Special 15 day Galapagos Itinerary

DAY 1 - TUESDAY - BALTRA ISLAND -Arrival , transfer & Check Dive

AM - Baltra Island

Guests fly to the Galapagos Islands from mainland Ecuador, arriving in the late morning. The GWSP dive masters and yacht dive master/naturalist guide will be waiting at the airport on Baltra Island. Once the group has collected their luggage and cleared the National Park immigrations we will  board the Yacht which will be anchored in the port 10 minutes travel by bus. After everyone has settled in their cabins the guides will give a briefing on ship life, national park rules and diving safety, whilst the galley crew prepare the dining room for a delicious buffet lunch.

PM - North Seymour (Check dive, equipment and weights)

After a briefing on the dive platform all equipment should be set up in readiness for the test dive. This will be at a nearby anchorage in calm shallow waters. Maximum depth of 12m. Although plentiful fish and usually sea lions and other species are to be seen, the objective is to check  weight and equipment for the following days.

DAY 2 - WEDNESDAY: PINZON, ROCA BLANCA & RABIDA

These remote islands offers diving with many different wildlife. You might encounter cownose rays & other rays, turtles, hammerheads and 6 other different shark specieas, sea lions, moray eels, lobsters, grunts, surgeonfish, scorpionfish, and the endemic Galapagos garden eel. One of the most exciting things you can spot here are the bait balls of Salemas, big schools of rays and Giant manta rays, with a wingspan of up to 7m.

PM - Island Rabida (land excursion)

Rabida also called 'The red island'. Result of the oxidation on the moment of its formation this island offers red landscapes with small craters, cliffs and a red sand beaches. Here, hundreds of sea lions formed a settlement together with a nesting colony of pelicans. It is one of the few places where you can find flamingos and the only site in Galapagos where the nine Darwin's finches are found. It offers also a small salty lagoon, Palo Santo forests and endemic cacti.

DAY 3 - THURSDAY: CAPE MARSCHALL / CITY OF MANTAS 

This area on the northeast side of Isabela island offers a few great dive spots. One of them is Cape Marshall, also called 'Ciudad de las Mantas' (City of Mantas), named for how common it is to see giant mantas. The plankton-rich waters of this area are an attraction for many species of rays - like the eagle ray or giant manta, white tip sharks, sea lions, green sea turtles and many more. The topography is beautiful and invites divers to enjoy their first dives in the Galapagos Islands.

DAY 5 (PM) - 9 - SATURDAY TO WEDNESDAY: DARWIN'S ARCH

Saturday: PM - Darwin Island (1 - 2 dives)

Sunday to Wednesday: AM & PM - Darwin Island (3 - 4 dives per day)

We will spend whole 4,5 days up in Darwin Island, far in the north of the Galapagos Islands. Darwin's Arch is the most famous and most impressive dive spot of the Galapagos. Per day we will offer 3 - 4 dives. All dives are at the same site, the world renowned Darwin Arch. We drop on to a rocky ledge and from a protected position watch the marine life swim by. Hammerhead and Galapagos sharks, Black tips and Silkies. Marine turtles abound and Bottlenose dolphins often pass by overhead. 

Huge schools of fish, tuna, jacks and Creole fish swim in the blue whilst dozens of other species inhabit the coral covered platform and ledges.

This is also the realm of the biggest shark of them all, the Whale shark. Frequenting the Islands between June – December over 95% of all sightings occur here at the Arch. Of these a staggering 99% are female and in an apparent state of advanced pregnancy. Why they come to this rocky volcanic outcrop remains a mystery and one that the Galapagos Whale Shark Project team is trying to solve. 

DAY 10 - THURSDAY: WOLF ISLAND

AM & PM - Wolf Island (3 dives)

Another full  day exploring the diverse dive sites of Wolf. The dives may take us to the swim through arches and along the spectacular walls and cave entrances. Again the local conditions will decide which are the best options dependent on current and swell. More time to observe the sharks and marine megafauna or study the massive diversity of life that inhabits the large coral heads and boulder slopes. Towards evening we set sail for the north of Isabela Island.

