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Giants Manta Wings Waving Goodbye – Great White Shark Teeth Grinning Hello! From Socorro to Guadalupe.

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
Divemaster Dan here.  Writing from Vancouver, British Columbia where I left the warm water and wonderful pelagics behind for “doing time” in the office (it’s actually really easy – I just talk to  people all day about how cool it is to have a staring contest with a Great White Shark from only 4 feet away, or what it feels like to ‘dance’ with a Manta Ray)!
So I haven’t posted in a while and I thought I’d drop by with a little note to update everyone on some of the very exciting things happening on the Nautilus Explorer.
The Socorro season ended well.  The last trip combined diving the Revillagigedo Islands (Socorro) where all our favorite friends came out to say good bye – Dolphins, Hammerhead Sharks, Whale Sharks and of course the Giant Mantas (check out the pictures below) – and the Sea of Cortez, where we were reminded of just how much Baja, Mexico has to offer: Sea Lions were the most welcoming – maybe TOO welcoming (next time you see hostess Ashley, ask her about her new camera being a sea lion’s snack!), octopus, stingrays and the photographer’s favorite macro subjects: Nudibranchs and Seahorses!
So what now? Well as I type this, one of the largest crews we’ve ever had onboard (about 25 people) are all hard at work finishing up a huge overhaul on the boat in Ensenada.  You, our guests, have made your suggestions and comments over the years and we have listened.  The next time you see the Nautilus Explorer you will find a brand new head on the dive deck.  So no more how-fast-can-I-rip-my-wetsuit-off dances to get down to your cabin head in time! We have also done away with our dorms.  Instead we have converted one of our staterooms into a triple occupancy room with full air-conditioning and an en suite bathroom for more privacy and comfort.  If you already have a booking in the old dorm, no worries, you will be upgraded to the triple at no additional cost.
And the big change that is going to have everyone talking:  Two new luxury, high-end suites added to our hot tub deck.  The new Dofleini suite has all the comfort and space of the Nautilus and Rosario suites.  Then there is the brand new Emerald suite, our premium accommodation with “all the fixings”.  A very private bedroom with a queen size Simmons Beauty rest mattress with pocket coils for ultimate comfort.  Two plasma TVs; one in the bedroom and the other in the Emerald suite`s private lounge.  Also in the lounge is a futon providing additional sleeping space.  Sitting on this couch you can look out of the suites window and enjoy spectacular views of the ocean and islands.
We have also dropped our single occupancy rates as we know for some folks, having a little more space and privacy is very important.  Give us a call or send an email and we will be happy to tell you about out different rates.
If you are on our email list, keep an eye out for our latest newsletter, hot of the press.  It will have more details on the new layout and some great photos and diagrams too.  If you are not on the email list and want to be, go to our website www.nautilusexplorer.com and feel free to sign up.  Otherwise, just drop us an email or phone and we will be happy to add you to the list.
Also we are thrilled to announce that our Grand Prize draw for all 50/50 entrants has been made and the winners will all be announced in the upcoming Newsletter.  We have given away over 25 great prizes including a free trip to Guadalupe or Socorro, pay for one and your friend comes free and lots of free upgrades and free rentals and your bar-tab paid for etc…So be sure to check that out!
Thank you for all your support of our conservation efforts in Socorro and Guadalupe.  Together, we have raised over $140,000 dollars!  Find more details on that in the newsletter.
And after the refit is done?  We have a few Channel Islands trips and then it’s all about Guadalupe.  Here we go again! 102 different sharks and counting.  We are all looking forward to seeing some of our favorites like Stumpy, Bruce, Chica and Shredder.  And of course we hope to make a few new friends this season.  We have had a lot of bookings and the season is filling up fast.  However, its not too late to snag the Emerald suite or maybe get a last minute berth in the new triple stateroom.  Please send us an email, call us or check out the website for detailed information on availability and schedules.
Well that is it for me.  I better get back to work here!  Enjoy the photos (my favorite is the one of the crew making the end-of-season, celebratory leap off the back of the boat!)
Dan

Thanks to DM Peter Schalkwijk, Captain Gordon Kipp and Jacqueline Weideli for the photos.

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Posted in Animals, British Columbia, Captains Log, Channel Islands, Destinations, Ensenada, Giant Mantas, Great White Shark, Guadalupe Island, Hammerhead shark, Manta, Nautilus Explorer, Revillagigedos, Socorro, Socorro Island, Whalesharks, dolphin, mexico, nudibranch | No Comments »

From Socorro to the Sea of Cortez we saw it all :: from seahorses to mantas, sharks, sea lions and even nudibranchs — dive guide and first mate blog – June 9, 2010

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

From South to North, Big and Small, We saw it all: Sea Horses, Mantas, Sharks, Sea Lions and Nudibranchs.

