Nautilus Belle Amie

The Nautilus Belle Amie is ready to roll after being spiffed up with new safety and hygiene protocols going forward. She is a large, modern, steel, ocean going SOLAS safari boat from Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada in Baja, Mexico. The company was founded in 1992 and Captain Mike Lever has been solidly at the helm throughout the company's evolution from our original 14 meter wooden 8 passenger Nautilus VI to our current state of the art luxury 37 and 41 meter "big white boats".

The Belle Amie is the newest and largest of the Nautilus liveaboards. She feels like a five-star floating boutique hotel, boasting spacious salon and dining areas, as well as a second open-air bar on the sun deck, an expansive dive deck and, of course, a hot tub. The Belle Amie has accommodations that suit all preferences ranging from a luxurious VIP double premium suite to superior suites, shared or quad staterooms. There is lots of seating for everyone in the lounge, on the partially shaded sundeck and in the dining room. The only bunk beds on the boat are in the quad occupancy stateroom. All other accommodation features side-by-side hotel style beds. Our mission is to cater to your every comfort from super high tech communication, email and internet at sea to stocking a wide selection of beer, wine and single malt scotches in the ship's bar.

When you set off on a trip on the Nautilus Belle Amie (AKA Where's John), you will experience "adventure" in every sense of the word. You will voyage out to remote volcanic islands in protected marine biospheres that very few people ever experience. Depending on the destination, you can either dive exciting Sea of Cortez or with giant manta rays, wild dolphins and up to 10 different kinds of sharks at Socorro.

Nautilus Belle Amie Specifications

• 145' x 33' ocean-going dive boat
• Built in 2007 by Bollinger Shipyards, USA
• Steel hull and superstructure, Stabilized, 11 knot maximum service speed
• ISM audited by Bureau Veritas
• Water capacity: Unlimited with high capacity watermaker
• Compressors: 2 x water cooled Coltri MC-30
• Rebreather friendly
• Dive skiffs: 3 x high speed large inflatables
• Passengers: 28-32 guests
• Crew: 12
• Spacious, comfortable and stable
• Satphone, email & internet access

Lower deck

8 staterooms plus one affordable triple occupancy stateroom on the lower deck.

Main deck

Huge water-level platform, very large dive deck, dining room, bar and main salon, & 2 premium suites.

Wheelhouse Deck

The 6 superior suites are located on the wheelhouse deck.

Sun Deck

Plenty of seating for everyone on the sun deck.
 

As of Jan 2023, the Mexican government has suspended dive operations in Guadalupe indefinitely. The magical island of Guadalupe is 180 miles from the Mexico coastline. 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 100 and 150 feet of visibility. We can literally see the sharks come in from beyond the anchor line. Nothing but clear, cobalt blue water.

Moreover, this experience isn’t limited to advanced divers. You don’t need to be a certified scuba diver to join us, although we recommend you take a Discover Scuba Diving course prior to your trip, and 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. Note that the surface cages open at 6:30 a.m., and diving in the submersible cages begins at 8 a.m. Both are available until dusk.

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

Day 1
San Diego option: Meet at Best Western Palms Hospitality Suite and travel by coach to board the ship docked in Ensenada. Tijuana option: Fly into Tijuana and travel by express coach to Ensenada (90minutes).
Activities:  Evening departure from Ensenada

Day 2
Dinner time arrival at Guadalupe Island with a nice relaxing evening  at anchor.
Activities:  Safety Briefing  Diver Orientation  Shark 101 Cocktail hour at beautiful and peaceful anchorage

Day 3-5
Another full day of diving starting at 6:30 AM. Submersible diving starts at 8:30 AM.  Dive until dusk!
Activities:  Our famous Mexico taco Fiesta on the upper deck Shark ID​, cocktails with friends, theatre under the stars.

Day 6
At sea, arriving in Ensenada approx. 2:00 PM.  Coach transfers to Tijuana Airport, San Diego Airport, or Best Western Island Palms Resort. Activities: Trip Slide Show Our coach should arrive TIJ by 4:00 PM or San Diego by 7:00 PM if there are no  customs or weather delays.

Socorro Island is part of the Revillagigedos, a group of small islands off the coast of Baja California, Mexico. Dive sites include Socorro, San Benedicto & Roca Partida but may change due to ocean conditions. Our goal is to provide you with the best possible diving. It’s one of the reasons we stay committed to the Socorro Islands (a.k.a. the Revillagigedo Archipelago), well worth the full-day motor south from Cabo San Lucas. Volcanic in origin, these islands serve as an oasis amid the Sea of Cortez, 250 miles off the Baja Peninsula coast. The raw lava flows and active volcanoes in these islands resemble the lost world of “Jurassic Park,” which seems fitting as these outpost islands, including Roca Partida, beckon not just to giant mantas but to a host of big animals.

