The Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos is a chain of islands off the west coast of Ecuador adored by nature lovers. To dive here, you can take day trips from any of the 3 main islands or take a liveaboard, which is the only way to reach Darwin and Wolf Islands that are 24 hours off shore. Liveaboard trips generally last for 7 nights and will take you to where the major wildlife action is. Typically 3 of the dive days are spent at uninhabited Darwin and Wolf Islands. The amount of life you can see at these 2 islands is unmatched!

The Galapagos is the most southern point of the 'Hammerhead Triangle' between Cocos and the Socorro. Depending on the time of year, you will see migrating groups of whale sharks, massive schools of hammerheads and Galapagos sharks (plus so many other species), giant mantas, mola molas, marine iguanas, sea lions, sea turtles, dolphins, and sometimes whales, tiger sharks, or orcas. On land, you will see countless species of birds, sleepy sea lions, and of course, the giant tortoises.

Diving the Galapagos is great year-round! Their summer is December through February, while winter is June through August. Water temps will fluctuate based on the seasons - generally December-June ranges 74-76* F, and July-November 68-72* F.

• Whale shark season is from June-December, with the peak migration from July-October. 90% of transiting whale sharks are pregnant females measuring over 10m!
• Hammerhead schools are seen year-round with highest quantities in January. 
• Mantas are seen year-round with highest quantities in December-May.
• Whales can be spotted year-round with higher likeliness from June-November.
• Mola Molas, sea turtles, marine iguanas, sea lions, bait balls and dolphins are spotted year round.

The liveaboards depart from Baltra Island (GPS) in the Galapagos. There are direct flights here from Quito (UIO) and Guayaquil (GYE), Ecuador. We recommend flying into this airport at least a day before your trip starts. 

If you have extra time before or after your liveaboard, we recommend visiting Santa Cruz, San Cristobal and Isabela Island as well! There are plenty of amazing shore excursions to experience such as lava tunnels, Las Grietas, tortoise reserves, and visiting the Galapagos penguins!

It is recommended to have logged at least 40 dives and have your advanced certification before taking this journey, as the diving is typically at 25m depth and currents can be quite strong. Nitrox certification is also available onboard to use nitrox during the week. This is a necessity for maximizing your bottom time with the wildlife and to minimize DCS risks. Dive gear is available to rent.