Diving sites

Genovesa Island

 

• Offers several dive sites on the east coast or inside Darwin Bay. Both areas are accessible for beginners or advanced divers.
   
• The breeze often affects the east side dive site, so there may be a surface chop. Frequently there will be a mild to strong current running parallel to the shore. The visibility may be from 12 to 20 meters.
   
• The dive site inside Darwin Bay is protected from the wind, and there is practically no current. Visibility tends to be around 8 to 12 meters.
   
• Commonly seen wildlife may include morays, reef fish, sea turtles and diamond rays.
   

San Cristóbal Island - Kicker Rock (León Dormido) 

 

• A wall dive in a spectacular location. There are numerous dive sites all around Kicker Rock, so that you can always find a place sheltered from the current. This makes it accessible to novices and advanced divers.
   
• Visibility varies from 12 to 20 meters.
   
• The predominant sea life includes pelagic fish, reef fish, turtles, sharks and octopus.
   

Bartolomé Island - Cousins Rock 

 

• A dive site at an offshore rock about three miles from Bartolomé Island. There are two distinct submarine topographies here. One is a nearly vertical stair-stepped wall; the other is a gently sloped platform.
   
• Sea conditions are variable here both due to the breezes and currents. Sometimes this can make for a challenging dive, but generally the currents are moderate.
   
• Visibility may be 10 to 15 meters.
   
• The sea life is interesting for the richness of the creatures attached to the rocks, such as corals, sponges, anemones, gorgonians, bivalves, Christmas tree worms, etc. We also see reef fish and pelagic fish, sea lions, sea horses, eagle rays, schools of barracuda, turtles and more. After the dive, you can snorkel to observe penguins.
   

Santiago Island - Puerto Egas

 

• Has its dive site on the northwest side of Santiago Island.
   
• The conditions are excellent for the complete beginner. The bottom is a shallow, irregular slope.
   
• Visibility is generally poor—from 8 to 12 meters.
   
• Animal life is primarily a great variety of species of reef fish, including many juveniles and Spanish mackerels, barracuda, and sea lions.
  
  

 

 

Fernandina Island - Espinosa Point 

 

• Has easy diving, generally without current. The site is a boulder slope, not very steep.
   
• The visibility is only about 8 to 12 meters due to the quantity of nutrients in the water. The rich water supports a varied ecosystem and is part of what makes this area so interesting.
   
• Usual sea life may include reef fish and pelagic fish, turtles, seahorses, shrimp and hornsharks.
   

Tortuga Island

 

• This dive site is about 30 minutes from the ship’s anchorage. This is a high but small island with several possible dive sites making it accessible to beginner and advanced divers. The submarine topography includes vertical walls and shallow slopes according to the different sites.
   
• Surface conditions vary according to the winds and on which side of the island one is diving. Likewise, the currents may vary from wild to strong according to the location.
   
• Visibility may be around 12 to 20 meters.
   
• Wildlife is predominantly reef fish, also turtles, pelagic fish, rays, sharks, lobsters and octopus.
   

Seymour Island 

 

• These dive sites are in generally calm waters. The size of the island allows you to choose among sites so that all levels of experience can enjoy dives here. The bottom is varied boulder slopes.
   
• Sea conditions vary according to the location, and currents are generally moderate.
   
• Visibility may be 10 to 20 meters.
   
• The animal life includes reef fish, turtles, sea lions, sharks, rays, garden eels, and pelagic fish.

 

North Seymour island

 

• Rocks and Sand

 

• Normal current 30 – 100 Feet

 

• Hammerhead Sharks, Manta Rays, White Tipped Sharks, Galapagos Sharks, Eagle Rays, Golden Rays, Green Turtles. Sea Lions. Fur Seals
  
  

 

Wolf Island 

 

• The topography of this island is rocky.
   
• Sea currents generally run from 1 to 3 knots.
   
• Visibility may be 40 to 90 feet.
   
• Species usually seen include schooling scalloped hammerhead sharks, manta rays, Galapagos sharks, eagle rays, green turtles, sea lions, fur seals
   

Darwin Island 

 

• The island topography is rocky.
   
• Sea currents are generally between 1 and 3 knots.
   
• Visibility may be 40 to 90 feet.
   
• Likely animal life include schooling scalloped hammerhead sharks, manta rays, Galapagos sharks, eagle rays, green turtles, hawksbill turtles, whale sharks

 

Santa Cruz Island:

 

Academy Bay

 

• This is an ideal site for introductory diving, checking immersions or immersions for beginning and intermediate divers.

 

• Each person dive at least one day in the Academy Bay area in order to get  acclimated to the diving conditions of the Galapagos Islands. Ç

 

• The beginning divers must make three immersions in this place before proceeding to sites further on.

 

• Permits diving with little current. 

 

 

Punta Estrada

 

• Interesting geological formation of a sea turtle canyon.

 

• It is possible to see invertebrates, tropical fish, stingrays, sea turtles, and sometimes golden rays or some whitetip reef sharks

 

• Permits diving with little current.

 

Caamaño Islet

 

• There you have a unique opportunity to swim and play with friendly sea  lions, many kinds of tropical fish and a few marine iguanas.

 

• Permits diving with little current.

 

Punta Nuñez

 

• Wall and cave diving. There are turtles, tropical fish and stingray here.

 

• Permits diving with little current.

 

Bajo Solmar

 

• This shoal in Academy Bay has an impressive number of fish, whitetip sharks, morays, invertebrates, eagle rays, stingrays, turtles and sea fans.

 

• This is a  good site for intermediate and advanced divers

 

 

Floreana Island: Enderby Islet, Punta Ayora, Champion Islet and Devil's Crown

• These are diving sites where we find sea lions, exotic fish, thousands of tropical fish, barracudas, black coral, whitetip and Galapagos sharks, moray eels, some hammerhead sharks and eagle rays.

 

• There is an excellent opportunity to see dolphins and snorkel with them. From the launch it is possible to observe and enjoy the marine and land life of sea lions, blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, penguins and marine iguanas.

 

 

 

Santa Fe Island

 

• An easy diving site with little current. Whitetips, turtles, stingrays and sometimes pairs of hammerhead shark, and you can snorkel with sea lions.

 

Other sites:

 

Gordon Rocks

 

• Advanced divers site.

 

• For see turtles, large cold water fish, hundreds of tropical fish, hammerhead shark, Galapagos shark, whitetips, blacktips, large morays, eagle rays, golden rays, stingrays and fur seals.

 

Cousin Rocks

 

• This site for intermediate divers combines shoal diving.

 

• It is a wall diving among sea lions, thousands of fish, whitetip sharks, hammerhead sharks, eagle rays and manta rays.  Invertebrates and black coral can be seen on an impressive vertical wall.

 

Mosquera Islet

 

• Large schools of garden eels, mantarays, whitetips and sometimes hammerhead shark and eagle ray along with many tropical fish and sea lions.

 

Daphne Islet

 

Wall diving with morays, whitetips, eagle rays, stingrays, sea lions, invertebrates, hammerhead sharks, turtles, black coral and hundreds of fish.