Galapagos, Humboldt Explorer

The Humboldt Explorer liveaboard offers incredible diving in the Galapagos Islands year-round. High season is July to November when conditions are colder, currents are stronger and visibility is lower, but this is the best chance of seeing whale sharks while diving at Darwin and Wolf. Low season is December to June when currents are less strong, visibility is clearer and the water is warmer. Hammerhead sharks, eagle rays, sea lions, Galapagos and silky sharks, and huge schools of fish are generally present year-round.

Central Archipelago, Darwin and Wolf Islands (Baltra - Baltra) 8D/7N

Day 1, Monday: Baltra

Guests fly from mainland Ecuador to the Galapagos Islands, arriving in the late morning. Dive guides will meet guests at the airport between 11:00 and 12:00 am and escort them to the Galapagos liveaboard. Guests board the vessel, have lunch, organize equipment, and listen to safety briefings.

Day 2, Tuesday: Baltra North (2 dives)

Equipment check.
7:00 and 10:00  am dives
Sightings include rays and schools of fish.
Afternoon land visit to North Seymour. Walk along the way around North Seymour Island to see the large colonies of blue-footed boobies and frigate birds. Sightings of sea lions and marine iguanas are also common.
Depart for the northern islands (long transit).

Day 3, Wednesday: Wolf Island (3-4 dives)
Dives at 10:30 am, 2:00 and 16:30 pm. Night dive possible.
Sightings often include hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, eagle rays, sea lions, Galapagos sharks and silky sharks.
Anchor at Wolf Island for the night

Day 4, Thursday: Wolf Island (2 dives)
6:30 and 9:30 am dives
Cross to Darwin Island (2 dives)
2:00 pm and 4:30 pm dives
Sightings often include hammerhead sharks, red-lipped batfish, eagle rays, sea lions, Galapagos sharks and silky sharks.

Day 5, Friday: Darwin Island (4 dives)
6:30, 10:30 am, 2:00 and 4:30 pm  dives
Sightings often include hammerhead sharks, whale sharks (in season), eagle rays, Galapagos sharks and silky sharks.
Transit to Wolf Island

Day 6, Saturday: Wolf Island (3 dives)
6:30, 9:00 and 11:00 am dives
Sightings often include hammerhead sharks, whale sharks (in season), eagle rays, Galapagos sharks and silky sharks.
Long transit to Cousin's Rock (20+ hours)

Day 7, Sunday: Cousin's Rock (1-2 dives)

6:30 and 9:30 dives (number of dives dependent on travel time from Wolf Island)
This is great macro diving with an excellent chance of seeing seahorses, sea lions and eagle rays. Lunch is served en route to Santa Cruz (3 hours). Travel by bus to the Santa Cruz Highlands to visit the giant tortoises in their natural habitat.
Visit the town of Puerto Ayora and the Darwin Centre on your own. Dinner on your own in Puerto Ayora.
Return to the Humboldt Explorer at 8:30 pm.

Day 8, Monday: Baltra

Disembark the ship at 9 am. Transfer to the airport.

Marine Life: The Galapagos Islands are home to the world's only marine iguana and the northernmost living penguin. Coral reefs share the same waters as fur seals. The Galapagos Islands are one of the few places where pelagic species such as tuna, manta rays and hammerhead sharks can be seen close to shore. No other place in the world displays such a diversity of marine life.

In addition, the geological and biological processes of the Galapago Islands have helped create a wide variety of habitats compared to other marine areas in the Eastern Pacific. Coastal areas include vertical cliffs, sandy beaches, rocky shores, mangroves, coral reefs, lagoons and hypersaline panne habitats. Submarine mountains, plateaus, ridges and valleys provide habitat for a range of marine communities, while the open oceans attract populations of pelagic fish.

Please note that these Galapagos diving itineraries are examples only and are subject to change at the Captain's discretion depending on local regulations, weather and logistics. Currently, the itinerary includes the same islands each week, however the order of island visits is dictated by the Galapagos National Park and may vary weekly.

