Nautilus Explorer, Mexico

Name: Ultimate Whale Sharks in the Sea of Cortez (Cabo San Lucas - La Paz)
Start: 2026-09-20
End: 2026-09-27
Location: Mexico

8.8 Fabulous

Nitrox available
Jacuzzi / Hot Tub
En-Suite bathrooms
Aircon Cabins
Non-Diver (Snorkeler) Friendly
Warm Water Showers

from $ 229 / day Check dates

“The scuba diving was some of the best experiences of our diving lives.”
Giancarlo D, United States

Highlights

Dive with giant mantas and humpback whales in Socorro
Constructed with heavy steel and stabilizers for smooth ocean crossings
Certified by Transport Canada as the first and only SOLAS ISM passenger ship with the same safety certificate as the largest cruise ships in the world

Sister ship to the Nautilus Belle Amie, the 35m Nautilus Explorer Liveaboard was custom built for divers to explore the amazing sites of Guadalupe and the Socorro Islands, Mexico. Built by divers, for divers for stability, comfort, and safety, the Nautilus Explorer liveaboard comprises 13 cabins, ranging from a cost-effective mixed-gender triple occupancy stateroom to a luxurious premium suite. On the lower deck are 8 twin/double cabins and 1 triple cabin. The hot tub deck has 3 superior suites and the premium suite, which features a separate lounge and floor-to-ceiling picture window. All cabins are equipped with individually controlled AC and private en-suite bathrooms.

The Nautilus Explorer has many well-designed social areas. There are two upper-floor sun decks and a hot tub deck where guests can relax with a glass of wine or frosty beer under the evening stars. The main salon has large panoramic windows in front of the dive deck. It has couches, a dedicated PC and Mac computer for video editing, and a 42-inch plasma TV. Onboard dining consists of freshly made dishes, including homemade bread, pastries, and soups combining North American, European, and Mexican flavors.

The Nautilus Explorer schedules itineraries to the incredible sites of the Socorro Islands, famous for manta rays, humpback whales, and vast schools of fish. The back of the boat is home to the dive deck, with a 5-ton hydraulic crane, water-level platform, and reinforced steel deck for film and scientific crews. Nitrox is also available for certified divers, and the Nautilus Explorer is rebreather-friendly.

Book your Nautilus Explorer liveaboard today.

Choose your departure date

Date

Itinerary

Price

Select

03 Jun

9 Days / 8 Nights

$ 3,245

FULL

11 Jun

9 Days / 8 Nights

$ 3,245

FULL

19 Jun

9 Days / 8 Nights

$ 3,245

FULL

27 Jun

9 Days / 8 Nights

Male Shared Cabin.

$ 3,245

Select Cabin only 1 space left

05 Jul

11 Days / 10 Nights

$ 3,695

FULL

15 Jul

11 Days / 10 Nights

$ 3,695

Select Cabin only 5 spaces left

25 Jul

11 Days / 10 Nights

$ 3,695

Select Cabin available

04 Aug

6 Days / 5 Nights

Family Fun in the Sun Adventure.

$ 1,895

FULL

25 Aug

6 Days / 5 Nights

$ 1,795

FULL

30 Aug

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 2,545

FULL

06 Sep

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 2,845

Select Cabin only 3 spaces left

13 Sep

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 1,845

FULL

Included: Drinking Water, Soft drinks, Tea & Coffee, Welcome Cocktails, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Special Dinner, Diving Package, Kayaks, Stand Up Paddleboard, Cabin Towels, Complimentary Toiletries, Deck Towels.

Required Extras: 5% VAT, Dive Insurance, National Park Fees (100-172 USD per day), Port Fees (35 USD).

Optional Extras: Gratuities, Hotel Transfer, Alcoholic Beverages, Nitrox (125 USD per trip), Nitrox Course, Private Dive Guide, Rental Gear.

Book now, pay later: You can easily place your booking online. We will then hold the spaces for you and you can confirm with a payment later.

* Extra fees are shown per person.

Pay by bank transfer or online with

Best Price Guaranteed

Boat features

Jacuzzi / Hot Tub
En-Suite bathrooms
Aircon Cabins
Non-Diver (Snorkeler) Friendly
Warm Water Showers
Air Conditioned saloon
Sun Deck
Camera Station
Stand Up Paddleboard
Nearly 1:1 Crew-to-Guest Ratio
Kayaks On-Board
Seaview Cabins
Paid Internet
Non-Smoking Rooms
Camera room
Custom built for diving
Charging stations
Indoor Saloon
Laundry Service
Audio & video entertainment
Observation Deck
BBQ Area
Available for Charter
Local & International Crew
Snorkeling Equipment
Outside Showers
Leisure Deck
Daily housekeeping
Bar

Food & Drinks

Fine Cuisine
Vegan Options
Vegetarian Options
Free Soft Drinks
Beer available
Wine Available
Fine Wines Selection
Welcome Cocktails
Snacks All Day
Buffet style
Western Food
Local Food
Set Menu Dinner

If you have any specific dietary requirements whilst on-board your cruise, you can add this to your special requests on step 2 of the booking form. We advise limiting these requests to religious beliefs or food allergies.