Let us remember back a few days to those spectacular dives at Socorro where we left you off with our last Dive-Master Log. Our cruise North into the Sea of Cortez, was very smooth until we got close to the southern Baja peninsula where different currents and winds meet. There, for a few hours, the going got rough but once we made it into the Gulf of California it smoothed back down, allowing us a good nights rest before our first dive in our new enviroment. Being only a couple of hundred miles north you would expect similar conditions, but that is absolutely not the case. The Sea of Cortez is colder and this time of year there is a lot of algae and plankton in the water making the visibility somewhat limited. But, with so much food in the water you also have a lot of life.

Our first dive in this area was on the southern tip of Cerralvo island, a site I don’t have the luxury of visiting very often due to it being a little to far to visit from La Paz where I have lived for the past ten years. This site is Spectacular!! It is a long shallow ridge that is covered in very healthy coral that makes a labyrinthine maze ideal habitat for all kinds of animals including a small colony of California Sea Lions and plenty of grunts, goatfish and barber-fish.  In the afternoon we did a couple of dives at La Reina reef, which like always, lived up to its name of Queen of reefs. There were Sea Lions on the Rock and all kinds of beautiful life in the water. Jessie (DM) had told everybody in the briefing that this was a good site to search for sea horses and true enough, a yellow and an orange sea horse were spotted.

The following day we did an early dive at the Salvatierra, an old ferry boat wreck that sunk in 1975 and is now nearly totally destroyed but still makes for an interesting dive. Midday we went on a quest to El Mogote to see if we could find a Whale Shark to snorkel with. Unfortunately after two hours of careful searching we came out empty handed, they just didn’t want to be found!  We Spent the afternoon at Suwani Reef diving with huge schools of spot tail grunts, barracudas, goat fish and scads, but my highlight of the day was a pair of Cortez stingrays that one of the guests spotted. The male stingray held on to the female so hard that when she swam away he just stayed stuck. We did a night dive here too which was calm and beautiful.

Yesterday we began the day diving at Fang Ming Wreck and then spent the rest of the day at Los Islotes, probably the most famous dive site in the area due to the permanent colony of California Sea Lions that lives there. Everybody spent most of the day enjoying the magnificent show that these animals always provide.  This Morning we did our two last dives of this magnificent trip again in La Reina with the Se Lions and the Sea Horses, before motoring back towards Cabo, where tomorrow morning this chapter of the adventures of the Nautilus Explorer will come to a happy end. I believe everybody will leave with a smile on their face and a warm heart because of the beauty and greatness of these waters!

Surface Conditions: Windy and cool in the morning developing into a very hot calm mid-day and cool breezy afternoon. A few small swells less than a foot in the morning with calm waters the rest of the time.

Underwater Conditions: The visibility was somewhat limited at between 60ft in the best dive site, and 25ft in the worst case. Temperature was quite cool between 71F and 73F. There was no current most of the time and when we did encounter one, it was very mild and totally negotiable.

DM Peter

Greetings,  Well here we are, at the end of another successful season of diving at the Revillagigedo (Socorro) islands and the Sea of Cortez. And what a season it has been! I’ve been on board since the middle of February, and it was intriguing to witness the dynamism of the environment evinced in my 10 trips this season.

During the winter months, we were graced with the presence of the seasonal visitors to the islands, the humpback whales. These beautiful animals provided a constant source of fascination from the surface, and an unending hope that maybe we might be one of the lucky ones to see them under water! Ah, but huge and majestic as they may be, they can be frustratingly coy. Still, although the chances may be hit and miss, we were blessed with a few magical encounters.

As the months rolled on, temperature and humidity rose, bringing with it more energy to the above water conditions, characterized by more rapidly changing wind and sea states. It also brought an end to the humpback whale season, but as we bade farewell to the whales, so we gave welcome to the sea lions and fish-filled reefs of the Sea of Cortez!

It’s always nice to shake up the routine a bit, and I very much enjoyed the chance to be onboard for our “combo” trips between Socorro and the calm, beautiful scenery of the waters surrounding La Paz, Mexico.  But amongst all that diversity, all the different experiences that touch our trips in one way or another, there was always one constant to look forward to: the eerie, strangely intelligent, curious, and stunningly beautiful giant manta rays.

Leaving the Socorro islands at the end of a season (and our more seasoned clients may attest to this as well) can feel like saying adieu to old friends, and although I may have been working in these islands for the better part of 4 years, I never fail to be touched by the chance to see the mantas.  I could go on – the scalloped hammerhead, silky, Galapagos, silvertip, white tip, and even whale sharks; the bottle nose dolphins, the false killer whales, and pilot whales; the turtles and moray eels; the schooling yellowfin tuna, wahoo, and jacks; and the abundant populations of reef fish. But to do it all justice would require more space than I have here. Suffice it to say I’ve found there’s something for everyone who is enamoured with the natural world.

Time to go now – there’s always work to be done!  Even on my birthday, which was celebrated in fine style by being serenaded by our recent group of German guests! Our chef Juan Carlos even fattened me up with a delicious birthday cake.  Until next season Socorro, vaya con Dios. Next up, Guadalupe and the great white sharks!

