Galapagos Cruise
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This Galapagos diving adventure will be aboard the 32-meter M/Y Galapagos Master, which launched just last year (2015). This 16-diver liveaboard has eight air-conditioned cabins spread across three decks, with all cabins offering stunning views of the Galapagos archipelago. Each cabin has its own private en-suite bathroom with hot water, in-cabin entertainment and ample storage room for all personal belongings. The boat has an official license to operate and organize diving activities in the Galapagos, ensuring that the ship has passed all safety tests and complies with the strict environmental rules of the Galapagos park. This 11-day/10-night Galapagos diving tour promises great adventure with the maximum of comfort and security. This tour will allow you to make up to 32 unforgettable plunges, including no less than 16 dives in world-famous Darwin and Wolf island dive sites. Photographers will find the indoor camera set-up station, with multiple charging points.
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AM: In the morning you will fly from either Quito or Guayaquil (on the Ecuadorian mainland) to the Galapagos Islands. At the airport on San Cristobal Island, after you will pay your entrance fee to the national park, a member of the ship's crew will welcome you and accompany you to your diving yacht: the M/Y Galapagos Master.
PM: After boarding at San Cristobal the Galapagos Master cruises to Isla Lobos (off San Cristobal Island) for your check out dive. The sheltered bay provides an excellent shallow spot, at a max depth of 9 m. (30 ft.), in which to check your dive gear but also become acquainted with some of the local marine life. Sea lions playfully interact with divers, whilst sightings of turtles and rays are also common. Sea iguanas may be spotted too.
AM: Off Santa Cruz Island, Punta Carrion is a boulder-strewn reef that provides a superb introduction to some of the larger pelagics we expect to see in the Galapagos, including Whitetip reef sharks but also the occasional hammerhead and Galapagos shark. Sea lions are ever-present and there is the opportunity for some macro critter spotting with sightings of neon nudibranchs. The wall has an average depth of 15 m. (50 ft.) and mild-to-medium current is to be expected.
PM: After a dry landing on North Seymour Island, we will take a short walk along its coast, where you will encounter Swallow-tailed gulls, sea lions and Cliff crabs. This part of Seymour Island is also known for being a major nesting site for Blue-footed boobies and one of the largest colonies of Magnificent frigatebirds (a species different from the Great frigatebird). As you enjoy this relaxing hike around various nesting sites, you can also spot both of the endemic species of iguanas: marine iguanas and land iguanas.
AM/PM: Darwin Island, an extinct volcano reaching 165 m. (490 ft.) above sea level, was named in honor of naturalist Charles Darwin. It is amongst the smallest island within the Galapagos Archipelago and like Wolf Island, no land visits are permitted. Perhaps the most famed dive site is “Darwin’s Arch” which provides an amazing drift dive along the wall at an average depth of just 9 m. Medium to strong currents are to be expected but bring with them hammerheads, black tips, silky and Galapagos sharks – and in large numbers! Schools of jacks are a common sight, along with turtles, angelfish and moray eels. Occasional sightings of tiger sharks, manta rays and bottlenose dolphins make for a thrilling time spent here. Whale sharks may also be seen between May-November.
AM/PM: Continued diving off Darwin Island (2 morning dives and 2 afternoon dives)
AM/PM: Wolf Island, named after the German geologist Theodor Wolf, is an extinct volcano reaches 253 m. (780 ft.) above sea level and lies some 160 km (100 miles) northwest of Isabela Island. Land visits are not permitted however bird life, including red-footed boobies and vampire finch, may be spotted from the boat. For our dives here we choose from a selection of reefs and walls, most having typically medium to strong currents where the use of gloves and reef hooks is advised. Schooling pelagics are the main draw with sightings of hammerheads, white tips and Galapagos sharks at each site. During the season (May-November) whale sharks may also be seen here. Divers should also be on the lookout for red-lipped batfish, barracudas, moray eels and dolphins!
Continued diving off Wolf Island (2 dives in the morning / 2 dives in the afternoon)
AM: This morning we will make 2 dives at Roca Redonda (“Round Rock”). This underwater volcano, with its bubbling streams of natural gas (fumaroles) plays home to schools hammerheads sharks and barracuda. With typically strong, changeable currents and some down currents, the diving here is challenging, though with an average depth of 18m (60ft).
