Built specifically for diving in the Galapagos, the Humboldt Explorer liveaboard has all the amenities, services, equipment and the itinerary required to ensure a memorable diving experience. The Humboldt can accommodate 16 passengers in 8 comfortable cabins (all with air conditioning and private bathrooms), with the ship having a wide range of facilities to meet its guests’ diving and relaxation requirements. Your diving experience will include Galapagos sharks, schooling hammerheads, marine turtles, schools of tuna, eagle rays, sea lions, whale sharks and more! The Humboldt live-aboard diving tour includes the world famous diving sites of the Wolf and Darwin islands. In addition to the up to 18 dives, the trip includes a total of three land visits/Galapagos trekking excursions. Humboldt offers a diving experience designed for diving experts, providing tanks, weights, air compressors and rental diving equipment, two rigid hull inflatables used for passenger transportation and diver pickup.
“My wife and I just completed a 5-day tour around the Cotopaxi volcano and the stunning Quilotoa loop – overall an excellent trip and wonderful experience.”
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 Cristóbal 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 Humboldt Explorer.
PM: Boarding will take place just after 1:00 p.m. and departure will follow soon. The crew’s first objective will be to take guests to a calm site off Lobos Island for a check-out dive and safety briefing. Following dinner, the Humboldt Explorer will depart to the next scheduled destination.
AM: This morning we will visit Carrion Point, which is close to the eastern mouth of Itabaca Channel, between Baltra Island and Santa Cruz Island. You will see some almost ever-present creatures such as sea lions, Creole fish and Blue-striped sea slugs. You will also have a good chance of seeing mobula rays cruising by – sometimes in small schools. Whitetip reef sharks are also commonly sighted here. And, if you are lucky, you might see some Galapagos sharks and hammerheads – especially if you’re a scuba diver.
PM: This afternoon we will head to Bartolome Island for a dive, depending on the weather. Upon arriving on Bartolome Island, you’re likely to see harmless Whitetip reef sharks sunning in these waters. For many visitors, this may turn out to be one of the best of diving experiences, as the water here is generally clear, without too much surf and full of marine life. This location is best known for its countless schools of rays and fish. Guests will then depart for the northern islands.
AM/PM: Wolf Island is one of those magical islands, with several dive sites to choose from. If you want to see sharks, you are at the right spot. This is a place for schooling hammerhead sharks, large aggregations of Galapagos sharks, and occasionally whale sharks. Seeing dolphins, large schools of tuna, spotted eagle rays, barracudas, sea lions and sea turtles is common. The bottom is littered with hundreds of moray eels, many of them free swimming. Being several degrees warmer than the central islands, you can look for many representatives of the Indo-Pacific underwater fauna. We will take four (4) dives during the day and possibly one (1) dive at night. Guests will spend the night here at anchor.
AM/PM: Transit to Darwin Island for four (4) dives. Sightings often include hammerhead sharks, red-lipped batfish, eagle rays, sea lions, Galapagos sharks, and silky sharks. Guests will spend the night at anchor.
AM/PM: Four (4) more dives on Darwin Island. Sightings often include hammerheads, whale sharks (in season), eagle rays, Galapagos sharks, silky sharks and whale sharks.
AM: Return to Wolf Island for three (3) dives. Sightings often include hammerheads, whale sharks (in season), eagle rays, Galapagos sharks, silky sharks and whale sharks.
PM: Long Transit to Cousin´s Rock
AM: Galapagos diving tours at Cousin’s Rock offer an excellent opportunity to see eagle rays, sea horses and sea lions. Lunch will be served in transit to Santa Cruz Island (3 hours).
PM: On Santa Cruz, guests will get to visit the giant tortoises in the highlands, the visit the town of Puerto Ayora and the Darwin Research Center on their own. Humboldt Explorer will then depart from Santa Cruz at 9 p.m. for San Cristobal.
AM: Guests will disembark at 9 am. Guests are free to visit the beach in the town of San Cristobal to see marine iguanas and sea lions in their natural habitat or take a short walk to the Interpretation Center. There will be transportation services back to the airport to catch flights back to Quito and Guayaquil.
Room | Double |
8 Days | US$ 6,295 PP |
Room | Double |
8 Days | US$ 6,295 PP |
Room | Double |
8 Days | US$ 6,195 PP |
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“The Samba cruise anyway was great, good boat, good food, amazing guide and friendly staff.”