Nautilus Gallant Lady

Nautilus Gallant Lady is a 116 ft (35m) long Mexico liveaboard that specializes in diving trips in the Sea of Cortez. The Gulf of California region is famous for big marine life, including whale sharks , huge schools of breaching mobula rays, hammerhead and bull sharks, whales, dolphins and sea lions, as well as a wealth of macro life not normally found in this part of the world.

This motor yacht cruises at up to 15 knots with a maximum of only 12 divers on board. Guests will appreciate the multiple hang-out spaces on board. You can relax in the air-conditioned lounge and dining area which features wrap-around windows so you can drink in the ever-changing views. Wi-fi is available via a top-of-the-line stabilized gyro satellite system.

On the upper deck you can choose to bask under the Mexican sun on the spacious sundeck or luxuriate in the sky lounge's hot tub, with a drink from the bar for added relaxation. Uniquely there is even a crow's nest you can perch in to enjoy the amazing views.

You can choose from 6 large suites, which can be converted between having king-size beds and twin beds. Cabins are on the main and lower deck and all have ensuite bathrooms. 1 even has a full size bath!

On the diving side, Nautilus Gallant Lady is both rebreather friendly and has nitrox on board. Nautilus lost diver devices are used for your safety. As you emerge dripping from the sea, the crew are on hand with drinks and snacks to refresh your scuba-dried mouth. On the non-diving side, unlike other Mexico liveaboard routes, Sea of Cortez trips can also involve kayaking, mountain biking, paddleboarding and hiking in the desert.

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Notes: Mexico is a popular destination with limited liveaboard spaces. We recommend you book well in advance to avoid disappointment.

Dive experience: All certified divers may dive on these Sea of Cortez liveaboard cruises.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, soft drinks, hot drinks, dives (as detailed in the safaris above), experienced English-speaking divemasters (1 guide for 5 scuba divers), complimentary photography workshop, standard tanks, weights and weight belts, Nautilus Lifeline marine rescue GPS, SMB safety sausage, Mexican taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba gear (US$ 215 per week), snorkelling equipment, dive insurance, park fees to be paid in advance (Socorro: US$ 192 per diving day), port fee per cruise (US$ 35). Note: park fees are waived for retirees and pensioners over the age of 60 years old. A 75% discount on park fees is available for active students and teachers. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash or credit card).

Optional extras: Alcoholic drinks, airport/hotel - boat transfers, Wi-fi (US$ 100 per person per trip), steel and specialized tanks, nitrox fills for enriched air divers (US$ 20 per day), rebreather support (including zorb), gas mixes. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival. Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.

How to get there: The MV Nautilus Gallant Lady liveaboard departs in the afternoon from Cabo San Lucas for safaris to the southern areas of the Sea of Cortez. Guests fly into Los Cabos International Airport (SJD), approximately 45 minutes drive from Cabo San Lucas.
You must meet at the Cabo Dive Center no later than 11 am on the morning of boarding. It is located next to the Tesoro Hotel on the walkway of Cabo Marina. Ideally you should arrive the previous day and drop by the dive center as soon as you get to town to make sure you are fully prepared for the trip. A complimentary photography workshop at 1 pm is conducted before boarding Nautilus Gallant Lady around 14:30 hrs. The boat sets sail that afternoon and you can enjoy cocktails as the boat heads north.
The last dive of the trip will be at around 5 pm on the second last day of the trip. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving. You will disembark at around 8 am on the morning of the last day. We recommend you book any outwards flights on that day no earlier than 11 am.
For more details, including airlines, on how to get to the Sea of Cortez, see our Mexico tourist information section.

Non-diver rate: None.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travelers may choose to share a cabin or pay a supplement of 25% on Sea of Cortez (Cabo Pulmo) trips.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Group discounts are available. Please check with us. See whole boat charter rate.

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 11 guests and 1 extra person can join the cruise in a Superior Suite free of charge (total 12 guests).