PM: Alternatively known as "The Ice Box", due to its chilling thermoclines, Punta Vicente Ramon Roca – off the northwest coast of Isabela Island – offers a wall drift dive, along which mola mola can be spotted. This afternoon we will make 2 dives here, where the occasional Port Jackson shark may also be seen as well as the endemic Camotillo (White-spotted sand bass). Punta Vicente Roca is not just for the larger marine life but is also a fantastic place to spot pacific seahorses, frogfish, octopus, nudibranchs, flatworms and a variety of sponges. We stick to a maximum depth of 30 m. (100 ft.) with an average of 18 m. (60 ft.) whilst enjoying some milder currents!
AM/PM: Today we will make 4 dives off Cabo Douglas (“Douglas Cape”). Situated on the northwest point of Fernandina Island, this wall dive, with an average depth of 20 m. (70 ft.), offers something truly spectacular and is now famed for the feeding marine iguanas that congregate here along with sea lions, fur seals and speedy penguins!
AM/PM: Today we will make 4 dives off Cabo Douglas (“Douglas Cape”). The craggy volcanic walls are covered with black coral bushes and the sheer variety of marine life is astounding. Sightings of manta, mobula and cownose rays are to be expected during the warm season (November - May). Meanwhile, shark varieties include scalloped hammerhead, Galapagos and white tips. Schools of chevron barracuda and black striped salema are regular visitors along with yellow-fin tuna and big eye jacks. And let's not forget the sea lions and turtles!
AM: Off Santiago Island is located Cousin's Rock. One of the most photographically productive dives of the region, Cousin's Rock is formed of coral covered rock and lava flow. Sea fans, hydroid bushes, red sponges and small hard corals encrust ledges and overhangs, sheltering hawkfish, nudibranchs, frogfish and seahorses. Plenty of larger visitors are also seen including giant manta and mobula rays, spotted eagle rays and hammerhead sharks. The wall drops beyond 30 m. (100 ft.) but rises up shallow to just 3 m. (10 ft.) providing an ideal spot to end your dive playing with the sea lions.
PM: In the afternoon we will go to the Santa Cruz Highlands and see "The Twins" (twin craters), which will be explained by your naturalist guide. These craters are surrounded by scalesia forest, where also live Ruby tyrants and small and large Tree finches. Later this afternoon, we will head for one of the most visited spots in the islands. Located on Santa Cruz Island, the Charles Darwin Research Station is primarily an international scientific research station situated on the outskirts of Puerto Ayora. You will be taken to its visitor center to learn about the geology, climate, natural history and the conservation of the Galapagos Islands. However, the highlight of your visit here will undoubtedly be the research facility’s Fausto Llerena Tortoise Breeding Center, which breeds giant tortoises. These enormous and slow-moving reptiles can live up to 150- 200 years and weigh between 250 and 300 kg. Approaching them in their humid and forested spaces is always an inspiring adventure. For decades, the Fausto Center was home to “Lonesome George,” who finally died in 2012 as the last of his particular species. The tortoises you will see here are accustomed to humans, so it’s an excellent spot for visitors to take photographs with them. Remember that looking at the animals is allowed, but touching is not; and it’s absolutely forbidden to jump over the walls or open the pen doors at any time.
AM: At the port of Baquerizo Moreno, the capital of Ecuador’s Galapagos Province, we will visit San Cristobal Island’s Interpretation Center, an excellent place to learn about the natural and settlement history of the archipelago. Here you will discover displays that provide information about the volcanic origins of the islands, the ocean’s currents, the archipelago’s climate, and facts concerning the arrival of different species. The islands’ human history is also showcased, chronologically narrating the most significant events related to the discovery and settlements of the Galapagos. From the dock on San Cristobal Island, we will take a short bus ride to the airport for your flight back to the Ecuadorian mainland. Enjoy the last view of the “enchanted islands,” a unique paradise with fascinating natural highlights.
| Room | Double |
| 11 Days | US$ 7,075 PP |
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