Galaxy Diver

Diving Itinerary

Day 1: Baltra Airport – Baltra Northeast
Day 2: El Derrumbe / La Ventana Islet – La Banana / Shark Bay
Day 3: El Arenal – The Darwin´s Towers
Day 4: Shark Bay / La Ventana Islet – El Derrumbe / La Banana
Day 5: Douglas Cape – Vicente Roca Point
Day 6: Marshall Cape – City of the Mantas
Day 7: Cousin Rock – Bartolome
Day 8: Twin Craters – Baltra Airport

DAY 1

AM: BALTRA AIRPORT

Trevelers are landing from mainland Ecuador. “Welcome to the Galapagos Islands”, Arrival at Baltra airport where you will  meet our dive guides at designated area.  Escorted transfer from airport to the Galaxy Diver. We’ll show your accommodations and the Divemaster will hold a short briefing on all safety and emergency protocols.

Lunch is served onboard.

PM: BALTRA NORTHEAST

Your first activity will be in Baltra North East, (check out dive) where you will disembark close to the yacht and have a first “Galapagos taste”.   Make sure you get comfortable, as you will be using this equipment during your complete diving cruise.

You may see some white tip sharks, Galapagos sharks, hammerhead sharks, school of reef fish, rays and barracudas

Immersions: 1 (Check out Dive)

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Lodging: Yacht Galaxy Diver

DAY 2

AM: EL DERRUMBE / LA VENTANA ISLET

The Landslide Dive Site in Wolf Island, only accessible from a liveaboard locally known as El Derrumbe, is one of the most famous dive sites in the archipelago, this day we will have one of the most interesting and remote visits, you came here to the renowned Wolf also considered as a sanctuary for its abundant and diverse marine wildlife. It was named like that, as it was visited by Theodor Wolf, the German geologist who spent considerable years mapping and studying the geology of Galapagos

El Derrumbe is particularly well known to see Hammerheads and Galapagos Sharks. Whale sharks have also been encountered here, as well as a huge range of fish, rays, turtles, marine mammals and many more iconic Galápagos creatures.

Immersions: 2

Difficulty: Moderate

PM: LA BANANA / SHARK BAY

The north Islet known by locals as La Banana is a dive site only for advanced divers.  Is a wall dive like caverns, tunnels and a pinnacle. There is always moderate to heavy current here and visibility is often limited.  Some very impressive and large animals such as whale sharks, hammerheads and dolphins are spotted here.

Shark Bay at Wolf Island is an underwater visitor point well known as being among the best dive sites in Galapagos to see Hammerheads and Galapagos Sharks. The giants of the sea “Whale sharks” have also been encountered here, as well as a huge range of fish, Galapagos rays, turtles, marine mammals and many more iconic Galápagos creatures.

Immersions: 2

Difficulty: Moderate

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lodging: Yacht Galaxy Diver

DAY 3

AM: EL ARENAL

Darwin Island, rich on the variety of its pelagic species in the depths of the Pacific Ocean and one of the smallest islands on the archipelago, is a spectacular area for diving as it is considered as one of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World. It is located close to Wolf. El Arenal is considered one of the best diving points in the entire world, sloping off Darwin’s Arch. The currents are moderate to strong and depth ranges from 46 to 121 ft, with visibility from 40 to 80 ft. There is an amazing array of marine wildlife you can encounter, like dolphins commonly sighted feeding on schools of fish, hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, rays, Galapagos sharks and even tiger sharks and killer whales. It offers an unique experience, not just from the impressive marine life, but the geological formations as well.

Immersions: 2

Difficulty: Moderate

PM: THE DARWIN´S TOWERS (DARWIN ARCH BEFORE) 

One of its attractions is the impressive stone arch formation, known as Darwin´s pillars – formerly the Darwin Arch. This is a fantastic marine wonderland and home to many endemic birds. You could spot sea lions, humpback whales, whale sharks, hammerheads, angelfish, dolphins, tuna, grunts, different fish schools, garden eels, moray eels, manta rays and many more….

It’s not only about underwater action, the cliffs of Darwin Arch are a popular nesting area for marine birds such as Nazca booby, red-footed booby, Swallow-tailed gull and the Sooty tern. Land birds include the rare Vampire Finch and Darwin’s Mockingbird.

Immersions: 2

Difficulty: Moderate to Advanced

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lodging: Yacht Galaxy Diver

DAY 4

AM: SHARK BAY / LA VENTANA ISLET

Shark Bay at Wolf Island is an underwater visitor point well known as being among the best dive sites in Galapagos to see Hammerheads and Galapagos Sharks. The giants of the sea “Whale sharks” have also been encountered here, as well as a huge range of fish, Galapagos rays, turtles, marine mammals and many more iconic Galápagos creatures.

