Galaxy Diver - 8D Diving Cruise Itinerary

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 Dive master will hold a short briefing on all safety and emergency protocols.

Lunch is served onboard.

PM: BALTRA NORTHEAST

The first dive in the Galapagos Islands is the moment to test the equipment to allow divers to maintain adequate buoyancy to take care of the bottom and marine life, in addition to checking that the diving equipment works properly. While exploring the site you can enjoy schools of reef fish, skate rays, eagle rays, moray eels, turtles, garden eels, white tip sharks.

Immersions: 1 (Check out Dive)

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Lodging: Yacht Galaxy Diver

AM: THE LANDSLIDE / WINDOW ISLET 
You can only access the El Derrumbe dive site on Lobo Island from a dive cruise. It is known locally as El Derrumbe and is one of the most famous dive sites in the archipelago. This day we will make one of the most interesting and remote visits. It was so named because it was visited by Theodor Wolf, the German geologist who spent many years mapping and studying the geology of Galapagos. Wolf Island has a very large colony of seabirds (Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, frigate birds, swallow-tailed gulls) and under its waters a great variety of reef fish, green turtles, hawksbill turtles, jacks, Galapagos sharks, silky sharks, school of hammerhead sharks, eagle rays, bottlenose dolphins, sea lions. From July to November is the whale shark season, where you can enjoy the sighting of these gigantic creatures.

El Derrumbe is especially known for the sighting of hammerhead sharks and Galapagos sharks. Whale sharks have also been found here, as well as a variety of fish, rays, turtles, marine mammals and many more iconic Galapagos creatures.

Dives: 2
Difficulty: Moderate

PM: LA BANANA / SHARK BAY 
The northern islet known by locals as La Banana is a wall dive with caverns, tunnels and a pinnacle. There is always a moderate to strong current here and visibility is usually limited. Some impressive and large animals are seen here, such as whale sharks, hammerhead sharks and dolphins.
Shark Bay, on Wolf Island, is a dive site known to be one of the best places in Galapagos to see hammerhead sharks and Galapagos sharks. The giants of the sea "whale sharks" have also been found here, as well as a variety of fish, Galapagos rays, turtles, marine mammals and many more iconic Galapagos creatures.
Dives: 2
Difficulty: Moderate
 

AM: THE ARENAL 
Darwin Island, rich in the variety of its pelagic species in the depths of the Pacific Ocean and one of the smallest islands of the archipelago, is a spectacular area for diving, as it is considered one of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World. It is located near Wolf. Arenal is considered one of the best diving spots in the world, descending from Darwin's Arch. The currents are moderate to strong and the depth varies from 46 to 121 feet, with a visibility of 40 to 80 feet. An incredible variety of marine fauna can be found, such as the usual dolphins feeding on schools of fish, hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, rays, rays, Galapagos sharks and even tiger sharks and killer whales. It offers a unique experience, not only for the impressive marine life, but also for the geological formations.

Dives: 2
Difficulty: Moderate

PM: DARWIN'S TOWERS (FORMERLY KNOWN AS DARWIN'S ARCH)  
On May 17, 2022, the famous Darwin's Arch collapsed at the top of its structure, leaving a "pillar" shape, but this new shape has not affected its marine life. Like Wolf, Darwin has a large seabird colony (red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, frigate birds) and is also a hot spot for giant whale sharks that visit the Galapagos Islands every year from July to November. The peculiarity of the whale shark populations is that 99% of the sightings are apparently pregnant females. The abundance of marine life surrounding the famous Darwin's Arch is unique, a great variety of reef fish, hammerhead sharks in cleaning stations, Galapagos sharks, silky sharks, hawksbill turtles, green turtles, moray eels, lobsters, jacks, bottlenose dolphins.

Dives: 2
Difficulty: Moderate to advanced
 

AM: SHARK BAY / WINDOW ISLET 

Shark Bay, on Wolf Island, is an underwater hotspot known for being one of the best dive sites in Galapagos to see hammerhead sharks and Galapagos sharks. The giants of the sea "whale sharks" have also been found here, as well as a variety of fish, Galapagos rays, turtles, marine mammals and many more iconic Galapagos creatures.

Dives: 2
Difficulty: Moderate to Advanced

PM: THE CAVE COLLAPSE / BANANA DIVE

El Derrumbe is especially known for sightings of hammerhead sharks and Galapagos sharks. Whale sharks have also been found here, as well as a variety of fish, rays, turtles, marine mammals and many more iconic Galapagos creatures.
On the northern islet, known by locals as La Banana, there are wall dives, as well as caverns, tunnels and a pinnacle. There is always a moderate to strong current here and visibility is usually limited. Some impressive and large animals are seen here, such as whale sharks, hammerhead sharks and dolphins.

Dives: 2
Difficulty: Moderate to advanced
 

AM: CAPE DOUGLAS
We dive at Cape Douglas in the morning to observe the graceful marine iguanas feeding on seaweed, underwater. They can first be observed basking in the sun to warm up and then go into the sea to feed for about 20 minutes, return to shore and warm up again. It will be different to see them lying on the beach, but their appearance is different, even elegant in the water. A dive with unique species in the world such as the red-lipped batfish, sea lions and the famous Galapagos marine iguana, you can also have encounters with the Galapagos penguin and the flightless cormorants that usually hunt.

Dives: 1
Difficulty: Moderate

PM: PUNTA VICENTE ROCA 

Punta Vicente Roca, is located on the northwest coast of Isabela Island. There are few colorful dives in Galapagos and this site is one of them, the abundant concentration of corals and gorgonians make this site one of the best to enjoy with macro life such as seahorses, different species of nudibranchs, toadfish, cat shark, possible sightings of penguins and flying cormorants, green turtle, and one of the main attractions of the site is the world's largest bony fish the Mola Alexandrini (a species of Mola Mola).

Dives: 1
Difficulty: Moderate
 

AM: CAPE MARSHALL

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

Dives: 2
Difficulty: Moderate

PM: MANTA RAY CITY 

Giant manta rays are highly migratory, however, this dive site has sightings year round, with high peaks in the July to November season where the Humboldt current attracts more plankton which is the main diet of these species, as well as mobulas, sea turtles, rays, schools of reef fish, schools of barracudas.

Dives: 1
Difficulty: Moderate
 

AM: COUSIN ROCK
Another colorful dive site in Galapagos, a beautiful wall with corals and gorgonians where you can see macro life such as seahorses, reef fish, toad fish, coral hawks, variety of nudibranchs, you can also see a school of eagle rays, white tip sharks, mobulas, school of barracudas, sea lions.

Dives: 2
Difficulty: Moderate

PM: BARTOLOME
Bartolome is one of the most emblematic places in Galapagos and one of the few places where you can see penguins without having to go to the remote western areas of Isabela and Fernandina. You will get excellent views from Pinnacle Rock, located on the north side of the island, right next to a beautiful peach-colored sand beach.

The hike to the top of the island is fantastic and will give you incredible views of lunar landscapes with scattered volcanic cones. From this vantage point you will see many islands as well as Sullivan's Bay and Pinnacle Rock.

Snorkeling: You will have the option of swimming or snorkeling from the beach. This area has a well-deserved reputation as one of the best snorkeling spots in Galapagos, not only for its clear and calm waters, but also for 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.

AM: THE TWINS

The Twin Craters or also known as "Los Gemelos", are located on the road to the Altos de 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, but were created by the collapse of surface material into subway fissures and chambers. You will have a wonderful view of the local flora, such as Scalesia plants. In this place it is also possible to observe the endemic long-eared owl.

Afterwards, transfer to the airport for your flight back to mainland Ecuador.