North Central Galapagos Islands Dive Expedition

Meet at Passenger Pier in Puerto Ayora to go to the highlands of Santa Cruz and see the giant tortoises. If flying in on the day of arrival, a transfer to the pier can be arranged for an additional fee. Diver registration and equipment selection (if needed) are done at the dive center. Transfer to the boat and board to meet the crew. Lunch on board and check dive at Academy Bay.

After the check dive there is time for ATM visits, souvenir shopping, and sightseeing of the local town. A welcome cocktail and dinner is served on board. Depart at midnight for Punta Carrión.

Usually starting at 6 am, enjoy a morning dive at Punta Carrión or the northeastern portion of Baltra Island. Your first dive is followed by breakfast while Nortada refuels in Baltra. After refueling, start a two-hour navigation to Cousin Rock for one or two dives. The number of dives depends on the day’s schedule. Punta Carrión and Baltra NE are considered “warm-up” dives where dive procedures and equipment are tested and enforced or adapted. Depending on the conditions, encounters with white-tip reef sharks, Mola mola, sea horses, and several types of reef fish are possible.
 
Visit Cousin Rock, one of the most popular dive sites in the central islands. The islet is formed by volcanic tuff. Cousins and other dive sites in the area are characterized for their eroded surfaces covered by soft corals and gorgonians. Highlights include nudibranchs, frogfish, seahorses, sea lions, eagle rays, and schooling fish. 

Enjoy up to 4 dives during the day at Punta Shark Bay, El Derrumbe, Islote La Ventana y La Banana.

Wolf Island is located at the northwest of the Archipelago, and is known as “The Mecca of Sharks”. Divers are usually able to swim alongside several species of sharks, dolphins, turtles, eagle rays, and colorful schools of fishes. Wolf also offers an opportunity to explore the eroded underwater caverns and tunnels. Although 40 meters deep, the Anchorage is a great place to watch the Galapagos red-lipped batfish and a popular site for night diving. Meals are scheduled around diving, usually with one dive before breakfast and one dive after lunch. The better part of the night is spent in the anchorage and transit to Darwin starts in the early AM of the next day.

Darwin Island is located at the northwest of the Archipelago. Up to 4 dives are done today at this location. The island is considered as one of the best places to dive in the world. Divers are usually able to see several species of sharks, dolphins, turtles, eagle rays, and colorful schools of fishes. Schooling hammerhead sharks and whale sharks are the highlights of dives at Darwin’s Arch. Transit back to Wolf and enjoy dinner on board.

Sail back to Punta Shark Bay, El Derrumbe, Islote La Ventana y La Banana, for a stunning day with 4 diving experiences. After an exciting afternoon, navigate to Cape Douglas, about 100 nautical miles from Wolf Island. 

Enjoy one or two dives in Cape Douglas followed by a short transit of about 90 minutes to Punta Vicente Roca, where you can dive one or two more times. Isabela and Fernandina dive sites are where flightless cormorants, Galapagos penguins, marine iguanas, and several other endemic species can be seen consistently. The highlight in Cape Douglas are the marine iguanas feeding underwater, red-lipped batfish, horn sharks, Mola mola, and different types of baleen whales. These species are usually sighted during this day.

Start your day cruising to Cape Marshall, with volcanic walls sparsely covered with black coral bushes, located in the northeast coast of Isabela. During January to May, divers usually enjoy encounters with giant mantas, schools of fish, including the endemic black-striped salema, white-tip reef sharks, Galapagos sharks, and some hammerheads. Take part in four diving experiences for a perfect close-up of your Galapagos journey.

After an early breakfast check out from Nortada and land for a visit to the Fausto Llerena Breeding Center and Charles Darwin Research Station. The breeding center land visit provides an opportunity to learn about the breeding programs for giant tortoises and land iguanas. If required, a transfer to the airport with a visit to the tortoises in the wild can be arranged for an additional fee.