from the Mexico coastline, seems magical. The coast of Guadalupe is 25 miles of rocky cliffs, but above this is dense forest, giving it the feel of an exotic, South Pacific destination. You can expect between 125 and 150 feet 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 6.30am 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 behavior 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

Guadalupe Island Itinerary

When's the best time to dive 

Guadalupe Island trips are only available from July - November when the sharks are in the area. July and August features rowdy gangs of male sharks. Female great whites start showing up in October and November.

What are the diving conditions like in Guadalupe?

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

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.