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Diver's Guide to Galapagos
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Darwin's Arch (Aggressor Fleet)
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At a Glance
Distance from the Equator: The Galapagos Islands lie directly on the Equator
Diving Season: Year-round
Highlights: Hammerheads, Whale Sharks, Galapagos Sharks, Schools of Rays, Penguins, Sea Lions, Flightless Cormorant
Galapagos Liveaboards >>>
Galapagos Special Trips >>>
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The Galapagos Islands lie on the equator 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador. Isolated for millennia, evolution has been free to take place in its own unique way in the Galapagos. Evidence of this is seen in the endemic animals that inhabit the islands, including Marine and Land Iguanas, Lava Lizards, Galapagos Penguins and the Flightless Cormorant. Other fascinating non-endemic species found in Galapagos include the Giant Tortoise, the Galapagos Sea Lion, the Blue-footed Booby and the Frigate Bird.
Galapagos is recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site and is comprised of thirteen main islands and five smaller islands. Two of these small islands are Darwin and Wolf and for divers the mere mention of these remote islands sends a shiver down the spine. Darwin and Wolf are located 14 hours sailing north of the main island group. Here, the cool Humboldt current creates a marine environment in which life flourishes and the seas surrounding Wolf and Darwin support large concentrations of the marine life for which the Galapagos is famous. Here one can observe large schools of Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks, Galapagos Sharks, Whale Sharks, large Mantas and schooling Rays including Mobula Rays, Cownose Rays, and Spotted Eagle Rays. In December to May, waters temperatures of 21-30oC bring in larger school of Rays and Hammerheads whilst in June to November slightly cooler waters (16-24oC) increase Whale Shark sightings. During the months of August and September the Galapagos are one of the best places in the world to encounter Whales. Species seen include Humpback, Pilot and Melon Headed Whales.
Join our Special Trip to Galapagos in August 2015 >>>
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Galapagos Sharks (Ken Scarbrough for Buddy Dive)
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Although Wolf and Darwin are the highlights for most divers visiting Galapagos, there are many other areas within Galapagos that have world-class dive sites. These include Cousin’s Rock, where you can find Red-lipped Batfish, Seahorse, Frogfish, Octopus, Rays, Sharks and playful Galapagos Sea Lions, Bartolome Island where you can snorkel with Galapagos Penguins, Roca Redonda where underwater geysers release streams of bubbles and large shoals of fish attract schools of Hammerheads, Pinta Island a good spot for Marine Iguanas and Red-lipped Batfish, Punta Vicente Roca a great site for macro and where you may encounter a Mola Mola, and Cape Marshall where Mantas are often seen.
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Schooling Hammerheads (Ken Scarbrough for Buddy Dive)
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Galapagos Liveaboards
We work with three of the best operators in the Galapagos area - The Aggressor Fleet, MV Galapagos Sky and Buddy Dive to give you the ultimate Galapagos dive adventure. All of our liveaboards take you to Wolf and Darwin but differ slightly in the other Galapagos dives sites they visit. You can see full details of each liveaboard's unique Galapagos itinerary at the below links:
MV Galapagos Sky liveaboard >>>
Buddy Dive Galapagos liveaboards >>>
Galapagos Aggressor liveaboards >>>
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Whale Shark (Ken Scarbrough for Buddy Dive)
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Getting to Galapagos
Our liveaboards depart from either San Cristobal or Baltra both of which are reached via a short flight from either Quito or Guayaquil. Both Quito and Guayaquil are well serviced by international flights from around the world and Quito is also a great gateway city for overland tours into Ecuador.
Once you've finished diving...
Once you have completed your Galapagos adventure we encourage you to see some of the other amazing natural wonders of Ecuador. Indeed Ecuador is a special South American country having coastal, mountainous and Amazonian Rainforest regions all squeezed into such a small area - making travel easy but highly rewarding! Some of Ecuador's highlights include the Cloud Forest, Mt Cotopaxi, the Ecuadorian Amazon, and of course extended naturalist tours in Galapagos. For Galapagos nature tours you can choose between resort-based programs or a non-diving liveaboard, e.g. on the MC Seaman II.
Ecuador's Cloud Forest is just a 2 hour drive from Quito, and is one of the most biodiverse places on the whole planet. A stay in a Cloud Forest lodge makes for a very restful retreat, combining spectacular views with nature walks, secluded waterfalls and some of the world's best bird watching! Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve is a great lodge offering both overnight stays and day trips from Quito.
Not ready to relax? Then why not climb Ecuador's second highest mountain - Mt Cotopaxi (5897m) - just a short drive from Quito, to climb this snow-capped mountain requires no special training just some strong legs and determination!
Maybe however, the greatest non-diving experience in Ecuador is to go deep into the Ecuadorian Amazon to stay at an eco lodge on the Napo River. A great lodge in this area is Napo Wildlife Centre, which lies on the Anangucocha Lake. The journey to the lodge is an adventure itself - first a short flight from Quito, followed by a 2 hour canoe ride down the Amazon River! Once at the lodge you can embark on nature tours like nowhere else on earth, encountering Black Caiman (3.5-4 metres long), Piranha, Poison-Dart Frogs, Sloths, Giant otters and multiple species of Monkey, including Red Howler Monkey, Woolly Monkey, Tamarin and Capuchin Monkey. And of course the array of birds that can be spotted here is second to none.
We believe that your non-diving adventures in Ecuador will even rival your dives in the Galapagos, and we are happy to arrange all of these activities for you. |
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Galapagos Liveaboards >>>
Galapagos Special Trips >>>
To arrange your diving holiday to Galapagos call us on 0161 442 7703 or email us at info@equatordiving.com
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Napo Wildlife Centre
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School of Scalloped Hammerheads
(Aggressor Fleet)
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Marine Iguanas (Ken Scarbrough for Buddy Dive)
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Blue-footed Booby (Galapagos Sky)
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Galapagos Sea Lion (Aggressor Fleet)
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Galapagos Penguin (Ken Scarbrough for Buddy Dive)
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Frigate Bird (Ken Scarbrough for Buddy Dive)
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Flightless Cormorant (Ken Scarbrough for Buddy Dive)
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Giant Tortoise (Galapagos Sky)
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Canoe ride to Napo Wildlife Centre
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Bedroom, Napo Wildlife Centre
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Ensuite bathroom, Napo Wildlife Centre
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Bedroom, Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve
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