Sea of Cortez South (Adventure) (8 Days / 7 Nights - 5 Dives)

Trip highlights: dolphins, manta rays, whales, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities, onboard experts on photography, onboard experts on wildlife and natural history

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Locations are flexible, depending on where the aerial support finds the mobulas and orcas. Often the best area is the triangle near La Paz between Espiritu Santo, Carpenter Rock (on the west side of Cerralvo), and Las Ventanas on Baja California

Day 1
Guests meet at the Nautilus dive center in Cabo San Lucas at 4 pm for any rental equipment. There will then be a complimentary underwater photography workshop on backscatter in preparation for the incredible photo opportunities you are going to have over the next few days. At 7:30 pm you will board the Nautilus Gallant Lady. There will then be a boat briefing of the features, facilities and safety measures on board. Enjoy a delicious dinner then settle into your cabin as the boat gets underway for Cabo Pulmo.

Days 2-7
This is a special cruise with the primary focus of snorkelling and freediving with enormous schools of mobula rays, thousands strong, as they migrate across the Sea of Cortez, and the orcas (killer whales) that follow to prey on them. Mobulas are typically 5-7 feet across, and males leap far out of the water. You will also encounter them at night as they swarm around the boat lights in shallow protected bays. The orcas are an amazing sight too as they can grow up to 30 ft / 9m long and swim at 35 mph / 50 kmh.
Spotting planes will support the cruise for 3 days to assist with finding the biggest groups of mobula rays. Guests will be divided in to 2 groups at a time to use the high speed support boat to get them in the water at the optimal time. In the late afternoons, you take advantage of the kayaks and paddle boards, or take a beach hike.
The food served during your safari is a mix of Mexican and western style cuisine. A 'help yourself' continental breakfast features fresh baked goods, a fruit plate, homemade granola, cereals, yoghurt, toast, fresh orange or mango juice, and oatmeal. A plated cooked breakfast is also served and is a mix of buffet and cooked-to-order: eggs, cheese omelets, sausages, hash browns and toast. There is a great variety on offer for buffet lunch, from homemade Italian pizzas and fish tacos, to quesadillas and fish burgers. At dinner a nice array of both Mexican and American style meals will be served, plated, buffet or family style.
On the penultimate day of the tour you will have the opportunity to dive or snorkel at Cabo Pulmo World Heritage Biosphere Reserve, home to some of the fishiest waters around. Finish the day enjoying a delicious dinner under the stars as you sail again to Cabo San Lucas.

Day 8
Disembarkation time at Cabo San Lucas is usually at around 8:30 am. The operator will help you arrange taxi transfers back to your local hotel or airport after breakfast.

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Magdalena Bay (8 Days / 7 Nights - 12 Dives)

Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, whales, seals/sea lions, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Snorkelling, free-diving and scuba diving in Magdalena Bay, SS Independence and USS Seawolf.

Day 1
Guests meet at the Nautilus dive center in Cabo San Lucas to check-in and collect any rental equipment, from 9 am to 4 pm. Then you will board the Nautilus Gallant Lady in Cabo at 5:30 pm for a boat briefing of the features, facilities and safety measures on board. Enjoy a delicious lunch and dinner as you settle into your cabin and the boat gets underway for Magdalena Bay. The journey takes around 15 hours.

Days 2-7
During October and November, a magical event happens in the nutrient rich swirling blue waters off Magdalena Bay - the second largest sardine run in the world, where striped marlin gather to hunt on bait balls. This thrilling underwater action is spectacular. There is also an excellent chance of seeing California sea lions, dolphins, wahoo, pelicans, different species of gulls, boobies, frigate birds, shearwaters, and even the awe-inspiring albatross.
While it’s best to snorkel or free dive around the bait balls, there will be plenty of scuba diving opportunities on your week long trip with massive schools of fish, turtles and the wreck of a World War I submarine and the passenger steamship SS Independence. But wait, there is more! Humpback whales are on the move at this time of year and, if you are really lucky, we might even see orcas or blue whales!
The food served during your safari is a mix of Mexican and western style cuisine. A 'help yourself' continental breakfast features fresh baked goods, a fruit plate, homemade granola, cereals, yoghurt, toast, fresh orange or mango juice, and oatmeal. A plated cooked breakfast is also served and is a mix of buffet and cooked-to-order: eggs, cheese omelets, sausages, hash browns and toast. There is a great variety on offer for buffet lunch, from homemade Italian pizzas and fish tacos, to quesadillas and fish burgers. At dinner a nice array of both Mexican and American style meals will be served, plated, buffet or family style.
The yacht will begin its journey back to Cabo at around 3 pm on the penultimate day.