Diving

Nitrox available
Shaded Diving Area
DIN Adaptors
Rebreather Support
Rinse Hoses
Dive deck
Tenders for diving
Sidemount Diving

Languages Spoken

The crew speaks English and Spanish.

Gear Rental

Equipment is available for rent on this boat. Please provide your rental needs on the booking form. If the rental gear is not included in the price, you will need to pay for it on board the boat. Show prices

Drawings & Vessel Layouts

Cabin Types

Boat Specifications

Year built: 2000

Year renovated: 2015

Length: 132 feet

Beam: 27 feet

Cruising speed: 11-12 mph

Max guests: 25

Number of cabins: 13

Tenders: 38' skiff

Water capacity: Unlimited with high capacity watermakers

Freshwater maker: 3600 gallons per day

Boat navigation and safety

Radar
Depth Sounder
GPS
Radio VHF/DSC/SSB
Emergency Rafts
Life Vests
Fire Alarm & Fire Extinguishers
First Aid Kits
Satellite & mobile phones
Crew trained in first aid
Emergency flares

Nautilus Explorer Reviews

8.8 Fabulous

Vessel

8.1
Crew

8.8
Food

9.6
Diving

9.3
Value

8.2

8.8 Fabulous
Jeffrey C
United States

A trip worth taking.
Best crew experience on a liveaboard that I have had. Good diving experience
Recommended for
Fantastic Crew. Good diving. Cleanliness.
18 Jan, 2026

10 Exceptional
Kevin D
Mexico

Best dive trip ever
Incredible wildlife, great food, great cabin
Recommended for
Dive masters, Location, Comfort
17 Dec, 2021

9.2 Superb
Giancarlo D
United States

Great diving and great crew made this an awesome trip
We had such a great trip and all the crew was top notch and very helpful. The scuba diving was some of the best experiences of our diving lives.
Recommended for
Great crew/staff/dive masters. Great diving. Wonderful fellow guests.
28 Jun, 2025

9.2 Superb
Richard W
Austria

Really expensive, but an unforgettable trip
The boat is no longer new, but in perfect condition.... The whole team did an incredible job, and the chef was great and very motivated. The dives themselves were as described by LifeAboard, the absolute highlight were three dives very close to a female humpback whale resting at Roca Partida with her playful baby, who did not let herself be disturbed by the divers - unforgettable!
Recommended for
Dive with Humpback + Baby, countless sharks, and the sight of "Roca Partida"
16 Mar, 2022

Translated from German

9.2 Superb
Sebastián A
Costa Rica

An unforgettable experience in terms of abundance and interaction with marine life
Get to know a unique place in the world, well protected and meet people who share your passion. The food and service of the staff excellent, an unforgettable experience.
Recommended for
1. Abundance of marine fauna. 2. Interaction with marine fauna. 3. Excellent food and staff service.
12 Apr, 2024

Translated from Spanish

10 Exceptional
Victoria S
United States

The trip of a lifetime!
What an absolutely amazing dive trip! Great dive sites, love the dive masters, the crew, captain, and of course, the chef!
Recommended for
Dives, food, and crew
19 Jun, 2023

10 Exceptional
Luciana D
United States

Amazing
The crew was amazing! they truly made us feel special! Great food and service ! the cabin was very comfortable and clean. Bathroom could be bigger but it's a boat so no surprises there. The marine life was outstanding ! Loved every minute and can't wait to go back !!!
Recommended for
the crew, the food, the ship
04 Apr, 2023

9.6 Exceptional
Rita R
United States

Best Trip Ever, and I've been to Australia's Live aboard, it doesn't hold a candle to the Nautilus Explorer. I'm already booking for next year!
Seeing so many beautiful Great White Sharks in one location. I was very pleased with all the staff and services onboard. Captain Lowel, Dulce, Dani, Pato, Steve, and so many more were so welcoming and helpful. Bravo to all the staff on the Nautilus Explorer, and I can't wait to come back again next year. Thank you for a great vacation! Rita Ringle
Recommended for
Non judgemental. Very helpful. Fun Staff
30 Oct, 2018

