$1000 off Humboldt Explorer April 23 – 30

Galapagos Diving aboard the Humboldt Explorer April 23 – 30 for $1000 off!  Dive with hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, sea turtles, giant mantas and more at some of the best dive sites in the world including Wolf and Darwin.

The Humboldt Explorer is the first in a new generation of dive boats in Galapagos. Spacious and comfortable with modern decor and excellent amenities. All cabins can either have two twin beds or a large single bed depending on the traveler’s needs. There is a partially covered sundeck with Jacuzzi and ample seating areas, a salon including a lounge area, a spacious dive deck with a large camera table are just some of the features.

The special offer is valid for the cruise April 23 – 30 and is $1000 off the regular $3995 low season rate.  Space is extremely limited.

Last Minute Dive Discount on the Deep Blue to Wolf and Darwin

Great last minute dive special on the Deep Blue March 19 – 26, 2012 on $2999 per person – $1000 off the low season rate

Itinerary

MONDAY
PM: Arrival to San Cristobal – lunch and check out dive at Isla Lobos

TUESDAY
AM: 2 Dives Punta Carrion
PM: Santa Cruz Highlands

WEDNESDAY
AM: 2 Dives Darwin
PM: 1 Dive Darwin Wolf

THURSDAY
AM: 2 Dives Darwin
PM: 1 Dive Darwin

FRIDAY
AM: 2 Dives Wolf
PM: 1 Dive Wolf

SATURDAY
AM: 2 Dives Wolf
PM: 1 Dive Wolf

SUNDAY
AM: 2 Dives Cousins
PM: Charles Darwin Research Station

MONDAY
AM: Interpretation Center & departure from San Cristobal

Space is limited

Galapagos Diving Last Minute Special

The Deep Blue just had cancellations on the departure August 22 – 29.  This is peak whale season!  Our reports from recent trips have been whale sharks on each dive at Wolf and Darwin.  If you are an advanced diver and have always dreamed of diving at Wolf and Darwin now is your chance.  We are offering spaces on this departure only for $2400 per person.  Space will fill up quickly.

Watch video from the July 7th departure ….

Dive Wolf and Darwin 2011

The new luxury dive yachts the Wolf and Darwin Buddy still have space available for divers interested in a live aboard cruise this year to Wolf and Darwin.  Dive with whale sharks and schools of hammerheads in one of the best dive areas in the world.  Christmas and New Years space also available. Price of the cruise is at a special introductory rate of $4195 per person.

Spaces Available:

Sept 10 – 1 space

Sept 24 – charter available (book a charter get 3 free spaces)

October 1 – 10 spaces

October 8 – 12 spaces

October 15 – 8 spaces

November 5 – 11 spaces

November 12 – 3 spaces

Novmeber 19 – 15 spaces

Novmeber 26 – Charter Available

December 3 – Charter Available

December 10 – Charter Available

Decemer 17 – Charter Available

December 24 – Charter Available

December 31 – Charter Available

Galapagos Whale Shark Project

The first whale shark of the year was spotted at Darwin Islet on May 20, 2011.  This was excellent news for Jonathan Greene and the other members of the Galapagos Whale Shark Project.  The project is designed to raise aweness of the importance of Whale Sharks to the intregity of the world’s oceans.  They hope to create protection areas both regionally and globally by using tagging technology and photo identification to determine the charactersitics of the Galapagos whale shark population.  The hope to identify the long-term migratory movements.

Each year between May and November a large population of female whale sharks congrate near Wolf and Darwin.  Why the females congrate there and there are no males is unknown as it is unknown where these whale sharks are the rest of the year. 

The Galapagos Whale Shark Project combines the efforts of the Galapagos National Park Service, the University of Davis California, Conservation International and the Charles Darwin Research Station.  The group set out this week for their first tagging trip. 

Visit their website to learn more about the Galapagos Whale Shark Project and how you can get involved.

Dive Galapagos with Survivorman Lee Stroud

Join “Survivorman” Les Stroud on the Galapagos Aggressor

Galapagos Diving aboard the Galapagos Aggressor is often called “The trip of a lifetime”!  Want to kick it up a notch? Join Les Stroud, star of the TV hit series ”Survivorman” aboard the Galapagos Aggressor, Feb. 2–9, 2012.

Best known as creator of the six-time Gemini nominated hit TV series Survivorman, Les Stroud continues to forge new pathways as a prolific, creative force. The only producer in the history of television to produce an internationally broadcast series entirely written, videotaped and hosted alone, Stroud is credited with starting the new genre of television known as ‘Survival TV’. Survivorman became the highest rated show in the history of both OLN Canada and the Science Channel US and among the most popular and highest rated shows on Discovery Channel US. Stroud has appeared in and/or produced numerous television specials including hosting the 20th Anniversary of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week; I Shouldn’t Be Alive; the Science of Survival, Surviving Sharks, Expedition Everest, Deadly Waters and the documentary feature “Off the Grid with Les Stroud”. Celebrated and captivating keynote speaker, musician and author and advanced survival trainer for the C anadian military Les clearly knows his subject!