Galapagos Special Itinerary B - Extended Specialty Itinerary (Baltra – Baltra) 11D/10N

Day 1: Baltra
Guests fly from mainland Ecuador to the Galapagos Islands, arriving in the late morning. Dive guides pick up guests at the airport and escort them to the Humboldt Explorer. Guests board the vessel, have lunch, and listen to briefings.

Day 2: Baltra North (2 dives)
6:30 and 9:30 dives.
Sightings include rays and schools of fish.
Afternoon visit to North Seymour: Walk along the trail around North Seymour Island to see the large colonies of blue-footed boobies and frigate birds. Sightings of sea lions and marine iguanas are also common.

Depart for the northern islands (long transit).

Day 3: Cabo Marshall (3-4 dives)
Sightings often include manta rays, barracudas, and many more.

Day 4: Punta Vincente Roca & Cabo Douglas (2-3 dives)
1 morning dive at Punta Vicente Roca. Sightings often include mola mola, turtles and macro life.
1 or 2 afternoon dives at Cabo Douglas. Sightings also include marine iguanas.

Day 5: Darwin Island (3 dives)
10:30, 2:00 and 4:30 dives.
Sightings often include hammerhead sharks, whale sharks (in season), eagle rays, Galapagos sharks and silky sharks.

Day 6: Wolf Island (4 dives)
6:30, 10:30, 2:00 and 4:30 dives.
Sightings often include hammerhead sharks, whale sharks (in season), eagle rays, sea lions, Galapagos sharks and silky sharks.

Day 7: Wolf & Darwin Islands 2 dives
6:30, 10:30 dives in Wolf. Transit to Darwin.
2:00 and 4:30 dives in Darwin.

Sightings often include hammerhead sharks, whale sharks (in season), eagle rays, Galapagos sharks and silky sharks.

Day 8: Darwin Island (4 dives)
6:30, 10:30, 2:00 and 4:30 dives.

Sightings often include hammerhead sharks, whale sharks (in season), eagle rays, Galapagos sharks and silky sharks.

Day 9: Wolf Island (3 dives)
6:30, 10:30, 2:00 dives.
Sightings often include hammerhead sharks, whale sharks (in season), eagle rays, Galapagos sharks and silky sharks. Long transit to Cousins ​​Rock.

Day 10: Cousin's Rock (1-2 dives)
6:30 and 9:30 dives (number of dives dependent on travel time from Wolf Island).
This is great macro diving with an excellent chance of seeing seahorses, sea lions and eagle rays. Lunch is served en route to Santa Cruz (3 hours).

In the afternoon, travel by bus to the Santa Cruz Highlands to visit the giant tortoises in their natural habitat.
Transfer to Puerto Ayora town. Dinner on your own in Puerto Ayora. Return to the Humboldt Explorer at 8:30pm

Day 11: Baltra

Price on request
Disembark the ship at 8:30am. Transfer to the airport.

Your Galapagos liveaboards include everything from sharks to nudibranchs and more. The islands are best known for amazing shark diving around Wolf and Darwin Islands. These small and remote islands are best accessed by liveaboard divers. Your diving experience here will typically include Galapagos sharks, silky sharks and many schools of hammerhead sharks being cleaned by king angelfish. Sea turtles, schools of tuna, eagle rays and sea lions are very common and from June to November it is very possible to see a whale shark. All the islands you travel to are amazing places for underwater photography.

Macro photographers will get their fill of seahorses, barnacles, coral swarmers and many others. Many dive sites have an abundance of rays (including spotted rays, marbled rays, golden rays and stingrays) along with sea lions, sea turtles, schools of grunts and snappers. The diversity of life in these waters is unique to any other location, with thick schools of the native brown, striped salema, snappers, groupers, chevron barracuda and giant sea turtles.

The final dive takes place on the last day of the trip. Divers are advised to wait 24 hours after the last dive before flying.

Sample itineraries and maps are for illustrative purposes only. The exact itinerary and sites visited are subject to change based on local regulations, guest experience, weather and logistics and are at the discretion of the captain.