Galapagos Diving

First Class Yachts

Overview

Galapagos is one of the top dive sites in the world. Famed for the wealth of sharks that patrol her waters, it offers unique and spectacular underwater wildlife. Hammerheads are the first and foremost attraction with schools in vast numbers gathering around the submerged pinnacles of Wolf and Darwin. White tips and Galapagos sharks are common too.

For those who like their fish even bigger, whalesharks are often seen in the blue, along with eagle, manta and mobula rays. Sea lions are incredibly playful, fast and sleek. The islands also offer the marine iguana, the only sea going lizard in the world, along with penguins and host of smaller fish from rainbow runners and sail fins to salema and snapper (if you can tear your eyes off the larger fish that is!)

Galapagos Seasons

Many people ask us what time of year is best to dive Galapagos. Both seasons are equally as good but following are the differences:

June - November: The water is cooler, 60-75F, 16-24C
Whale shark sightings are greater.
December - May: The water is warmer, clearer 70-86F, 21-30C Larger schools of hammerhead sharks, manta rays and eagle rays.

Conservation

Liveaboard diving is now highly controlled by the Galapagos National Park which means only a very small number of yachts have permits. Shore based diving is easier to organise, thought that is now controlled tightly by the National Park to protect and conserve these special areas.

It is worth noting that whilst spectacular, Galapagos isn’t easy diving – it is for experienced divers and we will need to ensure you have sufficient experience for your own safety.

Liveaboard

Agressors I & II - True five star luxury.
The premier live-aboard yachts in Galapagos, designed, built and equipped to offer a safe and luxury dive operation.

Category	Length	Guests	Cabins
First Class	100ft / 30 m	14	7

Galapagos is home to some of the best diving in the world with the very best dive sites reached only from liveaboards. Only a small handful of yachts have permission to operate liveaboards in the Galapagos, and the Aggressors I & II are the best of these. A superb operation, these two identical yachts offer excellent service, top dive guides and a very professional operation. They work with great dive masters, who are very knowledgeable and eager to share what they know with you. Bright and spacious, a large dive deck gives way to a comfy lounge and the dining area. Meals are social with full seated dining service. At the end of an amazing day of diving you can relax into a Jacuzzi or lie back in a hammock and watch the sunset. The yachts frequently cater for specialist divers such as photographers and have great facilities on board.

Both yachts offer three days of thrilling shark dives at Wolf and Darwin.

Cabins:

The 7 state rooms on board offer twin and double options, all with individual control air conditioning and private bathrooms, all a spacious, light and airy. 3 ‘Master Suites’ staterooms with two single berths or 1 queen by request. 4 Deluxe with two single berths. All have hair driers, port window and TV/DVD/MP3.

Rates:

* GBP prices are approximate and may change due to exchange rate

2010		2011
Description
Master Suite	USD $4,695 GB £3,353	Master Suite	USD $4,4995 GB £3,567
Deluxe	USD $4,495 GB £3,210	Deluxe	USD $4,795 GB £3,425

50% single supplement
$200 discount for non divers
1 free space with every 13 booked

Included

5 ½ Days diving, 8 days on board the Aggressor, services of Dive Master and naturalist guide, full board, soft drinks, weights and weight belts, tanks, $10 Galapagos visitor card.

Not Included

Galapagos Park Entry Fee (US$ 100 per person), 12% Sales tax on all on board services, Tips, personal expenses, alcoholic drinks, flight Quito-Galapagos-Quito

Special Dive equipment

Weight belts free of charge in all sizes available - Diving platform with huge tank of aluminium - unlimited compression air - diving and photo equipment for rent - 1 main Bauer K-14 compressor for quick refills - Bauer “Mariner” reserve compressor for standby - fresh water showers and water for cleaning the equipment - heating area - 2 camera tables -battery recharge station.

