Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Islands

QUALIFICATION NEEDED: Experienced divers only with minimum PADI Advanced Open Water. Minimum of 100 logged dives.

 

Please note that the itineraries can change depending on weather and logistics at the Captain’s discretion.


The Galapagos Islands are a National Park and Marine Sanctuary. Over 90 percent of the land and all of the waters are protected. You’ll be visiting a part of the world which has changed little since the time of Charles Darwin. It’s unique location at the confluence of three major currents make it one of the busiest, fishiest, and magical underwater places on earth.

 

The M/V Galapagos Aggressor III is a 32m, sleek, luxury liveaboard yacht Diving amenities include a large swim platform with personal gear lockers, air/nitrox fill stations, rinse tanks, three-tier camera table with low-pressure air hoses and 2 warm freshwater showers.Topside, an attentive crew of nine is on hand to ensure the comfort and satisfaction of up to 16 guests. The Galapagos Aggressor III has eight newly renovated staterooms equipped with private bathroom and shower, closet, port window, individual climate control and TV/DVD. Guest can also enjoy the large partially covered sun deck with chaise lounges and deck chairs, hot tub, bar service and CD/stereo player. The onboard menu features a variety of American fare and local cuisine. Soft drinks, iced tea, beer, and wine are complimentary.

 

Diving Highlights

 

Santa Cruz Island, Punta Carrion
 40 ft. - 90 ft. dive with White Tipped Sharks, Stingrays, Eagle Rays and Marbled Rays, Scorpion Fish, Sea Turtles and Sea Lions.
  
Bartolome Punta
20 ft. - 90 ft. dive with Groupers, Creole Fish, White Tipped Sharks, Barracudas, Scorpion Fish, Sea Turtles, Guinea Puffer Fish, Red Lipped Batfish, Reef Corals, occasionally Hammerheads and Bottlenose Dolphins.
  
Wolf Island
1 to 3 knot current; 40 ft. - 90 ft. dive with Schooling Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks, Eagle Rays, Marble Rays, Galapagos Sharks, Silky Sharks, Eagle Rays, Green Turtles, Octopus, Sea Lions, School of Bonitos Tuna, Yellow Fin Tuna, Snappers, Groupers, Wahoo, Barracudas, Almaco Jack, Moray Eels, Parrot Fish, Dolphins, Galapagos Reef Coral, Sea Lions and Fur Seals. Occasionally Whale Sharks and Orcas.
  
Darwin Island
1 to 3 knot current; 40 ft. - 90 ft. dive with Schooling Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks, Galapagos Sharks, Silky Sharks, Eagle Rays, Green Turtles, Almaco Jack, Snappers, Groupers, Wahoo, Hawksbill Turtles and Whale Sharks. Occasionally Manta Rays and Orcas.
  
Cabo Douglas, Fernandina Island
20 ft. - 90 ft. dive with Galapagos Penguins, Marine Iguanas, Flightless Cormorants, Sea Lions, Seahorses, Sea Turtles, Horn Sharks, Red Lipped Batfish, Groupers, Snappers, and Creole Fish.
  
Punta Vicente Roca, Isabela Island
20 ft. – 90 ft. dive with Galapagos Horn Sharks, Red Lipped Batfish, Sting Rays, Marbled Rays, Mola Mola or Pacific Ocean Fish, Seahorses, Galapagos Penguins, Flightless Cormorants, Shrimps, Big Schools of Salema, King Angel Fish, Slipper Lobsters, Blue Footed Boobies, Frigate Birds, and Brown Pelicans.
  
Cousin Rocks
20 ft. - 100 ft. dive with Eagle Rays, Jacks, Sea Lions, Green Turtles, Barracudas, Fur Seals, King Angel Fish, Snappers, Puffer Fish, Groupers, Marble Rays, Sting Rays, Creole Fish, Black Coral.
  
