Nautilus Explorer

Nautilus Explorer is a purpose-built steel-hulled diving liveaboard, designed to accommodate up to 27 divers. In 2024, it travels down to Costa Rica for the first time to operate diving cruises to Cocos, famed island of the sharks. Although the Explorer is relatively new to Cocos Island, the Nautilus fleet does have experience of operating trips here.

Space has been maximized in the design to ensure that even with a full boat you can always find a quiet spot on this 116 ft (35m) long motor yacht. The air-conditioned saloon, dining area and sundecks are the main social spots. The saloon features comfortable seating, an extensive reading library and a well-stocked bar. Organized videos and presentations take place on board to expand your knowledge. On the sun deck there is a hot tub from which to sip a cocktail and gaze out from the liveaboard over the Pacific.

Accommodation ranges across 4 price brackets, including 2 and 3-share staterooms on the lower deck, and to the enormous Premium Suite with ensuite bathroom, TV, DVD, bath tub and large picture window. Homemade soups, bread and desserts compliment up to 4 meals a day with an emphasis on western cuisine with a few Latin specialties to spice things up. Food, much like the overall diving safari experience of Nautilus Explorer, is enjoyable, varied and satisfying.

Cocos Island is a world-renowned pelagic shark diving Mecca, but it is also the most remote liveaboard diving destination in the world, located in a vast expanse of open Pacific Ocean. It is therefore reassuring to know that the Nautilus Explorer was the world's first SOLAS certified dive boat. It is a stabilized ocean going steel ship, built in Canadian and USA shipyards to commercial and safety standards. The captains, mates and engineers have professional mariner qualifications and all crew have STCW emergency duty training, security awareness, first aid and marine medicals. Your safety underwater is a priority as evidenced by the use of Nautilus Lifeline lost diver devices.

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

Dive experience: 50 logged dives and advanced open water is the bare minimum experience required to safely dive around Cocos Island. More experience is better and all scuba divers should have good buoyancy skills. The use of enriched air nitrox (and an EANx certification) is mandatory.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, soft drinks, hot drinks, round trip transfers from San Jose Airport, dives (as detailed in the safaris above), experienced English-speaking divemasters (1 guide for 5 scuba divers), standard tanks, weights and weight belts, CD of photos/video at the end of the tour, Nautilus Lifeline marine rescue GPS, Dive Alert, SMB safety sausage, torch, tank beacon, state taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (US$ 215 per week), nitrox fills for enriched air divers (US$ 20 per day), dive insurance, Cocos Island National Park fee (US$ 120 per day plus 13% VAT). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash or credit card).

Optional extras: Alcoholic drinks, steel and specialized tanks. 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: Nautilus Explorer departs at 8 pm from Golfito, Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Guests fly into San Jose International Airport (SJO). For more details, including airlines, see our Costa Rica travel information section. You will be transferred by road (90 minutes) from the airport to a resort near the marina, in time for boarding. After a 30-33 hour return journey from Cocos Island back to the mainland, you will arrive around 5 am and disembark at 8:30 am, then use a shuttle back to San Jose Airport or nearby hotel.

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% of the Double stateroom published price for their own cabin.

Dive clubs and group discounts: One of the lower deck staterooms can be used as a triple-share cabin for 3 guests.
Pay for 11 guests and 1 extra person can join the cruise in a 3-share stateroom free of charge (total 12+ guests).

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 24 guests and 3 extra people can join the cruise free of charge (total 27 guests).

Cocos Island (11 Days / 10 Nights - 20 Dives)

Trip highlights: whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, 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: Cocos Island, including Dos Amigos, Manuelita, Bajo Alcyone, Dirty Rock, Punta Maria; shore visits/island hikes can be arranged

Day 1 and 2
After a 90-minute shuttle bus from San Jose International Airport, you will arrive for boarding and departure during the evening. Once on board the Nautilus Explorer you can relax on the sundeck while the cruise embarks on its way to the Cocos island. It takes approx. 33 hours to reach the island. Meals will be served during the crossing.

