Darwin Island is located two hours north of Wolf Island. The island is known for the Arch, which has become a historical monument of the Galapagos, and the diving at the island is north of this site. The ledges here dip from 50 feet to 70 feet below the surface. It is possible to see moray eels, barber fish, creole fish, bigeye trevally, and triggerfish here.

Wolf Island and Darwin Island are the best places to see the giant whale shark, which appears between April and November. However, it isn't a guarantee to see this giant animal in these waters.

Central Islands

Gordon Rock is located off of the eastern coast of Santa Cruz. It is known for its occasional strong currents, but also known for its hammerhead sharks that swim 100 feet below the surface, king angelfish that travel in groups of 20, eagle rays swimming parallel to each other, and pelican barracuda.

Isabela Island, one of the largest islands in the Galapagos, has manta rays and sea lions that swim near the shore. The manta rays are hard to get close to but sea lions tend to be quite playful here. There also is yellowfin tuna that lurk in the waters of Isabela.

North Seymour Island is near Santa Cruz Island and is one of the most photogenic sites in the islands. Striated ledges dip from 15 feet down to 80 feet below the surface, and the island is known for the razor surgeonfish that swim in abundance here. Here, it is possible to see the shy white-tip reef shark, which stays hidden in holes and under ledges. There are also black-striped salema, seahorses, frogfish, and different types of hawkfish.

The island of Santiago is known for its night dives. You can go 50 feet below the surface to see an abundance of small octopuses, and sometimes are able to see batfish at the bottom of the ocean floor. Santiago is also a great place to spend a few hours hiking. During the day, it is easy to see seal lions playing underwater.

Galapagos SCUBA Diving Live Aboard Cruises

Live Aboard Cruises are weeklong advance diver-only cruises. They allow divers to visit some of the more remote spots in the islands and are the only way to dive at Wolf and Darwin. Prices for these Live Aboard Cruises range from $3,000 to $5,000. There are eight Live Aboard Cruises in Galapagos.

• Galapagos Aggressor I & II- The Galapagos Aggressor I & II have been operating as the premier live-aboard dive yachts in the Galapagos Islands since 1993. These yachts were custom designed, built and equipped to offer a safe and luxury dive operation.
• Deep Blue- Built in 2002, the Deep Blue is one of the newest yachts offering live-aboard dive trips in the Galapagos Islands. The Deep Blue accommodates 16 passengers and is divided into eight double cabins with lower beds, private bathroom and air conditioning. It is a large, comfortable vessel with spacious cabins and plenty of space for 16 divers
• Galapagos Sky Yacht- Aboard the Galapagos Sky (Formerly known as Sky Dancer) you can explore Darwin's living laboratory while luxuriating in all the creature comforts of a Peter Hughes Diving (TM) live-aboard dive cruise. Two dive masters and up to four dives a day (plus land excursions) ensure that your voyage transcends into a treasured adventure.
• Lammer Law- Lammer Law was designed by the Muirheads and built in Canada. It offers lots of space and comfort for naturalist and diving cruises. Attractive and functional, Lammer Law has 8 very spacious cabins for 16 passengers.
• The Encantada- translated to The Enchanted, it is a 70 foot yacht that can accommodate 12 passengers.
• Ecoventura- Ecoventura’s signature fleet includes three identical yachts custom-designed for Galapagos cruising: the M/Y Eric, Flamingo I and Letty. Built in 1991 and refurbished annually, these superior first-class sister yachts accommodate no more than 20 guests and feature three decks of spacious staterooms with polished teak interiors trimmed with shiny brass fittings.
• Estrella del Mar- this yacht can accommodate 16 divers on board. It has a speed of 8 knots. Additionally, it has a large staging area, air compressor, tanks, weights, and diving equipment available for rent. The Estrella del Mar is a First Class Galapagos Islands Cruise. All cabins have windows, air-conditioning and a private bathroom. The yacht features wide sun-decks, bar and comfortable dining / lounge areas.
• Humboldt Explorer- Humboldt Explorer accommodates 16 passengers in 8 comfortable double cabins with full-size twin beds that can be converted to queen beds. All cabins have an ocean view, air-conditioning, hot water, TV/DVD

Diving Tips in the Galapagos Islands

When choosing a dive operator, divers much be very careful of whom they chose. Just because someone has a dive master's license does not necessarily mean they were trained for it - many in Ecuador were literally purchased. Divers should also be particularly careful about Dive Shops and Operators claiming to be PADI or SSI Certified; many of the stores are simply displaying the PADI/SSI logo and are not actually certified or associated with either of these bodies. Always ask to see the original certification and thoroughly question the level of experience of the chosen dive master and operator. If in doubt, the PADI/SSI website can be checked for certified Dive Centers in Ecuador.

Back to "Galapagos Scuba Diving, part 1"

Galapagos scuba diving

Diving in the Galapagos is unique to the islands because they are located in the confluence of seven different oceanic currents. Galapagos is a superb place for diving and is considered one of the seven top spots in the world for this activity. Additionally, the Galapagos Islands have a high-level of ecosystem protection, so the variety and abundance of Galapagos fish and marine mammal species is astounding. It is easy to see a diverse number of marine animals and corral underwater. It is best to visit the islands from February to March because this is the beginning of the diving season and it is will not be as busy as the following months. There are two seasons in the Galapagos Islands and the water temperature at the sea surface ranges between 22oC to 26oC (71.6oF-78.8oF) during the Hot Season that is from December through April. During the Dry Season from May to November the water temperature at sea surface ranges from 18° C to 22° C (64.4oF-71.6oF)

Flight prices range from $416 from Quito and $345 from Guayaquil during the peak season, to $360 from Quito and $320 from Guayaquil during the low-season. There is also a $100 park entrance fee that you have to pay in cash upon arrival at the airport.

While scuba diving in the Galapagos is considered one of the best places for diving in the world, it is not an ideal place to learn to scuba dive because of the islands' strong currents, low visibility and cold water. However, there are still training courses available throughout the islands. A good location to get scuba certification is at Academy Bay, which is the harbor of Santa Cruz Island, the tourist and cultural hub of the islands.

The town of Puerto Ayora, the capital of Santa Cruz Island, is the best place to find diving agencies. Day trips range from $80 to $120 in price. Be sure the agency you choose is affiliated and that you are properly insured. There is also a hyperbaric recompression chamber in Puerto Ayora and there is a $35 fee that visiting divers must pay to use it.

Most dive centers use the same general framework for day dive trips. Generally, day scuba diving packages include two submerges at one dive site as well as full equipment which includes; 6mm wet suit, mask and snorkel, hood, gloves, boots, fins, weight belt, regulator and BCD(buoyancy compensator device).

The most common sites for diving from Puerto Ayora are Gordon Rocks, Cousin’s Rock, North Seymour, Daphne Minor, and Academy Bay among others.

Northern Islands

It takes 12 hours to get to Wolf Island from Santa Cruz Island. Along with king angelfish, there are many different types of reef fish. Depths range from 40 feet to 75 feet below the surface here. The best place to encounter hammerheads is in the diving area called the Landslide. It is easy to find hawkfish, sea turtles and guineafowl puffer fish here. There are many white-tip reef sharks in the caverns around the island.

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