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Nautilus Explorer Liveaboard - Alaska

There is no other place that combines the raw magnificence of the outer coast and islands with the stunning beauty of ice-filled fjords.

Experience the magnificent scenery, astounding numbers of humpback whales and bald eagles, salmon jumping everywhere, wonderful kayaking opportunities, spectacular calving glaciers and icebergs, natural hot springs and getting closer to grizzly bears. Alaska is a very special place. These trips are perfect for both divers who are intrigued by the idea of visiting Alaska as well as topsiders ("aka non-divers") who want to explore this spectacular place from the deck of a long range luxury liveaboard dive vessel.

During your journey, you will be able to see calving glaciers very close up. And you will be able to kayak through the ice fields or just watch everything unfold from a deck chair or the hot tub. If the conditions permit, you may even be able to scuba dive under the icebergs.

You will be able to go home and tell your friends what humpback whale halitosis really smells like! On certain trips, you may even be able to hike up the shoreline of a wilderness stream and snorkel and free dive with pink and sockeye salmon. And if you're exceptionally lucky, you will even see grizzly bears so close up that you will feel like you are in a National Geographic documentary!

Even with all these activities going on, you will still average two dives per day and see incredibly prolific and beautiful invertebrate life including lots anemones, sponges, tunicates and soft corals as well as octopus, wolf eels and sea lions. While the topography can be very steep and strong currents provide some timing challenges (and discipline) in order to dive at "slack", the experienced crew and custom designed 12 metre dive skiff are there to make life easier and the diving "good fun".

This is a great trip for photographers and the Nautilus Explorer is setup to look after both film and digital shooters with big camera tables, rinse buckets, a PC, mini Mac, card reader and CD burner, large plasma TV as well as an enthusiastic camera savvy crew. Nitrox, trimix and rebreather divers are easily accommodated. Please note there will be three dives on some days and on other days, the planned activities may preclude any diving.

Itinerary
On offer are three very different itineraries including leisurely paced 10 to 12 night trips from either Juneau or Sitka down to the Queen Charlotte Islands and back. 10 night voyages from Vancouver to Alaska via the calm and sheltered waters of the Inside Passage including Browning and Hakai Passes as well as the wreck of the Transpac. And 10 night southbound trips from Alaska to Vancouver that include a 100 mile ocean crossing to the beautiful, remote and mystical Queen Charlotte Islands. Please note that the longer trips involve more time underway with a number of overnight runs.
The Nautilus Explorer
The Nautilus Explorer is a steel-hulled boat which specialises in catering to more experienced divers looking for advanced and sometimes challenging liveaboard diving. There are nine lower deck staterooms with side by side beds and private heads with separate shower stall, and two larger upper deck executive suites with big windows, wardrobe, a desk and outside doors. The only bunk beds onboard are in the dormitory.
Please note:
Alaska is one of the premier cold-water diving destinations in the world but it is not for everybody. Divers who are in good physical shape and experienced in cold water will find the diving exciting and enjoyable. Divers who are comfortable diving with a Divemaster and understand that not every dive site may be appropriate for their experience level will also have a terrific time. While not every site is suitable for all skill levels, there will be lots of other activities to keep everyone busy from bear, eagle and whale watching to kayaking, shore walks with one of the naturalists, hiking through the woods, relaxing in beautiful natural hot springs or just plain relaxing in a deck chair with a good book and the splendid scenery of Alaska.
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