Galapagos Scuba Diving Tour 7 Days

Upon your arrival to Baltra’s Airport , clear customes,  your Naturalist Guide will be waiting for you. You will start your experience visiting  the Giant Tortoises of Gaklápagos and Lava tunnels. Upon tour arrival to  Puerto Ayora town at Santa Cruz Island  you will be transfer to your hotel for time al leisure and overnight.

Overnight at Hotel Deja Vu or Similar ***

Location: Located east of Santiago Island,  is a small Island an it´s the famous Bartholome pinnacle. Opportunity  to dive  in sites located at 1 hour approx.   from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz Island).

Site Conditions: Moderate currents. A platform is found at approximately 10 meters  depth where a variety of reef fishes reside. On the edge of this platform there are underwater cliffs which start at about 15 meters deep with good probabilities to observe pelagic species.

Activity: White tip reef shark, reef fishes, barracudas, turtles, modulas, sting rays, variety of invertebrates.

COUSINS

Location: North-east of Santiago island near Bartholomew island. Dive sites located at 1 hour aprox. from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz Island).

Site Conditions: Normally there are no strong currents at this site; this is partly a reef dive, partly a wall dive where the endemic black coral is found.

Activity: Cleaning station, sea horses, barracudas, sea lions, Galapagos sharks, white tip reef shark, turtles, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, variety of invertebrates. At surface interval penguins can be observed.

Location: North of Santa Cruz Island, an exposed rock, one dive site located 30 minutes from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz Island).

Site Conditions: Normally there are no strong currents at this site, rocky and sandy bottom.

Activity: here we find a small cave (this is NOT a cave dive) where white tip ref. sharks rest, additionally there is a pinnacle where we find a diversity of rays, Galápagos sharks, turtles, coral reef fishes, barracudas, black coral walls and variety of invertebrates.

Location: South of Santa Cruz Island, 3 possible dive sites: Punta Cormorant, Champion and Enderby; it is 1 hour and a half away from our base.

Site Conditions: mean depth of 18 mtr. Normally this site does not present strong currents. This is a reef dive site where corals and sponges can be found.

Activity: Cleaning station, sea lions, Galapagos sharks, white tip reef shark, turtles, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, barracudas, variety of invertebrates.

(min. experience to participate: 25 logged dives or the previous evaluation of our dive guides at another site)

Location: North of Santa Cruz Island, 2 dive sites located 30 minutes from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz Island).

Site Conditions: This rock formation is a world renowned site, for intermediate and advanced divers due to the strong currents and surge.

Activity: Hammerhead shark, cleaning station, Galapagos sharks, white tip reef shark, mobulas, turtles, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, Galapagos eel, barracudas, variety of invertebrates.

PUNTA CARRION

Location: Is the most prominent point at the north east of Santa Cruz, the dive site is an outer part of the east point of Santa Cruz is a cliff that drops to over 30mtr deep, with fallen stones for erosion reasons. The inside of the north side is a channel that divides Santa Cruz of Baltra Island this channel is between 12 and 14mtr deep, it is the most quiet and safe site for diving.

Site Conditions: depending on the wind, the east side can be a bit choppy and the currents can be mild to intermediate, is a good place to find thermoclines that has many nutrients.

Activity: White tip shark, sting rays and eagle rays and marbled, scorpion fish, turtles and sea lions; shoals of reef fish such as grunts and ojones.

Location: Off east coast of Santa Cruz

Site Conditions: Currently, visitors are forbidden to go ashore on North Plaza, but diving off the backside of North Plaza is a nice, easy and relaxing dive, with relatively little current or surge. The dive usually begins along the center of the north shore, where a boulder slope with a gradual incline falls to a sand bottom at about 24m (80 ft) white- tipped reef sharks, marble and diamond rays, and waving fields of Galapagos garden eels are found in sandy patches throughout this boulder slope.

Activity: Most of the action takes place in the first 14 m (45 ft). There are huge schools of yellowtail surgeonfish yellow tailed mullets and lots of parrotfish in the shallows. You are more likely to see pelagic, including hammerheads and Galápagos sharks, at the eastern end of the islet. This eastern point can be very good, especially in the warm season (January- May in particular) because cross- currents can bring in manta rays, and even snorkelers can enjoy a lengthy swim with these marvelous creatures. Solitary whale sharks occasionally visit in the hot season Whether snorkeling or diving, sea lions become constant “buddies”.

After arrival to your hotel it is time to say good bye, however we  invite you to revise our tours in Ecuador Mainland, Peru  and Colombia Tours. If is your desire to stay  one or more nights in Quito City or extend your time in Ecuador , we can always help you with some suggestions for you to  optimize your time  exploring this paradise called Ecuador.