The Dangers of Diving in Galapagos

The waters surrounding the Galapagos Islands are one of the top dive destinations in the world. These seas is chalk full of unique marine life and opportunities to dive with big animals like giant mantas, hammerheads and whale sharks. Infamous for swift currents and cold waters the Galapagos was once considered a destination only for advanced divers.

Scuba diving is an extreme sport with inherent dangers, however like anyone who participates in an extreme sports you have to now how to minimize these risks, one of these ways is by surrounding yourself with competent people. In the Galapagos divers have been putting themselves in harms way in order to save a few dollars. Too many with knowledge of the situation it is referred to as The High Price of Low Cost.

There are a number of Dive Centers located on the main street in Puerto Ayora. As you walk through town you will see many shops with their signs in front offering low cost dives sites like North Seymour and Gordon Rocks. In the evening divers can be seen hanging out in the front of the shop talking about the Thrill of the day all of this designed for one reason: to get your money.

While there are licensed dive boats offering day dive trips in the Galapagos. Many of these centers are travel agencies operated by an island resident, they then hire a local fishing boat along with its captain to discount dive trips. Sounds like a good idea when you first think about it however there is one big problem: safety.

There are simple rules for operating a dive boat, they may even seem obvious…like making sure all the divers are clear of the boat before turning on the engines…to avoid endangering the lives of the divers. However, the captains of these unlicensed fishing boats are untrained in the nuances of diving.

You might think, so what the dive master can help with those issues. The problem is they cant, in an effort to increase the bottom line these same dive centers are putting as many divers as possible on the same boat, mixing inexperienced and experienced divers. In many cases everyone is diving with just one dive guide. The result is no one is paying attention to safety and there are far too many dive accidents.

Most recently, on May 31, 2011, the boat Jetli I departed Puerto Ayora with a captain, dive guide and 5 unsuspecting divers. The boat did not have permits to offer diving to its passengers nor did it go to the port captain to apply for permits to leave port. The only activity in which the Jetli I has permits is to take its owner fishing, and then only when it had permits to depart from the port captain.

Last Tuesday, when the Jetli I traveled to North Seymour where the divers expected to enjoy a day of diving in the waters between North Seymour and Mosquera.  They had been promised the opportunity to dive with schools of fish, white tipped reef sharks, golden rays, garden eels, fur seals and maybe even some hammerheads. Though there are conflicting reports of what actually occurred – the Jetli I sank.  The passengers and crew were rescued by the yacht Esmeraldes II, where the passengers received first aid. The National Park, Port Captain and Navy are all currently investigating the situation.

Dive accidents like this with these unlicensed agencies is not a new story – it has become far too common place.  Divers have been seriously injured and there have been a number of accidents over the past few years. What all the accidents have in common is a serious lack of safety precautions and training on the part of the people offering the dive experience.

Everyone looks to stretch their money as far as possible these days – however at what cost? What you may not think about beforehand is what do you do if you have a problem? The reality of the situation if you dive with an unlicensed agency there is no documentation to prove you were diving with that company or even left port on the boat. If you have a problem or want to report an incident there is no way to prove anything ever happened and nothing can be done.

The best way to protect yourself when engaging in any sport with inherent dangers is to make sure you are knowledgeable about the sport. If you are diving in Galapagos only dive with licensed boats and with licensed dive guides. Do not dive with any company that allows more than 8 divers. Ask to see the Boat’s National Park Dive Permits before you buy the trip and the port captain clearance before embarking in the morning.

We call upon the National Park, Navy and Port Captain to more strictly enforce dive regulations in order to protect tourists from dangerous dive operators and by doing so encourage the growth of the Galapagos dive industry and a safe and responsible manner.

Top Places to Visit in the Galapagos – Wolf and Darwin

Our number 3 choice for top places to visit in the Galapagos is the water surrounding Wolf and Darwin Islands. The northernmost islands in the Galapagos, these islands are approximately 12 – 15 crossing from the central islands and can only be visited while aboard a Galapagos diving cruise.

Entering the waters here divers will see hundreds of hammerhead sharks, there are pods of bottle nose dolphins, Galapagos sharks, spotted eagle and manta rays, fur seals, sea turtles, there are schools of pelagic fish like tunas, barracudas, and rainbow runners. Marine life abounds here. Seasonally from June to November Whale Sharks can be encountered in large numbers.