Day 8
Disembarkation time at Cabo San Lucas is usually at around 8:30 am. The operator will help you arrange taxi transfers back to your local hotel or airport after breakfast.

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Sea of Cortez South (Adventure) (8 Days / 7 Nights - 5 Dives)

Trip highlights: dolphins, manta rays, whales, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities, onboard experts on photography, onboard experts on wildlife and natural history

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Locations are flexible, depending on where the aerial support finds the mobulas and orcas. Often the best area is the triangle near La Paz between Espiritu Santo, Carpenter Rock (on the west side of Cerralvo), and Las Ventanas on Baja California

Day 1
Guests meet at the Nautilus dive center in Cabo San Lucas at 4 pm for any rental equipment. There will then be a complimentary underwater photography workshop on backscatter in preparation for the incredible photo opportunities you are going to have over the next few days. Early evening you will board the Nautilus Gallant Lady. There will then be a boat briefing of the features, facilities and safety measures on board. Enjoy a delicious dinner then settle into your cabin as the boat gets underway for Cabo Pulmo.

Days 2-7
This special cruise is a fully immersive learning experience in the heart of the Sea of Cortez with host, Carlos Gauna a professional photographer featured on National Geographic, Discovery Channel, NBC, CBS, LA Times (to name a few). He will be providing a personalized workshop for a limited group for a very special week long adventure into the Sea of Cortez for USD 400.
The primary focus is snorkelling and freediving with enormous schools of mobula rays, thousands strong, as they migrate across the Sea of Cortez, and the orcas (killer whales) that follow to prey on them. Mobulas are typically 5-7 feet across, and males leap far out of the water. You will also encounter them at night as they swarm around the boat lights in shallow protected bays. The orcas are an amazing sight too as they can grow up to 30 ft / 9m long and swim at 35 mph / 50 kmh.
Spotting planes will support the cruise for 3 days to assist with finding the biggest groups of mobula rays. Guests will be divided in to 2 groups at a time to use the high speed support boat to get them in the water at the optimal time. In the late afternoons, you take advantage of the kayaks and paddle boards, or take a beach hike.
The food served during your safari is a mix of Mexican and western style cuisine. A 'help yourself' continental breakfast features fresh baked goods, a fruit plate, homemade granola, cereals, yoghurt, toast, fresh orange or mango juice, and oatmeal. A plated cooked breakfast is also served and is a mix of buffet and cooked-to-order: eggs, cheese omelets, sausages, hash browns and toast. There is a great variety on offer for buffet lunch, from homemade Italian pizzas and fish tacos, to quesadillas and fish burgers. At dinner a nice array of both Mexican and American style meals will be served, plated, buffet or family style.
On the penultimate day of the tour you will have the opportunity to dive or snorkel at Cabo Pulmo World Heritage Biosphere Reserve, home to some of the fishiest waters around. Finish the day enjoying a delicious dinner under the stars as you sail again to Cabo San Lucas.

Day 8
Disembarkation time at Cabo San Lucas is usually after breakfast. The operator will help you arrange taxi transfers back to your local hotel or airport.

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Magdalena Bay (7 Days / 6 Nights - 10 Dives)

Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, whales, seals/sea lions, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Snorkelling, free-diving and scuba diving in Magdalena Bay, SS Independence and USS Seawolf.

Day 1
Guests meet at the Nautilus dive center in Cabo San Lucas to check-in and collect any rental equipment, from 9 am to 4 pm. Then you will board the Nautilus Gallant Lady in Cabo at 5:30 pm for a boat briefing of the features, facilities and safety measures on board. Enjoy a delicious lunch and dinner as you settle into your cabin and the boat gets underway for Magdalena Bay. The journey takes around 15 hours.