Cabo Marshall, Isabela Island  (January to May Itinerary)
20 ft. - 100 ft. dive with Giant Manta Rays, Creole Fish, Barracudas, White Tipped Reef Sharks, Sea Lions, Fur Sea Lions, Yellow Fin Tunas, Groupers, Snappers, Salemas.


Diving in the Galapagos can be strenuous due to its currents and surge, varying water temperatures, limited visibility and diving from tenders. The trips are ideal for intermediate and advanced divers with a minimum of 100 logged dives. 

 

Sample Itinerary

 

Thursday - Day of Arrival

Arrive at Baltra airport and transfer to your boat at Itabaca Channel Canal . After boarding you will have a welcome and orientation dive at Punta Carrion in Itabaca Channel.

Friday

Santa Cruz Island 

Bartolome

2 Morning dives at Punta Carrion (Santa Cruz Island) or Bartolome Punta followed by an afternoon hike to Bartolome Summit and a panga ride at Pinacle Rock.

 

Bartolome: Penguins can be seen at this dive site.  Bartolome is a lovely area where guests enjoy a favorite land tour where they can climb to the top of the hill to where breathe taking views abound. Our panga ride offers great topside photo ops for penguins, flightless cormorants, marine iguanas, sea lions, blue footed & nazca booby Birds, magnificent frigates and noddy terns.

Saturday

Wolf Island

January to May: 4 Dives at Wolf: 2 morning, 2 afternoon dives. June to December: 2 morning dives, 1 afternoon and 1 night dive.

 

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!

Sunday

Darwin Island

January to May: 2 morning dives at Darwin and 2 afternoon dives at Wolf. June to December: 2 morning dives and 2 afternoon dives at Darwin.

 

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 multiple numbers on 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.

Monday

Cabo Marshall or Darwin Island

January to May:  4 dives at Cabo Marshall; 2 morning dives, 1 afternoon and 1 night dive. June to December: 2 morning dives at Darwin and 2 afternoon dives at Wolf.

 

Cabo Marshall: Drift diving on a reef as well as walls. It is common to see giant mantas here. You can often spot hammerhead sharks, white-tipped reef sharks and Galápagos sharks. Black coral grows along the wall. Large schools of black stripped salema can sometimes number in the millions. It is not uncommon to have large schools of barracuda.  Other fish include pacific boxfish, guineafowl pufferfish in golden and dark spotted stages, parrotfish, yellowtail surgeon fish, grunts, big eye jacks and Creole fish. Sea lions often come to mingle with divers.


Tuesday

Cabo Douglas 

Punta Vincente Roca

2 morning dives at Cabo Douglas and 2 afternoon dives at Punta Vicente Roca.

 

Cabo Douglas: On the western side of Fernandina Island, we will do 1 dive Friday morning.  Here you can expect to see Galapagos Penguins, Marine Iguanas, Flighless Cormorants, Sea Lions, Seahorse, Sea Turtles, Horn Sharks, Red Lipped Batfish, and occasional hammerhead sharks and white tip sharks. 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.

 

Punta Vincente Roca: 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. Keep your eyes open for fly bys from the flightless cormorants, penguins and maybe even a marine iguana. 


Wednesday

Cousins Rock

Santa Cruz Island

1 morning dive at Cousins Rock

Following your morning dive you will sail back to Santa Cruz Island and after lunch guests will disembark  to go ashore for a private bus tour to see the beautiful Highlands. This will include a scenic view over Santa Cruz and a visit to the Tortoise Reserve to see giant tortoises.

After the trip, guests can walk through town, shop and visit the tortoise-breeding center Fausto Llerena at the Charles Darwin Research Station. Guests will have dinner ashore at a local restaurant of their choice (only meal not included in the cruise). The Galapagos Agressor will depart at 10pm from Puerto Ayora town to Baltra.

Thursday - Day of Departure

Guests will have a full breakfast then check out and depart for Baltra Airport.

Map of Galapagos route by Aggressor liveaboards

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