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Galapagos Scuba Diving Liveaboard Trip – The Ultimate Adventure
Diving the Galapagos is a bucket list experience for many divers. In one dive trip you can dive with schooling hammerheads, whale sharks, dolphins, silky sharks, mola molas, penguins, marine iguanas, sea lions and more. This is the ultimate diving experience and one that needed to be included on Experiences You Should Have Podcast.
Interview with Galapagos Dive Instructor, Natalia Cifuentes
Listen to the podcast episode above on the Diving the Galapagos with Natalia Cifuentes from Galapagos Master Liveaboards. Natalia is also known as Naty is an underwater guide at the Galapagos National Park and she has been guiding for Master Liveaboards for the past 4 years. She is a PADI IDC Staff Instructor and she is obsessed with marine life. She has an adventurous personality and she tells all on diving the Galapagos with the host Gail Menasco.
Why This Episode of Diving the Galapagos is So Special
The host of Experiences You Should Have Podcast, Gail Menasco, came up with the idea for the podcast back in 2017. Conveniently, she was about to live her dream of diving with schooling hammerheads in the Galapagos. She knew that the people on that boat were her type of people… people who value experiences.
Gail bought microphones, created a logo, and headed to San Cristobal Island with the intention of interviewing guests on the boat about unique experiences you should have (that can be replicated). The podcast was then born while on a bucket list diving trip. Watch a summary of her trip below on the Galapagos Master Liveaboard.
COVID-19 Restrictions for Diving the Galapagos
Bear in mind you need to check up on Galapagos and Ecuador’s COVID-19 guidelines for going on this trip. Currently as of early 2021, you need to show a negative PCR COVID test taken within 3 days of travel before entering Ecuador.
Galapagos Scuba Diving Itinerary
For the full itinerary for a Scuba Diving liveaboard trip to the Galapagos, check out Master Liveaboard’s site. Here is a breakdown of the dive sites and islands you’ll be visiting when you dive the Galapagos.
Starts in San Cristobal Island
The Galapagos is part of Ecudor and lies 600 miles west of mainland Ecuador. To get to San Cristobal Island, you must take a flight from Quito or Guayaquil. The guides will meet you at the airport on San Cristobal and will take you to get on a dingy to the amazing Galapagos Master V, where you will do a checkout dive to prepare your weights and get acclimated. Plan on seeing some fun and playful sea lions right off the island while doing your checkout dive in the chilly water.
Journey to North Seymour & Baltra
While this is a dive trip, you do get to mini-land tour of North Seymour where your eyes can gaze upon sea birds, sea lions, and land iguanas. This is where you can see the infamous Blue Footed Booby. After a little time on land, it will be time to get wet and dive North Seymour so you have a chance to test your equipment before heading on the long journey to Darwin and Wolf.
Diving Darwin and Wolf in the Galapagos
If you’ve ever searched Galapagos Diving, you’ve probably seen the iconic arch at Darwin. Darwin is very far away and it can take 18-24 hours to get to Darwin Island from the main islands. Galapagos land trips do not head out to Darwin and Wolf as you can’t step foot on these islands, but these islands are a diver’s dream come true.
Diving Darwin and Wolf are a once in a lifetime opportunity and one that should not be missed if you are an experienced diver and love seeing big animals. This is where the magic happens and if you go at the right time of the year you can see schooling hammerheads, dolphins, whale sharks, Galapagos sharks, silky sharks, and more. It truly is an iMax experience. On Wolf, you may get to dive in a glorious sea cavern that will give you a view that will delight your eyes.
Diving Isabella Island
Diving Isabella Island in the Galapagos is an experience to remember. There is a fantastic dive spot there where you can dive with mola molas (also known as sun fish). This was one of the coldest dives on the week long liveaboard trip, so you will want a 7 mm plus a hood and vest (or dry suit if you have one).
Diving Fernandina Island
One of the most unique dives in the Galapagos is off of Fernandina. Here lies the amazing marine iguanas which are endemic to the Galapagos. The marine iguana (also known as sea iguana) are the only lizards in the world that swim out to see to feed. They look like they came straight out of a Godzilla movie and are one of the most unique species you can see in the wild. They sun themselves all day, then they swim out to feed. It’s very important to not disturb their feeding as they only swim out once per day.
Best Time to Dive the Galapagos
If you want to dive with schooling hammerheads then January – September (sometimes into October) is the best time to go. If whale sharks are on your list, then June-December are the most favorable months to witness these amazing sharks at Darwin and Wolf. If looking for both, then consider late summer/early fall months.
Skills and Certifications Needed to Dive the Galapagos
Most dives are greater than 18 meters (60 feet), so you will need an advanced Scuba diving certification to dive the sites on a liveaboard. Master Liveaboards also recommends at least 50 dives. Additionally, you need to be comfortable in the water and diving in current.
Who to Book Your Dive Liveaboard With & How Much Does it Cost
I highly recommend diving with Master Liveaboards. The staff is top-notch and the boat is one of the nicest liveaboards I’ve been on. Typically, one would expect to pay around 4-5K for an 8-day liveaboard trip to the Galapagos. That said, we are living in different travel times and prices are lower than what I’ve seen in the past. You can view the upcoming schedule and rates with Master Liveaboards here.
Make sure to give yourself extra time to get there because flights are limited and you don’t want to miss your flight to San Cristobal. It may be worth budgeting for an extra hotel night or two to make sure you get to the boat on time.
Also, it’s customary to give a nice tip to the crew usually about 10-15% of the trip cost (but do what feels right for you).
What Gear Should You Bring
- 7 mm wetsuit
- Extra vest and layers
- Diving gloves
- Dive lights
- Marine GPS
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB)
What If You’re a Non-Diver, Should You Join a Diver on the Trip
This really is a dive trip, so if you aren’t diving, this may not be the best trip for you. Consider splitting up and doing a land tour while a diver does the diving portion of the trip.