Immersions: 2

Difficulty: Moderate to Advanced

PM: EL DERRUMBE / LA BANANA

The Landslide Dive Site in Wolf Island, only accessible from a liveaboard locally known as El Derrumbe, is one of the most famous dive sites in the archipelago, this day we will have one of the most interesting and remote visits, you came here to the renowned Wolf also considered as a sanctuary for its abundant and diverse marine wildlife. It was named like that, as it was visited by Theodor Wolf, the German geologist who spent considerable years mapping and studying the geology of Galapagos

El Derrumbe is particularly well known to see Hammerheads and Galapagos Sharks. Whale sharks have also been encountered here, as well as a huge range of fish, rays, turtles, marine mammals and many more iconic Galápagos creatures.

The north Islet known by locals as La Banana is a dive site only for advanced divers.  Is a wall dive like caverns , tunnels and a pinnacle  . There is always moderate to heavy current here and visibility is often limited.  Some very impressive and large animals such as whale sharks, hammerheads and dolphins are spotted here.

 Immersions: 2

Difficulty: Moderate to Advanced.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Lodging: Yacht Galaxy Diver.

DAY 5

AM: DOUGLAS CAPE

We dive Douglas Cape in the morning to observe the gracious marine iguanas feeding on algae, underwater. First, you can observe them catching sun to warm them up and later they will go into the sea to feed themselves for around 20 minutes, they return to the shores and warm up again. It will be different to see them laying on the beach, even disgusting while spitting saltwater from their noses, but they look different, even elegant on the water. You can also observe penguins, Galapagos sharks and different schools of fishes.

Immersions: 1

Difficulty: Moderate

PM: VICENTE ROCA POINT

Vicente Roca Point, at the northwest coast of Isabela Island, where different species can be observed: turtles galore, Peruvian grunts, flat worms, sponges, sea lions, frogfish, octopus, nudibranches, Galapagos bullhead shark, mola molas (the largest bony fish in the sea), penguins, schools of black striped salemas, sea horses, dolphins, tunas; and nesting on the shores, Nazca and Blue-footed boobies, pelicans and other marine birds, all of them feeding at the same time.

Immersions: 1

Difficulty: Moderate

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lodging: Yacht Galaxy Diver

DAY 6

AM: MARSHALL CAPE

Marshall Cape, located on the Northeast side of Isabela Island, with its populations of giant mantarrays, mobulas, enormous schools of barracudas, Galapagos sharks, sea lions and the, by now, traditional host of Galapagos critters. All these species are possible to see due to the plankton-rich waters on this area. Marshall Cape has another important attraction, the flightless cormorants, which can be seen resting on the shores.

Immersions: 2

Difficulty: Moderate

PM: CITY OF THE MANTAS

Its name says it all – it´s the city of the Mantas, so it is very common to see giant Mantas here. Seeing these majestic species on the bottom of the sea, swimming among kaleidoscopic fish, eels and turtles, is an unique and exciting experience for any diver.

Immersions: 1

Difficulty: Moderate

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lodging: Yacht Galaxy Diver

DAY 7

AM: COUSIN ROCK

We will dive at Cousins Rock, a small triangular volcanic rock with platforms full of black coral where it will be possible to see lots of barracudas, sea lions, salema, yellowtail surgeonfish, hammerhead and white tipped reef sharks, manta and eagle rays, lots of nudibranchs and frogfish, sometimes sea horses, small hard corals, red sponges, and sea fans; sea lions are always there.

Immersions: 2

Difficulty: Moderate

PM: BARTOLOME

Bartolome is one of the most iconic places in the Galapagos and one of the few where you can see penguins without going to the remote areas of western Isabela and Fernandina. You will get great views of Pinnacle Rock, located in the northern side of the island, right next to a beautiful peach-color sand beach.

The hike to the top of the island is fantastic and will offer you incredible views of lunar landscapes with scattered volcanic cones. Many islands are visible from this outlook, as well as the bay of Sullivan and the Pinnacle rock.

Snorkel: You will have the option to swim or snorkel from the beach. This area holds a well-deserved reputation of being one of the best snorkeling places in the Galapagos, not only because it’s clear and calm water, but also because of the presence of penguins, which are relatively easy to find while snorkeling, along with an incredible diversity of fish, colorful invertebrates, sea lions, turtles, rays and reef sharks.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lodging: Yacht Galaxy Diver

DAY 8

AM: TWIN CRATERS

The Twin Craters or also known as “Los Gemelos”, are located on the way to the Highlands of Santa Cruz Island. You will find them on both sides of the road leading from Puerto Ayora to Baltra. In fact, they are not real craters, they were created by the collapse of surface material in underground fissures and chambers. You will have a wonderful view of the local flora, like Scalesia plants. On this site it is also possible to observe the endemic short-ear owl.

 Then, transfer to the airport to take your flight back to continental Ecuador.

 Meals: Breakfast