Sandy Curtis,   First Mate,   Nautilus Explorer

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Posted in Animals, California Sealions, Captains Log, Destinations, El Mogote, False killer whales, Galapagos Shark, Giant Mantas, Humpback Whale, Nautilus Explorer, Nudibranch, Revillagigedos, Salvatierra, Sea of Cortez, Silky Sharks, Socorro, Tuna, Whalesharks, sealions, shark, stingray, whitetip reef shark | No Comments »

The old salty dogs back in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia would think I was crazy for diving with sharks and manta rays – captain’s Log – June 5, 2010

Sunday, June 6th, 2010

The romance of the sea takes on a whole new meaning when you get to not only sail the high seas, but also dive them. Especially when that diving involves a very personal interaction with very large, wild animals! Our final expedition of the season to the magical Islands of the Socorros had plenty of that interaction for everyone, guests and crew alike. I personally had one of my best dives ever, at the incomparable Roca Partida. There I spent a 45 minute dive alone in the company of a beautiful 9 meter whaleshark. So close you could touch her, so big you felt like you were swimming next to some pre-historic animal from a time long before your own. And the Giant Pacific Manta Rays, here for our last trip in the numbers we always hope for. 4 and 5 at a time circling the divers, in the beautiful clear, blue water surrounding the Boiler, spending not just 1 dive but the entire day with us, as they did with us the previous two days at Pta Tosca. Nothing else in the sea moves like a Giant Manta, an animal so big but moving as if you are watching it in slow motion. Probably all the old salty dogs back in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia would think I was crazy for diving with sharks and rays. They mostly prefer to stay on the boat, in the dry wheelhouse preferably, but of course all us divers know the truth. Mind you there is a lot to be said for a hot cup of coffee in a dry wheelhouse, the other reason why I love my job.

Talk at ya next time from the Sea of Cortez,

Captain Gordon Kipp

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Posted in Captains Log, Giant Mantas, Punta Tosca, Revillagigedos, Roca Partida, Socorro, Whalesharks | No Comments »

Log from Socorro Island – Silvia – our most famous hostess – goes diving with a friendly whaleshark at Roca Partida. SUPER HERMOSA!! May 31, 2010

Monday, May 31st, 2010

Yesterday we left the marina at Cabo San Lucas for our final Socorro Islands trip of the season, another 12 day expedition which will end with 4 days of diving in the Sea of Cortez. All was calm and serene as we pulled away from the dock and I was anticipating a relatively smooth 220 nautical mile crossing south to the Revillagigedo Islands (Socorro). As I turned south and left the protection of the cape, however, a very stiff 25 kt wind hit us beam on and decided to make a liar out of me. Often times off of Cabo San Lucas we do experience strong winds created by the local effects of the peninsula which are not in the forecast. Yesterday these winds made for a crossing that wasn’t quite as comfortable as I had hoped and we did have a few guests who were a little green in the face. It’s really unusual to have bigger seas 2 trips in a row as the pacific ocean is usually quite benign in these latitudes. It’s not unusual to get up to 2 weeks of calm seas. The wind did drop off as we got further from Cabo and the ride improved throughout the crossing.

On approaching Isla San Benedicto we had a great performance off the bow from our resident bottle-nose dolphins and the sea smoothed out nicely upon arriving at our sheltered anchorage and first dive site, ‘the Canyon’. Conditions at the Canyon had improved since our last trip here, with visibility around 60 ft (18m) on dive 1 and a mild current. I’m hoping that it will get back up to 100 feet of blue water within the next couple of days. The hammerhead shark cleaning stations that make this divesite so good were, unfortunately, clean of hammerheads, but were alive and quite beautiful with a lot of colorful fish. Schools of Jacks and tuna were in the area as well as a lone silver-tip shark, who was our only ‘big’ animal spotted here today. Dive two was more of the same but with reduced visibility and a moderate current flowing through the site. So, a relatively quiet start to this one, but with Roca Partida coming up tomorrow and the next day I am anticipating a much more exciting read for you on my next log. Divemaster Jessie has promised us to do her shark dance in the morning which she assures us definitely might work ;)

Captain Gordon Kipp

Surface conditions: Winds around 10-15 kts on location with up to 25 kts on the crossing, seas 1-2 ft on location with swell 5-8 ft on the crossing, today mostly cloudy with some sunny periods, air temps a little cool at 72F (22C)

Diving conditions: Visibility 20-60ft (6-18m), current mild to moderate, water temp 75F (24C)

As the sun sets today in a glorious riot of colour and the ship rocks gently in the swells, I take a deep breath and look back over the last year. You see, today is my 21st birthday. Achieved my Bridge Watchkeepers Certificate, and took all the relevant safety courses (Marine Emergency Duties, First Aid, etc.). I lived in another city for several months for the first time. And to top it off, I began working on the Nautilus Explorer. Today began much like any other day. Up early enough to see the sunrise, pink and gold fading into a brilliant blue. We were in transit to the Soccoro Islands, so I did a quick walk around to check nothing had come loose with the movement of the boat during the night. We began with a dive briefing, both on safety and on today’s site, the Canyon. This was followed by finishing tank and station set up, which is always a wonderful opportunity to connect with the guests.

