Dive Review of Nautilus/Belle Amie in
Mexico (Western)

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Nautilus/Belle Amie: "White Sharks", Aug, 2017, by Dave, NB, CA ( Reviewer 5 reports with 3 Helpful votes). Report 9741.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	We chose the Nautilus Belle Amie out of the 3 or 4 boats/providers that head to Guadalupe Island for the Great White observation season (Aug-Oct). The boat was spacious, had everything we needed and the room was significantly larger than the usual aggressor style boat bedrooms. The crossing was long and in open water - all in, ~23 hours. We had been delayed in Ensenada port due to a tropical storm and this may have made the seas a little rougher than normal. There were a lot of pale green faces around the top deck for the crossing. We usually take Dramamine but we were close to heaving a couple times. Once at the island, it's very calm. Food excellent, staff fantastic. It was amazing to watch the cages being unpacked, rigged up and lowered into the water for the dives. Air is surface fed. There's a spare bottle in case of "issues" with the surface feed!! The Belle Amie has 3 submergeable cages down at 10 m and two surface cages. Submerged cages are on a rota and last 15-20 minutes each. It feels like you might not get enough action in the deeper cages but once the hours start adding up, slots become more and more available. Surface cages you can go in whenever there is room. Sharks? Yes!! Many many different great whites- close to 15 individuals. Small, crazy males as well as huge females. Also saw sneaky little sea lions swimming in and out of the cages and behind the white sharks. Tuna, plus lots of bait fish. Never felt threatened by the sharks, just totally in awe of these beasts. Most were in the 12-18ft range. Even from the top deck it's amazing- the wranglers do their best not to actually feed the sharks but the sharks come in from all angles and try anything for an easy snack- you can watch them perform, large circles, coming in from different angles. Lots of other wildlife too- seabirds, elephant seals on the beach. Lots of great photos. Lasting memories: close fly bys where you can actually see the definition in their eyes and then you notice that they're looking at the contents of the cages!! They would glide by, performing lazy circles around the cages and then disappear, only to reappear from a completely different "angle of attack." Unbelievable experience.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	UK, Malta, Thailand, Maldives, GBR, Cook Isl., T&C, Bahamas, ABC's, Belize, Hawaii, Palau, Galapagos, FL, Cozumel, Guadalupe, California, Canada.
Closest Airport		Getting There	Via San Diego, bus to Ensenada
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm, no currents
Water Temp	22-24°C / 72-75°F	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	20-30 M / 66-98 Ft
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	It's cage diving with Great Whites!!!
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	no
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals	N/A	Tropical Fish	N/A
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Dive Review of Nautilus/Belle Amie in Mexico (Western)

Nautilus/Belle Amie: "White Sharks", Aug, 2017,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Nautilus/Belle Amie in
Mexico (Western)