Your journey with us will include four dives per day (subject to weather and unforeseeable circumstances)—each an opportunity to encounter resident pods of playful dolphins. You may also see up to 10 varieties of shark: schooling scalloped hammerheads, solitary giant hammerheads, Galápagos, whitetip reef, silver-tip, silky, tiger and oceanic whitetips. The list also includes whale sharks and dusky sharks and on occasion even a thresher shark.

On most days, we enjoy visibility of 70 to 100 feet. When the current picks up, the ash from these volcanic isles can rise, reducing the visibility to 30 feet. For the wide-angle experience that is big-animal diving, this isn’t ideal. But, we’re still cruising one of the most pristine underwater environments—so we then choose dives where we’re closer to the reefs and marine life such as eels, octopuses and Socorro lobsters.

The onboard experience isn’t just about diving, but exploring this outpost that few people will ever visit. To that end, we carry kayaks and paddle boards. We offer an option for a night dive and a night snorkel. For added entertainment, we invite you to our “theater under the stars” for an open-air movie. It is our hope that the Nautilus team excels not only in surpassing your expectations of safety and excellence—but of fun and connection with the crew, the animals and the destination.

Day 1

Arrival in San Jose Del Cabo. Meet up and enjoy the hospitality suite of the beautiful El Ganzo hotel. Boarding your ship after 8:00 PM. Sailing time at 9 PM.

Day 2

Spend the day unwinding at sea as the vessel heads to Socorro. Evening arrival at San Benedicto Island.

Activities:  Safety Briefing Diver Orientation Manta 101 Cocktail Hour!

Day 3

What you’ve been waiting for - Diving Day! San Benedicto is home to the friendliest giant mantas in the world! Activities:  4 dives Our famous Mexico taco Fiesta on the upper deck Manta ID

Day 4

Dive at Socorro Island.  Night snorkel with Silky Sharks. Activities:  3 dives + Snorkeling with silky sharks under flood lights Manta ID

Day 5

Dive at Socorro Island. Activities:  4 dives Shark Behaviour Manta ID

Day 6 + 7

Dive at Roca Partida. Activities:  4 dives Shark Behaviour Manta ID

Day 8

Voyage home.  Making our way back to Los Cabos. Activities:  Ship shop Trip slide show Cocktail with friends

Day 9

Disembarkation at 8:30AM. We recommend that you book your return flights for 10:00 AM or later.

Sea of Cortez - Ocean Safari

The Sea of Cortez is a diver’s paradise. With its unique ecosystem and the overall natural beauty, have earned a UNESCO World Heritage Site status. We have been diving here for almost 5 decades and every time it has been exciting! Come see firsthand why this sea is called the “Aquarium of the World” and all of it’s natural wonders. Meet the playful sea lions of Los Islotes, surround yourself in a tornado of big eye jacks and schools of skipjacks. Lets not forget the huge pods of dolphins, turtles, mobulas, the hammerhead sharks around El Bajo & Los Animas, whales of all types of descriptions, shipwrecks and night dives. And if you’re lucky, giant mantas swimming around La Reina and orcas.

Trip boards in Cabo San Lucas at 7:00 pm on Day 1
Returning to Cabo San Lucas on Final Day at 8:30am

Ultimate Whale Sharks. Sea of Cortez Adventures (Jun-Oct)

Loreto. Bahia de Los Angeles. La Paz. San Pedro Martir. Los Animas. And more!! We cover it all on these trips. Diving during the day. Traveling at night or early morning to new dive sites. Unique spotter airplane support for the best encounters ie sperm whales and giant fin back whales. Snorkel and swim with the 80 - 220 whale sharks that aggregate in a quiet bay deep into the Sea of Cortez. It’s crazy!! We have special permits to visit San Pedro Martir, the hidden jewel of the Sea of Cortez. Perfectly located at the edge of massive upwellings of nutrient rich deep ocean water, the waters around this biosphere reserve are teeming with life. Shoreside is really cool as well with the largest breeding population of blue footed boobies in the world and the largest populations of brown boobies and brown pelicans in the world. Loreto is another gem that is seldom visited. The diving is great. The scenery is fantastic. Going ashore on the deserted white sand beaches is unforgettable. We will be sure to visit all our old favourites including Las Animas, the pinnacle of San Franciscito, Espiritu Santo and La Reyna. Fingers crossed on hammerhead sharks!! Insider Tip. Bahia de Los Angeles is home to the largest aggregation of whale sharks on the west coast of the Americas from June to early October. . This is a remarkable experience with few or no other boats around and we often have the place to ourselves. These friendly and inquisitive whale sharks behave very differently from anywhere else in the Sea of Cortez.

Trip meets in SeeCreatures Cabo San Lucas at 04:30 pm on Day 1 for a complimentary transfer to La Paz and your ship where our hostesses will be waiting to welcome you onboard with margaritas and champagne
Returning and disembarking in La Paz on Day 8, 2023 at 08:30 am with complimentary transfer back to either SJD or SeeCreatures Cabo San Lucas