We arrived at San Benedicto around 1330-1400, and promptly began discharging guests into the water. The report upon surfacing was great visiblilty, lots of fish, but no mantas. When the guests had cleared the deck, Sandy (the first mate), and I went for a dive. As promised there were lots of fish. Moorish Idols, Jacks and lots of Moray eels. A Mexican Hogfish decided he really liked how my hair looked- he was determined to get a bite. Eventually he went away without mishap. We also saw a silvertip shark!
As this is my first birthday away from home, I anticipated a small amount of homesickness – however the day is always so busy and exciting and so different from home, there really is nothing to remind me that I’m not there. Now time to go eat my birthday cake!

Tess Szostakiwskyj
Deckhand on the Nautilus Explorer April – June 2010

The second day of diving in the Socorro Island, today we are in Roca Partida, this morning we have a big school of dolphins close to the island,and I decide go for one of my last dive of the season, sad because is the last trip of the season, but exacting, because that mean Guadalupe island with the White Great Shark is coming…anyway…the visibility was great!!! no, even after five minutes that I was there a WHALE SHARK show up!!!!! That was really great!!!!!!!!he is being there since the first dive of the morning, I”m glad that I went today because I was thinking go tomorrow,so I say, don’t wait for tomorrow if you can do it today!!!!!!!

The whale shark stay the whole dive, going back and forth, SUPER HERMOSO…. Is so nice to be in his world….can wait for my next dive adventure!!!!!!!

Hostess
Silvia:)

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Posted in Captains Log, Destinations, Jacks, Moray Eel, Revillagigedos, San Benedicto, Sea of Cortez, Socorro, The Canyon, Tuna, Whalesharks, bottlenose dolphin, silvertip reef shark | No Comments »

We finished the day strong with an adrenalin inducing night snorkel with feisty silky sharks – Captain and crew blog – May 23, 2010

Sunday, May 23rd, 2010

The sea state was actually not too bad when I woke up this morning at 0530 for my turn on watch. A fairly long 6-10′ from the NW which we were riding over quite smoothly. I must have done something to upset the ocean G*ds though because around 20 minutes after I stepped onto the bridge the wind started blowing, leading to our present state, with a stiff 20-25 kts from the NW, turning the original long 6-10′ into a choppy 8-12′. Not what I was hoping for on this transit north, but certainly nothing that this ocean going vessel can’t handle, just a little lumpier than our guests were anticipating. After departing Roca Partida we have spent the last three days diving at Isla Socorro and Isla San Benedicto, and have had some superb dives. Pta Tosca on the west side of Socorro delivered a beautiful morning dive with 2 Giant Pacific Mantas spending nearly the entire dive sharing themselves between all of the divers in the water, circling around and overhead, and making eye contact as they cruised by only a few feet away. The afternoon at Pta Tosca was not so hot, with visibility diminishing and our manta pals moving on to other more important things apparently. However we did finish the day strong with an adrenaline inducing night snorkel with around 6-8 feisty silky sharks!

Up next was Cabo Pearce, where we stayed a full day and completed 4 great dives. The day began with an amazing dive featuring 30-50 schooling hammerheads AND 6 Giant Manta Rays, all of which circled closely giving all the divers in the water some great Manta lovin’. Visibility was great at around 80ft/24m and our 6 lovely Mantas stuck around for dives 2 and 3, with at least 4 of them being ‘players’, coming in very close and providing some great interaction. Also had a couple brief dolphin sightings, a couple solitary hammerheads, and a huge school of Bonito that swam by in the blue and seemed to go on and on forever. By dive 4 the current had increased to very strong and the big animals said their goodbyes. We rounded out the Socorro part of our itinerary with a day at San Benedicto. After a very brief and murky dive at the canyon we spent the rest of the day at the Boiler, having some more great Manta interaction, this time with one ‘player’ and one ‘dancer’, one interacting with divers while the other showed off its agility with moves that would have made a stealth bomber look bad. A couple of big Galapagos sharks cruised around on dive 4, eliciting some high fives for our divemasters after the dive!

Now on to the Sea of Cortez. ETA for our first divesite is 0800 tomorrow morning, and we’re all looking forward to the very small seas forecast for the next few days of diving on the east side of Baja California Sur. More to come from the Sea of Cortez.

Captain Gordon Kipp

Surface conditions: Wind moderate (avg 15 kts), sea state at Socorro small to moderate (5-7′ swell), air temp 75-80F, mostly sunny

Diving conditions: Visibility  poor at Canyon (10ft/3m), to excellent at the Boiler (80-100ft/24-30m) and everything in between, water temp 76f, current mild to very strong.

I’m the newest deckhand on board the Nautilus Explorer. I began working here just under a month ago, and every day has been filled with wonderful experiences followed by beautiful sunsets. On my way here I was worried about fitting in with the crew as they are a very close group – almost like family. However, my fears were groundless. As soon as I arrived, they began showing me the ropes (ha!) and were very understanding during my learning curve.

