Sea of Cortez Liveaboard Group Trip

We have planned a liveaboard trip to the Sea of Cortez. Our third trip in as many years. Do we have to say more?! This part of the pacific is truly magnificent. We will encounter creatures up close that we only know from the TV. Ben is going to lead this trip.

Where are we going?

The Sea of Cortez, named “The Aquarium of the World” by none other than Jaques Cousteau, is a breathtaking part of the Pacific, situated between mainland Mexico and the Baja California peninsula. The sea stretches for nearly 1100 miles from Cabo San Lucas in the south almost to the US border in the north. It is almost as long as the west coast of the US but the average width of the sea is only 50-75 miles.

The Sea of Cortez is fed by the warm water currents from the southern hemisphere creating nutrient rich water that supports the largest and most varied population of whales in the world. Even though the summer is not necessary whale season we saw multiple whales on our last trip!

Why Sea of Cortez and when are we going?

As previously mentioned, this is our third trip to the Sea of Cortez. The marine life is abundant. We are specifically going in July (13th – 20th), because it’s Whaleshark and Mobula season. There are 6 groups of Orcas permanently living in the Sea of Cortez and they are very active during the summer, because Mobulas are their favorite prey.

We were lucky on our last visit and saw up to 12 Whalesharks at one time and spent hours snorkeling with some of them. We spent hours snorkeling with Orcas and even snorkeled with a humpback whale. We saw many whales from our excursion boat which we used on our spotting trips, supported by our very own spotter plane. We also saw an uncountable number of Mobulas jumping out of the water. Anyone that loves large marine animals will have a great chance to see some on this trip!

The Liveaboard

We’ll be guests on the iconic UnderSea Hunter – now named Nautilus UnderSea. We will be supported by a spotter plane that circles over us to find large pelagics and will radio to the skiffs with live updates from the air to maximize our chances to see all the exciting animals.

The UnderSea first entered service in 1968 as the personal submarine tender to Dr. Perry of Perry Oceanographic. This sturdy and brave ship became one of the most famous dive boats in the world as the UnderSea Hunter voyaging out to Cocos Island and exploring around the South Pacific. After purchasing this iconic ship, Nautilus graced her with a massive shipyard refit including: stretching the hull out to 105 feet, a new superstructure and extended sun deck, a bulbous bow and stability system.

She caters to 19 guests in 9 en-suite, air-conditioned cabins. The Undersea also offers plenty of room for relaxation, with a comfortable lounge and dining area and a large sun deck with loungers.

We’ll have a full board that consists of breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner and all drinks except alcohol. Every diver day we’ll have up to 4 dives on the days we dive. Nitrox is available on the boat at an extra charge and the use of it is very much encouraged! 

There will be a full stocked bar with good wine and spirits. The stewards will take care of every need we’ll have, mix delicious cocktails and bake daily fresh cookies. The service is OUTSTANDING!

The diving/snorkeling/free-diving

Undoubtedly one of the most spectacular bodies of water on the planet, the Sea of Cortez is home to some of the best marine life in the world.

We will do a mix of scuba diving and snorkeling/freediving. The itinerary is very loose and we will decide from day to day where we will go and if we dive or snorkel.

A lot of the large marine animals won’t stay in one spot for very long, so scuba diving won’t be the best to spot them. We’ll go on spotting tours with the two skiffs that are tenders to the Nautilus UnderSea. We don’t know of a place that offers as much sea life in such a condensed area.

The diving is awesome too due to the amount and variety of sea life: Baitballs, Octopus, MANY Moray eels, Frog Fish and diving with Sea Lions…a highlight!

This trip is super exciting and you never know what you might find while scuba diving, snorkeling or free-diving.

DATES AND FLIGHTS

The liveaboard trip will take place from July 13th to 20th. Airfare is not included in the trip. Delta currently offers daily direct flights to San Jose Del Cabo – the cost is about $1000 per person for the return trip. The Delta flight are:

July 13th, ATL – SJD, DL1815 – 10:00AM

July 20th, SJD – ATL, DL1848 – 12:05PM

TRIP COSTS

There are two different room categories on this liveaboard. All cabins are very nice and have their own ensuite bathrooms and air conditioning.

There is one Premium cabin, located on the top deck, The cost is $4750 per person in double occupancy.

The classic staterooms with a lower (twin) and an upper (single) bed, located on the lower deck, are $3500 per person in double occupancy.

There is one triple stateroom that could also be used as a quadruple stateroom for families. The price per person in triple occupancy is $3000, in quad occupancy $2500 per person.

What’s included?

– 7 nights full board accommodation includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks

– Up to 4 dives daily – or two big animal tours on the skiffs

– Unlimited tea, coffee, fruit juice, soft drinks and drinking water

– Single 12 Litre (80 cu ft) cylinder with air fills

– Weights and weight belts

– Airport transfers in Nautilus own large travel bus

What’s NOT included?

– Nitrox $20 per day

– Alcoholic drinks (expect similar cost for drinks as in the US, for example, $5 for a normal glass of wine)

– Crew gratuities

– $35 per person port fee (payable on the boat)

– WiFi – typically $100 per device per trip for satellite connectivity

PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE FLIGHTS!

For information on single occupancy and other special requests, please email info@athensscuba.com

To get a better idea of the boat and the diving, check out the following videos I’ve found on youtube.