Sample Itinerary - (Feb 2013 - May 2013 - Awaiting confirmation for 2014)

The Galapagos National Park, who regulates all Dive Operations in the Galapagos Islands, issues each dive operator an itinerary permit each January for the coming year.  Please see below the January - May permitted itinerary.  Please understand that the in the event of conditions that are deemed questionable or unsafe for our guests our captain at his discretion may alter this itinerary slightly.

M/V GALAPAGOS SKY (7 Night Cruises)

Our Liveaboard Diving Cruises to the Galapagos are seven night cruises, and the itinerary offers a total of approximately 17 – 19 dives (check out dive included) all weather, current and sea condition dependant and 3 land excursions on every trip. Diving in the Galapagos is considered ADVANCED diving as it occurs in the presence of strong currents, cold water and at times limited visibility. Diving from tenders/pangas (small inflatable boats) is also the rule and not an exception in this World Renowned destination.

We visit Wolf and Darwin Islands on every trip – the diving there is arguably the best in the world! The Galapagos Sky itinerary has two days with long (you’ll be asleep) overnight navigations in order to get to these crown jewels of world class diving. 

You will enjoy 4 dives per day at Wolf and Darwin.

While diving the “central islands” on your Galapagos Sky cruise you will experience the diversity of Galapagos diving. Besides our resident mantas, sharks, and whale sharks, this is also the time to photograph little Galapagos invertebrates in vibrant color as well as keep an eye out for mola molas. Our 2013 itinerary also introduces a new dive area to the central islands, Isla Pinzon.

During your time in the central islands, you’ll also walk in the steps of Charles Darwin, with 3 guided land excursions. You will visit the Highlands in search of the Galapagos Tortoises in their natural habitat and also explore the lava tubes while later in the day you will finish this excursion with a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Center . The second land experience you will enjoy vary on which season you visit. Further details are provided below. Lastly on Sunday morning our guests will explore the Interpretation center in San Cristobal before your return flight to Ecuador.

As on any liveaboard or diving adventure – Itineraries may be changed due to current or pending weather conditions or at the Captain’s discretion for your safety. Itineraries can also be changed at the discretion of the Galapagos National Park who administer cruise itineraries.

Your Galapagos Cruise Itinerary

Sunday (Embarkation day):
Isla Lobos - Check out dive

When you arrive at the airport at San Cristobal on Sunday, the crew of the Galapagos Sky will personally meet you, collect your luggage, and escort you to the Galapagos Sky. Your dive bags will be delivered to the dive deck, and personal luggage to your cabins. After everyone is on board, we will introduce you to the boat and do our mandatory safety briefings and drill. Then, we cruise to the area of Los Lobos for your check-out dive.

This will be your first underwater introduction to Galapagos sea lions and fur seals! Watch them Zoom in and out and dance playfully for you!

Even on the first day of your liveaboard cruise – you begin to see the myriad and diverse land formations which comprise the Galapagos Islands topside. It is then you realize you will see nothing like it in your lifetime.

Monday:
Cousins up to 2 dives, with possible Panga Ride and Snorkel
North Seymour land tour

Cousins Rocks - these dives are an itinerary favorite and are done along a beautiful wall and allow for great viewing opportunities for corals, frog fish, sea horses, scorpion fish and octopus. It is also a great dive for large schools of Barracuda and also Hammerhead shark sightings. Sea lions will be your companions on the safety stops.

This dive is then followed by a Land Visit to North Seymour where guests can enjoy sightings and encounters with surfing sea lions, marine iguanas, blue footed booby birds as well as many other bird species.

Tuesday
Cuidad de las Mantas (near Cabo Marshall) 1 dive
Cabo Marshall 1 dive
Punta Vicente Roca 1 dive and Panga ride, Accessory activity if time allows

At Cape (Cabo) Marshall, on the north-eastern side of Isabela island, we will do 2 dives Tuesday morning and encounter rocky volcanic cliffs which drop down to the ocean’s surface and then slope into the blue. This is our best opportunity to see manta rays and mobula rays, occasional hammerhead sharks, turtles, and white tip sharks. We also see huge (HUGE) schools of the endemic salemas, and feeding sea lions. Also keep an eye out for chevron barracuda, snappers, yellow fin tuna, rainbow runners, and wahoo. There are also a lot of smaller fishes like creole fishes, parrot fishes, scrawled filefishes, pacific box fishes, and tiger snake eels.