10 Exceptional
Joanna Z
United States

The fun I needed
I just love diving. Plenty of cool people on the boat. They were divers, of course they were cool! Staff did all they could to make it easy for us. Loved it and ready to go back under now.
Recommended for
4 dives/day. The great staff. Excellent food..
06 Oct, 2025

10 Exceptional
Gina G
United States

Just awesome!
Mantas, whale sharks and the fun spirit of all crew members. Everyone was kind and helpful, food was fabulous, Team Chevron was a perfect fit and and a great time was had by all! Upon our return we signed up for the Guadalupe Great White trip for September - lets do it again!!!
Recommended for
Marine life, crew spirit, service
27 Jun, 2021

96 reviews

8.8 Fabulous
96 Verified Reviews

Sort reviews by:

9.6 Exceptional
Marshall M
United States

Best Liveaboard I've ever done with a crew that I'll stay friends with forever
The crew was so incredibly kind, helpful, and attentive to every little detail and need we had. They went above and beyond on everything we could have ever hoped for!
Recommended for
The crew, the sharks, the food
12 Sep, 2018

10 Exceptional
Daniela S
Germany

Great Trip!
Everything was just great. The crew was amazing. They helped us whenever possible. Food was very delicious. The dives were great. I felt safe all the time. It was an incredible trip and I completely recommend it. Btw, I was traveling by myself and made new friends easily. If you are considering booking a trip on this boat, just book it!
Recommended for
Sharks, crew, food
26 Sep, 2021

9.2 Superb
Ralf E
Switzerland

Unforgettable experience!
Great organization, great crew, very good food, top guides and fantastic dive sites with unforgettable moments with sharks. The manta rays are so numerous and extremely curious.
Recommended for
dive sites and the critters. Crew. Dining on board.
18 Apr, 2025

9.2 Superb
David P
Canada

Great week at Socorro - March 2025!
Great experience. Cruising out and back to the islands were pretty easy. Coming back there was a pretty good swell, but the boat handled it with ease. Destination was gorgeous and we saw everything we hoped to - and more!
Recommended for
Great dive guides - knowledgeable, personable and safety conscious!. The support staff were terrific as well - always friendly and helpful!. Boat was nice and stable both while cruising and when anchored over night..
19 Mar, 2025

9.2 Superb
Vickie B
United States

Hard working & friendly crew made the diving enjoyable; great dive sites.
Excellent overall experience, great dive sites though visibility not always cooperative. Appreciated the photo tips at the dive shop. Dive masters were extremely helpful & crew work very hard!!
Recommended for
Dive team helpfulness. Friendly staff. Great group of staff.
29 Sep, 2025

9.2 Superb
JEESAN O
Canada

My trip and the boat was excellent
My first liveaboard trip and boy it was one for the books. I'll be back.
Recommended for
Diving, crew, food
07 Feb, 2023

9.6 Exceptional
Véronique J
France

Amazing dive trip!!
Thanks to a very good organization, the dives were easy. Everything was up to what you would expect from this place.
Recommended for
Organization. Communication. Security.
25 Mar, 2025

Translated from French

10 Exceptional
Kathryn H
United States

The most amazing diving and the friendliest crew!
I had the most amazing dive trip with the Nautilus explorer! The diving in the Socorros Archipelago is world class and by far the best diving I’ve ever done! I am a dive instructor and have dove thousands of dives but this trip topped them all! We saw manta rays on almost ever dive and several times they swirled around me close enough to touch. We saw hammerhead Sharks on almost every dive and several divers including my husband got very close encounters with these amazing animals! I also got a super up close encounter with bottle nose dolphins including a juvenile peeking out toward me from under it’s mother’s belly! The dive boat was immaculate and the care of the staff was above anything I have ever experienced! All the dive masters were so friendly and helpful! One of our Dive masters was a marine biologist and gave nightly presentations on the Pelagic species we were diving with which increased both my knowledge and enjoyment of these encounters. Another Dive master was a underwater photography expert and offered post-dive review and tips and tricks on how to improve my underwater photography and I learned so much from him! The food was also really exceptional. Several of the customers on our trip had been on 5+ live aboards and all commented how good the food was! It was also so amazing to have a hot jacuzzi waiting for us after every dive!
Recommended for
Amazing pelagic encounters, attentive staff, and a rooftop jacuzzi and hot, private showers
21 Apr, 2021

9.2 Superb
Juan P
Colombia

Excellent dive site, crew and attention on board.
Have shared with giant mantas, dolphins and a variety of sharks
Recommended for
Abundant fish, good attention and very friendly crew.
27 May, 2019

10 Exceptional
Giorgia M
Italy

Special
Diving with manta raysDiving with sharksThe whales that jumped around and their songs
Recommended for
Diving, kindness and helpfulness of all the staff, attention and punctuality in solving all my requests
21 Apr, 2021

