Arrival to Baltra airport - Equipment check and safety briefing
AM: In the morning you will fly from Quito or Guayaquil (on the Ecuadorian mainland), to the Galapagos Islands. At the Baltra Island airport, after paying your entrance fee to the national park, a member of the ship's crew will welcome you and escort you to your diving yacht: the Humboldt Explorer.
PM: Boarding will take place after 1:00 p.m. and the output will follow soon. The first objective of the crew will be to take the guests to a calm site in front of the island of Lobos for a verification dive and a safety briefing. After dinner, the Humboldt Explorer will depart for the next scheduled destination.
Santa Cruz Island: Punta Carrion (2 dives) // North Seymour Island (land excursion)
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.
Wolf Island (3+ dives)
AM: 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.
Wolf Island // Darwin Island
AM: 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.
Darwin Island (4 dives)
AM: Four (4) more dives on Darwin Island. Sightings often include hammerheads, whale sharks (in season), eagle rays, Galapagos sharks, silky sharks and whale sharks.
Wolf Island (3 dives) // Long Transit to Cousin´s Rock
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
Cousin´s Rock (1 dive) // Santa Cruz Island: Highlands (land excursion)
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.
Departure back from Baltra Airport
AM: Concluding this amazing experience in the Galapagos Islands, you will be transferred to the Baltra Island airport for your return flight to the Ecuadorian mainland. Enjoy the last look back at the “enchanted islands,” a unique paradise with inspiring natural wonders.
Price per person
8 Days (Double)
USD$ 6295
Included in the price
- 7 nights/8 days on board the vessel
- 4 dives daily (weather permitting)
- 3 meals daily, except Friday’s evening meal
- Between-dive snacks
- Towels
- Linens
- Use of tanks, weights and weight belts
- All air fills
- Transfers in the Galapagos Islands
Not included in the price
- Airfare to/from the Galapagos Islands and land options prior
- Bottled soft drinks and premium alcoholic beverages
- Galapagos National Park fee ($100)
- Chamber support fee ($35)
- Tourist Card ($20)
- Crew gratuities
- Environmental fuel-use surcharge