In the past few weeks I have seen all sorts of interesting creatures, both from the surface and underwater. At San Benedito, I saw manta rays and whale sharks from the surface, and a moray eel underwater. At Roca Partida, I watched magnificent frigate birds stealing fish from masked boobies as I waited for the divers to surface. While we were en route to the Nautilus dolphins frolicked in my wake. At Socorro Island I again saw mantas but this time underwater – truly awe-inspiring. We also did a night snorkel with silky sharks, which was incredible. Film doesn’t quite pass on the atavistic shiver when you see a 6 foot shark swimming towards you out of dark sea. Upon leaving the Revillagigedo Archipelago we continued on toward the Sea of Cortez, where I swam with sea lions, and saw vultures and sea hawks circling.

Truly it is a privilege and a pleasure to work here regardless of  the long hours. It is more a way of life then a job.
Thanks for reading!
Tess Szostakiwskyj
Deckhand on the Nautilus Explorer April – June 2010

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Posted in Animals, Baja California, Cabo Pearce, Captains Log, Destinations, Galapagos Shark, Giant Mantas, Nautilus Explorer, Punta Tosca, Revillagigedos, Roca Partida, San Benedicto, Sea of Cortez, Silky Sharks, Socorro, Whalesharks, dolphin, hammerhead, sealions | No Comments »

50 trips to Socorro Island and I still find new experiences above and below the water to take my breath away – First Mate Log – May 17, 2010

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

Good evening! This is first mate Sandy writing, from the beautiful Sea of Cortez near La Paz, Mexico. We have anchored in a small bay on the island of Espiritu Santo for the night, before heading back to the local California sea lion colony, Los Islotes, for some adrenaline-filled diving with some gregarious marine mammals tomorrow morning.  It’s been more than 3 years since I’ve been on a trip to the Sea of Cortez, and there certainly is something magical about it. Some may say that her day is past – that the crowds of pleasure boats and luxury yachts have encroached upon the serenity of the islands, or that the inevitable byproducts of a dramatically increased human presence in Baja California has lead to a negative impact on the local ecosystem – but for anyone whose curiosity may have been piqued by Steinbeck’s classic will still find much to marvel at in the calm, turquoise waters or the stark desert coastline.

It has been my pleasure to work aboard the Nautilus Explorer for more than 4 years now, and although I may be fast approaching 50 completed voyages to the Islas Revillagigedo, Socorro and the Sea of Cortez (in addition to Alaska, the Channel Islands, British Columbia, Clipperton Island, and Isla Guadalupe – phew this boat gets around!), I still find new experiences above and below the water to take my breath away. Diving with giant manta rays, schooling hammerhead sharks, great white sharks, sea lions, dolphins, and humpback whales for many would be more than enough to hold the appeal of a unique job like this for many years, but in addition to all the wonderful natural splendour that we are exposed to in this work, I am also honoured and humbled to have had the opportunity, and the pleasure, of meeting many wonderful and fascinating people, crewmembers and guests alike, from all over the world. To be caught up in a swirl of languages, social backgrounds, political viewpoints (now now, let’s keep it controversy free!!), cultural differences, and unique perspectives, all from the shared common base of a love of the natural world, can be a heady experience and lead to very interesting discoveries about one’s self and the world around us.

Having only recently assumed the role of first mate onboard the Nautilus Explorer, I am enjoying the fresh challenges and learning experiences presented to me in my new capacity, even if I may sometimes complain about having less time in the water! Being involved in the management and planning side to keep an operation like this on an even keel can be quite an interesting adventure. For instance, it wasn’t until recently that I found out that this boat isn’t run on diesel fuel at all. In fact, it’s actually run by a combination of paper, emails, coffee, and checklists. Oh, so many checklists. So many checklists, that we’ve found ourselves having to make checklists for our checklists! Now I wouldn’t go so far as to describe it as Kafka-esque, although sometimes if I’m a little behind, it can certainly feel that way. But hey, that’s why I attended nautical school – to learn how to use a laminator!

The sheer distances and vast differences in cultural regions that we operate in can lead to their own interesting experiences. Around here, just to deal with our day to day work, we all need to speak English, Spanish, Spanglish, Espanglais, Franglish, French, Espancais, Englespanol, and simple pointing and grunting. Hand gestures take on a life of their own. The skill of screaming at people can sometimes be elevated to the status of art.

Boat driving, fixing things that are broken, ordering parts, dealing with bureaucratic paperwork and yelling at contractors can certainly take up a large slice of the workday pie, but whenever we can we all like to find the time to remind ourselves why we do all this in the first place. For me, I usually encounter at least one hour of every trip that brings it home to me why I do what I do. It may be underwater, eye to eye with a giant, beautiful, eerie manta ray. Or it may be on the top deck, on a quiet moonlit night in a secluded anchorage, gazing up at a limitless panoply of stars. Or perhaps it’s that moment of tranquility that occurs just as the last of 24 divers have just jumped off my skiff and dove beneath the surface, leaving only their bubbles breaking the still, dappled surface of a calm day at Cabo Pearce.