Days 2-6
During October and November, a magical event happens in the nutrient rich swirling blue waters off Magdalena Bay - the second largest sardine run in the world, where striped marlin gather to hunt on bait balls. This thrilling underwater action is spectacular. There is also an excellent chance of seeing California sea lions, dolphins, wahoo, pelicans, different species of gulls, boobies, frigate birds, shearwaters, and even the awe-inspiring albatross.
While it’s best to snorkel or free dive around the bait balls, there will be plenty of scuba diving opportunities on your week long trip with massive schools of fish, turtles and the wreck of a World War I submarine and the passenger steamship SS Independence. But wait, there is more! Humpback whales are on the move at this time of year and, if you are really lucky, we might even see orcas or blue whales!
The food served during your safari is a mix of Mexican and western style cuisine. A 'help yourself' continental breakfast features fresh baked goods, a fruit plate, homemade granola, cereals, yoghurt, toast, fresh orange or mango juice, and oatmeal. A plated cooked breakfast is also served and is a mix of buffet and cooked-to-order: eggs, cheese omelets, sausages, hash browns and toast. There is a great variety on offer for buffet lunch, from homemade Italian pizzas and fish tacos, to quesadillas and fish burgers. At dinner a nice array of both Mexican and American style meals will be served, plated, buffet or family style.
The yacht will begin its journey back to Cabo at around 3 pm on the penultimate day.

Day 7
Disembarkation time at Cabo San Lucas is usually at around 8:30 am. The operator will help you arrange taxi transfers back to your local hotel or airport after breakfast.

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ZZDUMP (8 Days / 7 Nights - 0 Dives)

Trip highlights: non diving activities

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: zz

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ZZDUMP (5 Days / 4 Nights - 0 Dives)

Trip highlights: non diving activities

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: zz

zz

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(11 Days / 10 Nights - Dives)

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: zz

zz

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Sea of Cortez South (6 Days / 5 Nights - 16 Dives)

Trip highlights: whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, whales, seals/sea lions, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Cerralvo Island, Las Animas, La Reina, El Bajo, Espiritu Santo, Los Islotes, Salvatierra wreck, Fang Ming, San Jose. Kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, hike into the hills, whatever you want. Backscatter Imaging workshop at SeeCreatures.

Day 1
You should meet at the Nautilus dive center in Cabo San Lucas when you arrive in town to make sure you are all set for the cruise. We encourage you to take advantage of our complimentary Backscatter Imaging workshop when you check in. Cocktail hour starts as soon as you board the Nautilus Gallant Lady early evening. And as soon as we have completed provisioning, cleaning and any last minute engineering, we will soon be underway for a lovely dinner on our way to the Sea of Cortez.

Days 2-5
The safari will include 4 dives per day, combining the very best of the southern Sea of Cortez. The sea is a diver’s paradise, and with its unique ecosystem and the overall natural beauty, it has earned UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Mid-May to July is a very special time with large aggregations of mobula rays. And when there are lots of mobulas, there are orcas!! There is a good probability that guests will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to snorkel with an orca. Mid-May and June is also peak season for the really big female whale sharks. You will also see large pods of dolphins, turtles, different shark and whale species, hammerhead sharks around El Bajo and Los Animas, sea lions at Los Islotes, giant mantas at La Reina, shipwrecks and night dives, huge schools of fish and vibrant marine life. Spotter planes are on-hand to enhance your adventure.
The food served during your safari is a mix of Mexican and western style cuisine. A continental breakfast at 7:15 am features fresh baked goods, a fruit plate, homemade granola, cereals, yoghurt, toast, fresh orange or mango juice, and oatmeal. A cooked breakfast is usually served after the first dive and is a mix of buffet and cooked-to-order: eggs, cheese omelets, sausages, hash browns and toast. There is a great variety on offer for lunch, from homemade Italian pizzas and fish tacos, to quesadillas and fish burgers. At dinner a nice array of both Mexican and American style meals will be served, plated or buffet style.
On the penultimate day of the tour the boat will start its way back to the mainland.

Day 6
Arrive back in Cabo San Lucas in time to enjoy a final breakfast onboard, before being transferred back to your local hotel or airport in Cabo. Guests can fly out in the afternoon.

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(6 Days / 5 Nights - 0 Dives)

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: zz

zz

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[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].

There are 5 Superior Suites: 2 on the main deck, 3 on the lower deck. 4 of them can have either king size beds or 2 twin beds, 1 can only be twin bed. There is 1 large Premium Suite on the lower deck which can have a king size bed or 2 twin beds. All have ensuite bathrooms and 1 Superior Suite even features a bath tub.

All the cabins have: No. of bathrooms / showers - 7 / 7 - hot water