This day we also visit Punta Vincente Roca for 1 dive. Our coldest yet rapidly increasing favorite dive – steep, deep vertical wall covered in soft coral, sponges, and endemic black coral. Regular sightings of mola mola (oceanic sun fish,) sea horses, bullhead sharks, red lipped bat fish, various shrimp and many other marine invertebrates. Our after-dive panga ride offers great photo ops for penguins, flightless cormorants, marine iguanas, sea lions, blue footed & nazca booby Birds, magnificent frigates and noddy terns. The diving here is chilly (particularly below the thermocline – but not to be missed!).

By definition, the entire Galapagos Archipelago is geographically remote. But after this day of your live-aboard cruise finds you heading toward the most isolated, northernmost part of the Galapagos Islands – the uninhabited, untouched, twin cathedrals of world class diving – Wolf and Darwin Islands.

Wednesday
Darwin, 4 dives

Thursday
Wolf, 4 dives plus night dive

Diving Wolf and Darwin

You’ll spend the next two days diving (up to four dives per day plus one night dive) the legendary islands of WOLF & DARWIN.

Most experienced divers will agree, Wolf and Darwin are the best diving sites in the world! Whale sharks are common here from Mid May through November. At The Arch at Darwin, you will see hammerhead sharks either individually, in small groups, or large schools. Bottlenose dolphins are common. The reef contains many warm water varieties of fish found nowhere else in the Islands.

Once you see Wolf and Darwin – you’ll immediately understand why there are no shore excursions on this part of the cruise – there is no way up the vertical cliffs!

Darwin Island: Considered by many experienced divers as the very best dive site in the world, The Arch at Darwin island (actually several dive sites depending on where you enter, currents, etc) honors its reputation. It is warmer by a few degrees than the central islands. In one single dive you can find schooling hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks, large pods of dolphins, thick schools of skipjack and yellow fin tuna, big eye jacks, mobula rays, and silky sharks. From June to November, it is not uncommon to encounter whale sharks in numbers of up to 8 different individuals in one single dive. The presence of occasional tiger sharks, black and blue marlin, and killer whales adds on to this amazing diving experience. If you still have time to look for smaller stuff, you’ll find octopus, flounders, and an enormous variety and abundance of tropical fish. Darwin Island is the biggest jewel on the Galapagos Crown.

Wolf Island: 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. On a night dive here you will also enjoy spotting and watching the Red Lipped bat fish walk along the bottom of the sea!

Friday
Roca Redondo up to 2 dives
Punta Vicente Roca up to 2 dives

Roca Redondo is a well known site for large schools of hammerheads and swift moving currents. This can be a pelagic wonderland with the currents and nutrient filled waters being a big drawn for many encounters with high octane species. In the afternoon we return to Punta Vicente Roca for more Mola Mola and unique critter encounters

Saturday
Northeast tip of Isla Pinzon- 1 dive
Highlands tour

Isla Pinzon - NEW TO THE ITINERARY- for 2013! Isla Pinzon is quickly becoming a favorite on our 2013 cruise departures. It has been described as providing opportunities for encounters with a variety of species of sharks, sea lions, mantas, eagle rays, and moray eels (keep your eyes out for a rogue whaleshark). Many Species of fish and tropicals including yellow tailed surgeonfish, king angelfish, moorish idols, steel pompanos, snappers, grunts, creole fish, octopus and barracuda.

This dive is then followed by a transit to Puerto Ayora and then a Land Visit to the Highlands of Santa Cruz to see the Galapagos Tortoises in their natural environment. A visit to the Lava Tubes are also included during the time ashore. Land Tours continue in Puerto Ayora to the Charles Darwin Research Center. This is where we will also disembark guests who have chosen to extend their holiday in Pto. Ayora, prior to returning to San Cristobal for Sunday morning cruise completion.

Sunday Morning
Land Tour and Day of Departure
Interpretation center

Arrive San Cristobal - (Land Excursion) visit the Interpretation Center where an interesting human history of Galapagos is presented, town walk (last chance for shopping). Late morning departure.