Translated from Italian

9.6 Exceptional
Patrick M
Ireland

Great diving, dive masters and team onboard.
The diving was excellent, the reviews about manta interactions and their curiosity was 100% true for my trip. Onboard the team, particularly Laura and Saki were great, very friendly and always happy to help. Our captain - Ramon, made sure we were always safe at sea. It’s worth saying that Socorro is a remote dive site and if you’re going later in the season expect bigger currents so if you’re affected by seas sickness then bring some meds!
Recommended for
1. Giant Mantas 2. Dolphins 3. Sharks
17 Jun, 2023

8.8 Fabulous
Stephanie F
United States

Other worldly experience.
It was amazing to see the giant manta just swimming right in front of you. They were so elegant and majestic. It was also fun to play in a pod of dolphins, and we saw schools of hammerheads. As my first liveaboard experience this trips was absolutely amazing. The dive masters were very experienced and did a great job keeping everyone safe. The crew was exceptional, and always had great food and conversation for us.
Recommended for
Dive masters, staff friendliness, making new friends from all over the world
01 Apr, 2020

8.8 Fabulous
Marc V
France

High expectations, met and exceeded
The manta and dolphin encounters are like nothing on the planet - animals have become used to the respect and love that divers feel for them and will come to play with you. The divemasters are about the best we’ve ever come across; friendly and always ready to help, and attentive to what the dive team was doing. Finally, the service from the hostesses and the chef, was simply amazing.
Recommended for
The animal encounters, the friendly and authentic crew, the awesome location
04 Jun, 2018

9.6 Exceptional
Charles W
United States

Trip of a lifetime!
Amazing first live aboard experience. The other divers said that this trip would spoil me, and was much nicer than other live aboards. Service was great. Food was awesome (though I wish they would have served more Mexican food). This is a very expensive trip (and does not include alcohol, gratuities, or equipment), so you are getting what you pay for. As to the diving, I went from April 1-9, 2018. Highlights of what I saw: hammerheads, dolphins, small whale shark (about 10 feet), a sailfish, many mantas, and a few other divers saw a tiger shark. Highly recommended!
Recommended for
The staff, diving, and other divers.
30 Apr, 2018

9.6 Exceptional
Kale W
United States

Amazing
Amazing trip, great crew. Hope to do it again someday.
Recommended for
Crew, sharks, food
08 Nov, 2017

10 Exceptional
Sanjay K
India

THE DIFFERENCE MAKER
Diving: Mantas (duh!) - have seen many before but the interaction in the sites like El Boiler and Roca Partida are second to none. Dolphins ( all over the place in El Boiler) Hammerheads ( Roca Partida) Tiger Shark and Whale shark ( if you are lucky - in El Bolier) Night Snorkel with Silky sharks Super awesome marine life in all sites Safety: Excellent emphasis given to safety and procedures on the dive. Non Diving: Round the clock service makes the whole diving at sea part a breeze Excellent Food: I am a vegetarian and I slept well fed on burger, steak and all other nights. Round the clock food. Look forward to the hot coco with Baileys post the night snorkel. Brilliant Staff: You are sure to make life long friends on this boat, so be ready to bawl like a baby when you are leaving. I am definitely not done with Soccoro or The Nautilus Fleet. I thought I would move on to the Galapagos or elsewhere, but there would be no reasons given the richness of dive experience that is available in this one package.
Recommended for
The boat ( spacious, very comfortable and easily a home) The staff ( diving and non-diving, easily the best staff I have dived with - so loving, caring and accomodating) The food
07 Jun, 2018

9.6 Exceptional
Marcel R
Germany

Tolles Boot, super Crew!
Diving with the dolphins and manta rays is definitely second to none. I've never been so close to such fantastic animals.
Recommended for
Diving, Crew, Group
27 May, 2019

8.8 Fabulous
Aldo C
Italy

perfect trip, holiday and dives
This holiday for us was unforgettable, the dives in these pristine places and with no other boats on the dive site is priceless. The whole crew amazed us a lot with their professionalism and versatility. They tried to satisfy our every request and were always very present and kind. Every dive was a highlight. Thanks especially to the commander, Casey and Juan
Recommended for
dive guides, spots, organization
26 Dec, 2019

8.4 Very good
Ilias E
Greece

Whale shark yes!!! Rest ok
Whale sharks
Recommended for
Swimming with the whale sharks and sea lions.
21 Aug, 2023

8.8 Fabulous
janina O
Mexico

Amazing mantas
Being surrounded by giant mantas in half of the dives.
Recommended for
The experience with the mantas, diving with dolphins and sharks and the friendliness from the crew
14 Jan, 2023