For 26 years, we ran trips out of La Paz exploring the Sea of Cortez on the wonderful Don Jose. Sadly, those trips ended for us after 2012, and we haven't gone back because there hasn't been a liveaboard plying those waters. Until now.

We are delighted to share with you that there will be a new boat down there called the Nautilus Gallant Lady, run by our good friends at Nautilus Explorer. The boat's larger than the Don Jose (the Lady is 116'x22') and takes fewer people (12 vs. 16) so we get the best of both worlds: bigger boat and less people.

We'll also be exploring new territory but still within the Sea of Cortez. Our old itinerary took us north of La Paz to places like Los Islotes, Las Animas, and El Bajo. But our new ship will be based south of Las Paz, halfway down to Cabo, and will explore the waters of the world's most successful marine protected area (and a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Cabo Pulmo.

This is a magnificent reef that routinely attracts Hammerhead Sharks, Whale Sharks, Manta Rays, huge shoals of fish, and everything else you'd expect to find in a thriving eco-system. There will be plenty of new places and sites to explore and we'll have 4.5 dive days to do so, generally doing 4 dives each day (2 dives on the half day). We dive out of pangas, using the Lady as a mothership, so we'll have maximum flexibility and maneuverability.

Because we can only take 12 people (really 11 since Ken Kurtis will lead each trip and counts as one of the 12), we expect this will fill quickly but we're also open to the idea of doing back-to-back trips and staying down there to dive with a second group of 12. But the point is, get your $500 deposit in now to guarantee your spot and then we'll work out the rest of the details.

It's going to be great to return to the Sea of Cortez, one of our most popular trips over the years, and we look forward to having you with us (again).

If you're looking for a place with reliable conditions, interesting dives, plenty to see, and non-diving activities too, then Bonaire is the place for you. And we'll be making another trek back to this wonderful place in the Caribbean later this year.

Although Bonaire is well-known for the numerous (and easily accessible) beach div sites, we always book this with plenty f boat dives as well as having opportunities to do some beach dives as well. And, quite frankly, the house reef at Buddy Dive 9where we always stay) is quite wonderful and a place we dive almost every evening at dusk, with the hopes of seeing the fabled "river of fish" which are thousands and thousand of Creole Wrasses on a northward journey, and it happens almost every night.

Cost of this trip includes a shared 2-bedroom apartment (3-4 people/apartment), all diving, breakfast daily, use of a vehicle (one per room), crew/staff tip, airport transfers in Bonaire, a hotel overnight in Miami on the way in, and all the fun you can handle.

READ THE 2018 BONAIRE TRIP REPORT 

SEE THE 2018 BONAIRE PIX

"YOU get a Whale Shark, YOU get a Whale Shark, YOU get a Whale Shark . . ." If Oprah was your DM, that's what it would sound like.

Isla Mujeres is the home to the largest known Whale Shark congregation in the world, with as many as 800 of these huge critters in the general area. We go out and find them and you get to jump in and snorkel with them. And we've definitely had times where literally anywhere you turned, there were one or two Whale Sharks passing you by. It's a pretty spectacular experience.

Of the six dive days we'll have there, three of them will be spent Whale Sharking (and even on those days, we're usually back at the resort around 3PM). We'll also have two dives exploring Cancun's Underwater Museum (MUSA), we'll do a day at tone of the cenotes down near Tulum, and we'll have a wreck/reef day as well. It's a combination. of snorkeling and diving so this is a GREAT trip for someone who doesn't dive but who'd like to experience the Whale Sharks up close and personal.

This trip is very logistics-heavy. Cost includes xfer from the Cancun Airport to the Puerto Juarez ferry terminal, RT ferry to Isla Mujeres, taxi xfer to the resort, double-occupancy at Nautibeach in 2-bedroom condos, all diving (tanks & weights when need), all transport and diving for the cenotes day, and crew tips. Experiencing the Whale Sharks is really something quite special and this is a great way to do it, while getting some other types of diving in as well. And it's actually a very relaxing trip overall, which is also nice. Lots of down time during the week.

READ THE 2016 ISLA MUJERES TRIP REPORT 

SEE THE 2016 ISLA MUJERES PIX

DIVERS LOVE DISCOUNTS - SAVE $400 BY GIVING YOUR DEPOSIT BEFORE NOVEMBER 30!!!

Whitey, the Landlord, the Ultimate Predator, and even Bruce (the nickname for the shark in Jaws), Great White Sharks are pretty awesome animals. And this is your chance to view them literally from only a few feet away as we make our fifth trip out to the remote island opf Guadalupe, 200+ miles south of Ensenada.

We'll again be diving from the Nautilus Belle Amie which is the absolute perfect vessel to observe these creatures from as the Belle has FIVE cages from which the sharks can be observed and photographed. And the submerged cage dives are scheduled throughout the day so you're guaranteed at least three 45-minute submerged dives each dive day plus whatever other time you want to spend in the surface cages.

This trip starts in San Diego and since we have to drive down there (assuming you're coming from L.A.), we chose dates to avoid weekend traffic. Once in SD, we'll board a motor coach for the ride across the border and down to Ensenada, where we'll board the boat. After a 20-hour ocean crossing (plenty of time to set up camera gear and get excited), we'll be ready to go.

Cost of this trip includes double-occupancy on the Belle Amie (rooms upgrades available), RT motor coach xfer to Ensenada, and crew tip. Don't let this one slip away, let alone with the offer of a discount.

READ THE 2017 GUADALUPE TRIP REPORT 

SEE THE 2017 GUADALUPE PIX

 

We can't say enough good things about all the times we go to Murex. The diving is fabulous, the resort is idyllic, the staff is wonderfully accommodating, the food is delightful, and the only complaint is that we can't stay longer or do it more often.

So we'd like to go back again in 2020, but this time we'll go in the fall. (Usually we go in July.) But we'll experience all that Murex has to offer: the spectacular walls and sites at Bunaken, macro muck dives along Manado Bay (close to the resort), a day trip via boat to Bangka Island with all of the wonderful soft corals, an overland day trip to dive the amazing Lembeh Straits, and a night dive as well.

This is a 9-day trip (plus travel time) and includes double-occupancy at Murex, all diving (air or nitrox), all meals (can't promise you won't gain weight), day trip to Bangka, day trip to Lembeh, air port transfers in Manado, and crew/staff tips. If you're looking to fall in love with a destination, this is the trip for you!!!

 
READ THE 2019 TRIP REPORT 

SEE THE 2019 PIX & VIDEOS

When we started this write-up, I had to look back at the last time we went to retrieve pictures. And when I saw that it was 2010, I said, "That can't be right." But it was correct although not right, because Socorro (or more correctly - the Revillagigedos) is NOT a place that you should visit only once every ten years. So let's rectify that.

We'll be on the fabulous Belle Amie and we'll be able to dive - weather  permitting of course - all three islands in the chain: Socorro, San Benedicto, and Roca Partida. The last one is the most spectacular as it's this small rock in the middle of nowhere with sheer dropoffs and spectacular marine life. (My personal fav is the shelf on the backside where there are always numerous Whitetip Sharks taking a rest.) We see a lot of animals here that you don't see elsewhere like Clarion Angelfish and Leather Bass. Plus you get Hammerheads, Manta Rays, Marble Rays, and maybe even some Humpback Whales if we get lucky.

Cost of the trip includes double-occupancy room (upgrades available for extra $$$), all diving, all meals, crew tip, and transfers from the Cabo San Lucas Airport. (Due to the timing of the start and end of the trip, we will not need to do a hotel overnight on either end.)

READ THE 2010 TRIP REPORT

SEE THE 2010 PIX