It is everyone’s right to complain about their jobs. And I believe that human nature is such that no matter how perfect things can be, someone will find something to complain about, even if they have to make it up. But the moments of magic that occur above and below the surface on every single trip I’ve ever been on are what keep me here, and keep me proud to be involved in such a unique operation such as this. It’s an experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything, and one that will stay with me for the rest of my life. If you don’t believe me, come on board and see for yourself. You won’t regret it.

Sandy Curtis, First Mate, Nautilus Explorer

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Posted in Alaska, Animals, Baja California, British Columbia, Cabo Pearce, California Sealions, Captains Log, Channel Islands, Clipperton Island, Destinations, Giant Mantas, Great White Shark, Guadalupe Island, Hammerhead shark, Humpback Whale, Los Islotes, Nautilus Explorer, Revillagigedos, Sea of Cortez, Socorro, dolphin, mexico | No Comments »

Captain’s log – Duncan the stowaway on our Socorro Island trip. He is a wee bit smaller than a manta. May 16, 2010.

Sunday, May 16th, 2010

Hello,

Much time has passed and great distances sailed this week; From our outbound Cabo San Lucas departure to Socorro Island, we have visited the three islands in the Revillagigedos Group in Latitude 18North, then all the way up to 24North in the Sea of Cortez. An 850 Nautical Mile journey to see everything from our usuals: Manta and Hammerhead sharks to some unusuals: False Killer Whale, California Sealions, Wahoo  -  and a Brown Headed Cowbird.

This Cowbird, which I named ‘Duncan’ (from the celtic for ‘brown headed’) made his presence aboard known on our first day of the Southbound Transit when he flew into the wheelhouse from the deck.

I don’t mind saying that I love birds,  they are my wildlife interests in these voyages. We have great birds in Mexico not seen in Canada, like the Magnificent Frigatebird who has the longest wingspan to body length ratio of any bird and is a near constant companion soaring for hours at our masthead with a momentum matching the ship. And the comical ‘Booby’, one of the only seabirds with forward sited eyes, rather like a human. A bit of a feather brains, these birds populate our foredeck when at anchor and then stare lamely up at the sky without the vaguest clue how to achieve it. Pre-departure, I go forward and gamely pick them up to toss overboard; I once saw one trying to squeeze his seagull sized frame through an aperture in the deck not larger than his body, all the while flapping its wings to reach the sea and sky before him.. and after 10 minutes of trying he made it through.. didn’t think to just fly up?
Cowbird was our mascot. For six days the bird was’ imprisoned’ in the confines of the ship, freedom to wander about but being a landbird, not able to return from sea. Its not uncommon for us to inadvertantly transplant finches and the like from Cabo to Socorro; I find them on the Sundeck under a lounger looking doleful at the cheerless prospect of never seeing land again. The first scent of the islands on the horizon and they break away for them. Not Duncan. He stayed day in and day out and my hopes were in returning him somehow to his home in the Baja. He took our offerings of water and bisquit as he took to our programme of diving; every divetime he would watch the deck activities with interest from his perch above, then with increasing absorbtion he would skitter across the dive deck between the feet of our guests chasing the tiny larval crabs that are washed up on deck.

Duncan was a favorite, by day three he was eating out of our hands and posing for photos with the guests. Unfortunately, we’ll never know how he fared for by the morning of our Northbound transit Duncan was not in his usual places nor did he appear again. A moderate breeze out of the Northwest was giving us gusts to 20 knots and seas to 8 feet.  The only lively seas in our whole voyage. I don’t think a Brown Headed Cowbird can make Baja from over a hundred seamiles out, and athough he was astute enough not to strand himself at the Revillagigedos, I hope he did turn back to Isla San Benedicto to await our return. He was a most welcomed stowaway and I do wish him well.

Captain Marco

Photos supplied by Sten Johannson and Victor Silva – thank you.

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Posted in Animals, Cabo San Lucas, California Sealions, Captains Log, Destinations, Hammerhead shark, Revillagigedos, San Benedicto, Socorro Island, mexico | No Comments »

Return to the Sea of Cortez for some really nice diving brings back memories – dive guide log – 14 MAY 2010

Saturday, May 15th, 2010

So after finishing up last day diving in San Benedicto and Socorro Island with A LOT of hammerhead sharks at the Canyon and actually no big animals at the Boiler we decided to run north to the Sea of Cortez for a couple of days of scuba diving. . We met som decent waves on our way up north that made the activity on board was a litle less then normal. Coming in to Sea of Cortez we met flat sea and started of with a whale shark search bby the mogote, we had 3 whalesharks , but not for so long. So we went up to Swanne reef and did an hour and a half dive on the shallow reef. Playing with a group of california sealions and watching various small neat cleaning stations. Coming from Revillagigedos all the time scanning the blue water for big animals , Sea of Cortez makes a nice change to dig our heads in to the sand and rocks looking at fish beahviour and nudibranchs, kind of contemplation.. well until the sealions comes to bug us!