Days 3-9
Each dive will be introduced by a briefing done by the guides on board to give you details about the sites and marine life you are about to see. Cocos Island is famous for being one of the hottest shark diving destinations in the world. The schooling scalloped hammerheads are legendary. In recent years, tiger sharks have become more commo, whitetip reef sharks and silkies are common. Other species regularly encountered include Galapagos, blacktip, silvertip, and guitar sharks, as well as many species of rays, especially around the cleaning stations. It’s easy to get lost in mesmerizing giant schools of big eyed jacks and mutton snapper.
The 'rainy season' is from June through December, when the deep ocean upwellings attract manta rays and whale sharks. In September, humpback whales can be spotted in the sheltered anchorages.
The food served during your safari is a mix of Mexican and western style cuisine. A continental breakfast at 7 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, hashbrowns and toast. The 2nd dive of the morning is usually at around 11 am, then its lunch time when here is a great variety on offer at the buffet, from homemade Italian pizzas and fish tacos, to quesadillas and fish burgers. Tropical fruit and salads will help you stay well hydrated. There is a 3rd dive of the day in the early afternoon at 2:30 pm. Then snacks and sunbathing for the rest of the day. Dinner is served at 6 pm, which will be an array of both Mexican and American style meals, plated, or buffet style.
Day 9 does not include a full day of diving due to early departure from Cocos.

Day 10 and 11
After the long ocean crossing, the liveaboard returns to Puntarenas and check out is after an early light breakfast. You will be transferred either to your hotel or to San Jose Airport.

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Cocos Island (10 Days / 9 Nights - 17 Dives)

Trip highlights: whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, 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: Cocos Island, including Dos Amigos, Manuelita, Bajo Alcyone, Dirty Rock, Punta Maria; shore visits/island hikes can be arranged

Days 1 and 2
After a 90-minute shuttle bus from San Jose International Airport, you will arrive for boarding and departure during the evening. Once on board the Nautilus Explorer you can relax on the sundeck while the cruise embarks on its way to the Cocos island. It takes approx. 33 hours to reach the island. Meals will be served during the crossing.

Days 3-8
Each dive will be introduced by a briefing done by the guides on board to give you details about the sites and marine life you are about to see. Cocos Island is famous for being one of the hottest shark diving destinations in the world. The schooling scalloped hammerheads are legendary. In recent years, tiger sharks have become more commo, whitetip reef sharks and silkies are common. Other species regularly encountered include Galapagos, blacktip, silvertip, and guitar sharks, as well as many species of rays, especially around the cleaning stations. It’s easy to get lost in mesmerizing giant schools of big eyed jacks and mutton snapper.
The 'rainy season' is from June through December, when the deep ocean upwellings attract manta rays and whale sharks. In September, humpback whales can be spotted in the sheltered anchorages.
The food served during your safari is a mix of Mexican and western style cuisine. A continental breakfast at 7 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, hashbrowns and toast. The 2nd dive of the morning is usually at around 11 am, then its lunch time when here is a great variety on offer at the buffet, from homemade Italian pizzas and fish tacos, to quesadillas and fish burgers. Tropical fruit and salads will help you stay well hydrated. There is a 3rd dive of the day in the early afternoon at 2:30 pm. Then snacks and sunbathing for the rest of the day. Dinner is served at 6 pm, which will be an array of both Mexican and American style meals, plated, or buffet style.
Day 8 does not include a full day of diving due to early departure from Cocos.

Days 9 and 10
After the long ocean crossing, the liveaboard returns to Puntarenas and check out is after an early light breakfast. You will be transferred either to your hotel or to San Jose Airport.

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(4 Days / 3 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:

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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].

The Nautilus Explorer liveaboard accommodates 27 guests in 13 cabins, each with its own private bathroom. There are 9 cabins on the lower deck, each with portholes for natural lighting: 6 twin-bed staterooms, 2 double bed staterooms and 1 3-share stateroom.

There are 3 140 ft² (13m²) Superior suites with windows on the upper deck, either with a queen size double bed or twin beds. 2 have doors opening directly outside and the third has a large TV and DVD player.

There is also a huge Premium suite on the upper deck. This grand cabin also has a floor-to-ceiling picture window and a private bathroom with bath tub, as well as its own lounge with TV, DVD player and sofa.

All the cabins have: No. of bathrooms / showers - 13 / 13 - hot water