Most cruises spend 3 days in the area allowing divers to take in all the area has to offer. Though diving in Galapagos is wonderful – the waters surrounding Wolf and Darwin offers some of the best diving in the world. It is the waters surrounding Wolf and Darwin that readers of Rodale’s Scuba Diving selected as the best dive site in the world.

Galapagos Aggressor Announces New Itinerary

In November the Galapagos National Park announced several new regulations and the enforcement of other rules that had been previously neglected. One of the biggest changes in the new regulations effects those diving in the Galapagos.

The waters surrounding the Galapagos is the second largest marine reserve and in the world.  For many travelers Galapagos Diving is the highlight of their trip. Approximately 4 years ago the National Park ruled that boats that offered naturalist cruises were no longer permitted to offer diving as part of their cruise. In November the National Park announced that boats offering Galapagos Diving Cruises are no longer permitted to offer land visits outside of San Cristobal and Santa Cruz.

To honor the National Parks new regulations the Galapagos Aggressor yachts have announced a new itinerary effective February 1, 2011. The new itinerary is as follows:

THURSDAY
AM: Arrival to San Cristobal – lunch and briefing
PM: Check out dive at Isla Lobos and welcome cocktail

FRIDAY
AM: Bartolome
PM: Two dives at Cousin Rocks

SATURDAY
AM: Two dives at Wolf
PM: Two dives at Wolf

SUNDAY
AM: Two dives at Darwin
PM: Two dives at Darwin

MONDAY
AM: Two dives at Darwin (Jun-Dec)
PM: One dive at Wolf (Jun-Dec)

AM: Two dives at Roca Redonda (Jan-May)
PM: Two dives at Punta Vicente Roca (Jan-May)

TUESDAY
AM: Two dives at Roca Redonda (Jun-Dec)
PM: Two dives at Punta Vicente Roca (Jan-May)

AM: Two dives at Cabo Marshall (Jan-May)
PM: Two dives at Cabo Marshall (Jan-May)

WEDNESDAY
AM: Santa Cruz Highlands
PM: Puerto Ayora – Visit to Charles Darwin Research Station

THURSDAY
AM: Check out and departure from San Cristobal

The 2011 itinerary adds diving at Roca Redonda and Punta Vicente Roca (Isabela Island), and in 2012 will add Pinta Island.

San Cristobal – Snorkel and Dive Sites

Snorkeling with Sea Lions

San Cristobal is somewhat unique in Galapagos Islands destinations – unlike the swift waters that can surround Isabela and Santa Cruz, there is little or no around Puerto Baquerizo or some of the most popular Galapagos Diving and snorkel sites.

Just outside of the port itself are the remains of Caragua a WWI German transport ship, this 100-year-old wreck whose sinking gave the bay its name – Wreck Bay.  Today the Caragua is one of the only wreck dives in Galapagos.  The wreck is approximately 300 feet long and you can inspect the ships remains inducing the propellers and boilers.  Today Caragua is a reef-like environment where you can dive with schools of fish, sea lions, sea turtles, marbled rays, yellow snapper and scopionfish among others.

Heading up the coast you’ll reach the ancient and eroded volcanic formation rising out of the ocean to form Leon Dormido or Kicker Rock.  Formed by two rocks reaching a right of just under 500 feet the rocks have the shape of a sleeping lion.  The rocks are home to a variety of birdlife including boobies, frigates, lava gulls and pelicans.

As stunning as the scenery is above the water it is under the water at Kicker Rock where things are really exciting.  A fantastic site for both snorkeling and diving Kicker Rock is home to Eagle Rays, Stingrays, White-Tipped Reef Sharks, Barracuda, Yellowtail Surgeonfish, Juvenile Grunts, Creolefish, Mexican Hogfish, Sea Cucumbers, Blue and Gold Snappers, usually lots of turtles and more.  Seasonally Dolphins and Whales are frequent sites.  In the gap between the two rocks Galapagos Sharks are known to live where as along the backside of the rock hammerheads are frequently seen.

Continuing up the coast of San Cristobal you’ll reach a sandy isolte known as Isla Lobos.  The walk on this Island can only be done with a licensed naturalist guide and allows you to see the nesting grounds for both blue-footed boobies and frigate birds.  Yet the reason most people come to Isla Lobos is to swim with the playful sea lion pups.  Isla Lobos is noted for the friendliest sea lions in all of Galapagos.  The pups here eagerly await the arrival of new playmates in the form or tourists.  These frolicking and barking ‘dogs of the sea’ love to swim up to you give you a small kiss then swim away waiting for you to chase them.  They will swim circles around you swim underneath you then turn to stare you straight in the eye awaiting for you to join in the fun.  Giant Mantas, fish and sea turtles are also common surrounding Isla Lobos – however the sea lions are the stars of the show.