Ah ! We also watched the bird Cormorant fishing under water. It reminds me of some kind of stressfull cartoon caracter speeding around the rocks after fish.

We ended the first day in the sea of Cortez with a night dive at los Islotes. Great spot to see a lot of stuff coming out at night you would never see at day here. Like the seaslug the sea hare , up to a foot long and having a strange behaviour to stick its head in the but of an other sea hare…The biggest sea hare can get are up to 14 kg!! Even if ours here had just gets up to a kg. The arch gets full of yellow cup corals that blooms and make the walls golden.

Our second day we did two dives at Los islotes, we let our Rebreather divers have the possibilities here to make 3 hour dive if they wanted. It is a good place to do so, as it is easier to  have control watching over the divesite.

Sealions and fish, big groupers in shallow waters. Viz was not the best though.
As a lat dive we steamed down to La Reina and had a bunch of sealions playing around. A lot of  male youngsters now days in the spring that have been chased away from Los Islotes  by the the bigger bulls. A little surprice was to see a orange seahorse hanging hard on a barnacle in a sweeping current.

A nice dive to end the trip with. Actually we had some of our guests that said that the best dive of the trip was the first dive and the last dive.

Surface conditions: Sunny , flat water. 30 C

Underwater conditions: all from 21-25 C 72-76F Calm water except La Reina that was a bit “windy”

Dive guide Sten

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Posted in Animals, Captains Log, Destinations, Hammerhead shark, Los Islotes, Revillagigedos, San Benedicto, Sea of Cortez, Socorro Island, Whalesharks, sealions | No Comments »

Guest blog – May 14, 2010 – Socorro Island – diving with a massive pod of false orcas (with babies).

Friday, May 14th, 2010

I already dove around the world in some of the best dive sites. I found Revillagigedo archipelago truly special as regards the several encounters with the gentle dancers of the sea – the amazing and curious manta rays -, the walls and fights of the yellow fin tuna and the encounters with the dolphins. We also have been blessed because near the islands we can feel wild nature in action: I will never forget the lucky I was with the massive pod of false orcas (with babies) and the nearly 30 silky sharks around our boat (Roca Partida), as well as the jumping of an humpback whale and her baby in a Socorro bay. The hammerhead sharks at San Benedito closed the exciting diving till now. A final word for the amazing crew of Nautilus Explorer: all crew is really very professional and, at the same time, very friendly. One of the best I have ever met…

Marta Chantal Ribeiro, from Porto (do you know Porto wine?), Portugal

Boas,

Daqui Penetra com um relato em directo do Pacifico  .. Mais ums longa travessia ate ao Mar de Cortez, a previsao sao 40 horas em condi;oes nao muito simpaticas, creio que esta tudo um pouco enjoado …. mas enjoos a parte … hoje vi o meu primeiro cardume de martelos a passar me na frente, e qdo digo cardume, falo em 20 e tais tubaroes martelo, a passar a escassos metros de mim … mete respeito.

Ontem fizemos snorkeling com tubarao silky … de noite … boa dose de adrenalina.

Amanha vamos tentar com tubarao baleia e os famosos leoes marinhos.

Bjos para a Weasel e para a Ullecas!!!

Joao Fernandes / Lisboa / Portugal

Oi pessoal !

Pois ca estamos nos, sempre a caminho de um lugar diferente, sempre a aguardar novas bicharadas.
Estamos de saida do Pacifico, rumo ao Mar de Cortez, para mais uma serie de mergulhos. Agorea estamos numa aventura de trinta e tal horas de viagem, com o mar nao tao calmo como seria aconselhavel, mas isso nao nos tira a fome para mais um jantarinho fantatistico.
Por hoje e tudo, da parte do
Quincas e do Ze Fernandes (ZeF) … (que acaba de se baldar para a janta, o malandro)
Beijinhos as nossas queridas (respectivas}, as minhas filhotas Be e Cuca e a Beatriz !!

Joaquim Rocha / Lisboa / Portugal

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Posted in Animals, Destinations, Giant Mantas, Guest Blog, Hammerhead shark, Orca, Revillagigedos, Roca Partida, San Benedicto, Silky Sharks, Socorro | No Comments »

Overly frisky silky sharks & 50 false killer whales show up at Socorro Island. English y Portuguese. May 11, 2010. Guest and Divemaster blog.

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

Today was a bit of a strange day at Roca partida. The direction of the current was a bit unusual in its direction. And the sharks around the rock where fewer then normal. Though we had schools of tousands of yellow fin tunas exploding in all directions when we got in between them. And Whaoos not a couple, not ten but more then 50 maybe even a hundred. To see that many whaoos at the same time is very very rare. We just spotted a few hammerheads and silvertips m but mostly deep.