DAY 11 - FRIDAY: ROCA REDONDA & PUNTE VICENTE ROCA 

AM - Roca Redonda (2 dives)

On our way south to the western side of Isabela we will stop in Roca Redonda. The underwater fumaroles towards the southeast face of the islet are quite picturesque. One can witness bubbles created by steam rising to the surface of the water which makes one think that the volcano beneath the water surface might still be active. 

PM - Punte Vicente Roca (1 - 2 dives)

Afterwards on our way south we are planning 1-2 afternoon dive(s) in Punte Vicente Roca. The wall is one of the most diverse of all Galapagos for marine invertebrates and is one of the favourite sites for macro photography. Brightly coloured blennies, Long nose coral hawkfish, frogfish and sea horses can be found amongst the solitary corals, anemones, tunicates and sponges. Green sea turtles are present all year and whales are often spotted in these waters.

PM - Punta Espinoza (1 land excursion)

After our morning dives we will be sailing to Fernandina Island across the Bolivar channel which is an excellent opportunities for whale and dolphin watching. Showcased by many documentaries including BBC’s Blue Planet I & II, Fernandina Island is home to the world’s largest marine iguana colony. The island is also one of the most pristine islands in the world, with none of man’s introduced species to date. The flat jet-black lava of Punta Espinosa is a defining feature of its stark and barren landscape. Other features are lava cacti, black, white and red mangrove, Sally light-foot crabs, Galapagos hawks, and sea turtles. Moreover, the famous flightless cormorant inhabits this island. This a land visit you don't want to miss out!

DAY 13 - SUNDAY:  TAGUS COVE & CAPE DOUGLAS 

AM - Tagus Cove (1 land excursion)

In the early morning we will offer a beautiful hike in Tagus Cove. Tagus Cove is located on the Northwestern coast of Isabela. It is a historical site visited by Charles Darwin in 1835. The hike will bring us to a view point over the dramatic volcanic landscape of Isabela Island with views of Darwin Crater Lake. In Tagus Cove also can be found 7 different species of Darwin finches.

We will return by the same path for a dinghy ride along a shoreline full of marine wildlife. Here, we will admire a variety of seabirds, such as blue-footed booby, brown noddy, terns, flightless cormorant and Galapagos penguins. The Galapagos penguins are only 1.4 ft. tall (35 cm) and are the only penguin species in the world living in the northern hemisphere, that is, along the Equator. 

PM - Santa Cruz - Highlands with Giant tortoises

After the dive in Cousin's Rock & land visit in Bartolome we will head to Santa Cruz Island. Here we visit the highlands of Santa Cruz to see Giant tortoises in the wild. On our visit we also will make a stop at a lava tunnel and often mistaken for volcanic craters, Los Gemelos – or “The Twins” in English – are actually sinkholes.

DAY 15 - TUESDAY: NORTH SEYMOUR ISLAND & BALTRA AIRPORT

Early AM - North Seymour (land visit)

This place is the reason for many travellers and ornithologists to observe the spectacular and diverse amount of birds of the Galapagos. 

North Seymour is a fascinating place with open nesting grounds of blue-footed Boobies and the archipelago’s largest colonies of Great and magnificent Frigate birds. Blue-footed Boobies perform their courtship dance in the more open areas; Swallow- tailed Gulls perch on cliff edges; Great Blue Herons, Lava Herons, two species of frigate birds, and endemic snakes can also be spotted.

You’ll find endemic land iguanas 3.9 ft (1.20 m) in length. Despite the tremendous surf pounding the outer shores, sea lions haul their slick bodies onto the beach and can be found together with marine iguanas. The vegetation is sparse and typical of arid zones.

AM - Santa Cruz - Baltra Island / airport

Assisted by the naturalist guide and some crew members, the dinghy will bring you and your luggage to Baltra, where we will take the airport shuttle. Your guide will accompany you to the check-in counters in the departure hall. 

This is certainly one adventure that will change your lives and you will remember forever... until you return perhaps?