After the 3td dive when we came back from the dive we spotted false orcas, relative to Pilot whales. So we went in and they came curiously in to us and sonared us and checked us up several times. Big group of them out there maybe a hundred. We had around a 25-30 with us. Suddenly being in the water the zodiak was with us more then 30 very curiouse silky sharks came quickly swimming up to us and stroke just beside our fins. I suddenly noticed that all my guests had got out of the water and sat in the inflateble. Funny I thought they came here to Revillagigedo to see sharks not sitting on the boat… But honestly the silkies where a bit frisky.. One silver tip came up with them as well. Nice to see that many sharks. And great to see the false orcas again, they make a lot of sounds in the water it is that load that you can hear them sitting in the skiff.

An other interessting thing was to see that a bottle nose dolphin was accompanying the pod of the false orcas. And talking about the bottlenose dolphin today we witnessed a single bottle nose dolphin chasing bigeyed jacks , picking one out and sonar it with load sonar making the poor big eyed jack puke up the bait fish, the dolphin takes the fish and let the jack alone. I think it is quiet fantastic.
Good day!

Dive guide

Sten

Surface conditions: Flat sunny  no wind, 27 C

Underwater conditions: Some current, mostly 110 ft Viz temp 75 F 24

Ola manta!!

Estamos em “Roca Partida”, apos 1 serie de 4 mergulhos, com um fundo a 3.500 mts… “Silkies”, atuns gigantes, wahoo’s e … muita alegria, com um servico de bordo fantastico, e uma tripulacao 5 estrelas!! Venham ver, pois vale bem a pena!
Do vosso amigo, que vos estima, e se assina: Quincas.   :-)

Ola pessoal da mergulhacao e nao so…. :-)

Depois de uma viagem de 24 horas de navegacao fizemos a nossa estreia de mergulhos em San Benedicto no spot The Boiler.
Estavam a nossa espera jamantas gigantes e tubarao baleia. Como inicio nao poderia ser melhor.
Com o mar calmissimo fizemos a travessia para Roca Partida onde depois de 4 grandes mergulhos nos encontramos para passar a noite e repetirmos a dose amanha. A comida e o servico sao de excepcao, bem como a tripulacao que alem de ser 5 estrelas tem uma disponibilidade acima de tudo o que seria expectavel. O ambiente nao podia ser melhor e o grupo esta animadissimo.

Vamos agora atacar umas espetadas deliciosas feitas no barbecue de bordo pelo nosso excelente cozinheiro, acompanhadas por um tinto chileno de alto gabarito.

Carlos Ramos

Nao podia ser melhor. Mar calmo, jamantas, tubaroes, jacks, atuns, etc… Muito bom o servico de bordo. Excelente comida, muita atencao de toda a tripulacao, com um cuidado optimo antes e depois do mergulho. Sempre agua e sumos junta da plataforma de mergulho, nao esquecendo a toalhas lavadas para o que o que for necessario. Nos intervalos entre o almoco e o jantar aparece um a tabua de queijos de fazer inveja. Aconselho este destino.

Joao Egreja

Sorriso de orelha a orelha….depois de mais um mergulho em Roca Partida fomos abordados por um cardume de dezenas Falsas Orcas onde apenas alguns tiveram a sorte de saltar para a agua com mascara e barbatanas…mas saimos rapidamente!!! quando demos por nos estamos a ser observados por perto trinta tubaroes silky e silver tip…foi o momento alto.

Rui Martins & Penetra & Carlos Carvalho

Ola PEOPLLE!!!

Daqui Penetra e Rui emitidindo directamente de Roca Partida, depois de 8 excelentes mergulhos vamos levantar ancora e partir para Socorro para mais mantas, tubaroes de todas as especies e feitios, atum gigantes e jacks para todos os gostos.

Esperam nos mais umas valentes milhas com o excelente servico a bordo do Nautilus Explorer, julgamos que viriamos perder uns kilitos, mas afinal sairemos daqui mais anafaditos e provavelmente pagaremos excesso de bagagem, isto se la chegarmos, pois ja nos comentaram que o vulcao esta a fazer das suas.

Amanha chegaremos finalmente a Socorro, motivo principal desta viagem. Grupo excelente e tripulacao 5 estrelas, hoje temos Hula Hula Party, para nos entreter na viagem. Abraco ao Pai ZE e restante familia Martins, e claro para a minha Weasel e a para a Ullecas

Ate amanha!!!

Oi malta, aqui estou eu, de novo, para mais uma mensagem telegrafica. Pois e, mais uma serie de mergulhos em Roca Partida, num azul quase sem fim, com uma visibilidade de mais de 50 mts, atuns, Black Jack’s e silkies de grande porte, e uns bons martelos, embora ao longe. O que nao falha e a comida, que e sempre fantastica e sempre diferente… vou jantar, ate depois!

Quincas

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Posted in False killer whales, Hammerhead shark, Jacks, Revillagigedos, Roca Partida, San Benedicto, Silky Sharks, The Boiler, Tuna, Wahoo, bottlenose dolphin, silvertip reef shark | No Comments »

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