Machinery

(2) Turbo diesel engines, 300hp each
(2) 100kw generators, 110-208 ac voltage
(2) Bauer air/nitrox compressors
Nitrox Filtration System
4,800 gallons water storage
1,200 gallon per day water maker
(1) Eight-Passenger inflatable skiff for backup
(2) Ten-passenger inflatable dive skiffs with outboard motors

Safety Equipment

First Aid Kit.
D.A.N. Oxygen System with 100% demand
Defibrillator
Automatic Fire and Smoke Detection System
Manual Fire Extinguishers and Fire Fighting Equipment
Drills and Procedures conducted by crew
406 EPIRB - Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon
Safety Flags and Dive Alerts
Life rafts
Life Jackets with lights and whistles for all passengers and crew.
Full Complement of Safety and Rescue Equipment

Crew

7 plus dive-master/naturalist guide

Specification

Length: 100 feet
Beam:22 feet
Year Built: 1992/4 Refit: 2006/7
Construction: Steel Monohull
Cruising speed: 10 knots
Range: 2,000 nautical miles
Electric Power Supply: 110V & 220V (A/C)

NITROX

All Aggressors are equipped with 80-cu. ft. aluminum tanks. A few 60-cu. ft. tanks are available upon request. Tanks have “K” valves for use with standard yoke regulators. “DIN” and “J” valves are not used.

If you would like any more information or to chat over the details of the trip we would be delighted to help. Telephone 01482 872 716 for more information or email us today.

Itinerary

8-Day Thursday -Thursday

The Aggressor itineraries are superb. They run Thursday to Thursday with diving beginning on Friday and ending Wednesday morning. The awesome dive sites at remote Darwin and Wolf Islands make up the bulk of the diving, but the likes of Mosquera Island, Cousin Rock and Gordon Rock are also must see spots. Santa Cruz, Bartolome and Santa Fe Islands are also explored through land tours during the week, snorkelling and bird watching excursions are also offered between dives.

THURSDAY
San Cristobal Arrival at the airport at San Cristobal where you will be met by the crew and your guide and taken to your yacht which will be anchored at Baquerizo Moreno harbour. After arrival on board, check- in and introduction to the yacht after which lunch will be served.

Playa Ochoa After lunch a check out dive at Playa Ochoa and welcome cocktail

FRIDAY
Mosquera Island TLocated near the Itabaca Channel near to the island of Baltra you will have two dives here. In this unique underwater world, you have the chance to see white tipped sharks, eagle rays, green sea turtles and sea lions along with a number of tropical fishes.

North Seymour After lunch a dry landing on North Seymour. A great variety of Galapagos wildlife is provided in the loop trail on this small island. The highlight of your visit here will be the largest colony of magnificent frigatebirds in the Galapagos as well as a colony of blue-footed boobies. In addition there are sea lions, marine iguanas, lava lizards, swallow-tailed gulls, and a few secretive, but very large, land iguanas.

Saturday – Monday
Wolf and Darwin Islands

Over the next three days you will have up to four or five dives per day at Wolf and Darwin which are amongst the best dive sites in the world.

SATURDAY
Wolf Island An amazing island with a number of dive sites to choose from. If you want to see sharks, this is the place, with schools of hammerhead sharks and large aggregations of Galapagos sharks and sometimes whale sharks. It is common to see dolphins, spotted eagle rays, large schools of tuna, sea turtles, barracudas and sea lions. At the bottom you will see hundreds of moray eels, many of whom are free swimming. As the water around Wolf is several degrees warmer than in the central islands, there are many examples of Indo-Pacific fauna found here.

SUNDAY
Darwin Island This island is considered by many to be the best dive site in the world. Warmer by a few degrees than the central islands, in a single dive you can find schooling hammerhead sharks, large pods of dolphins, Galapagos sharks, silky sharks, Mobula rays, thick schools of skipjack and yellow fin tuna. From June to November you are almost guaranteed to see whale sharks in numbers of up to 8 different individuals. Add to this the occasional killer whale, black and blue marlin and tiger sharks and you will see why this site lives up to its reputation as the best on Earth. If you have chance to look for smaller fish, you will find an abundance of tropical fish here too.

MONDAY
In the morning two dives at Darwin, in the afternoon one dive a Wolf.

TUESDAY
Cousins Rock This small islet in the north east of Santiago Island allows you to dive along a precipitous wall, overgrown with black coral where you have the chance to see seahorses, frog fishes and other amazing examples of the small underwater fauna of the Galapagos. Often you will also see eagle rays, sea lions and tropical fishes as well.

Bartolome After lunch a land visit that takes you to one of the most iconic scenery shots of Galapagos at Bartolome. This small island located off the eastern shore of James Island is home to beautiful panoramic views. The striking volcanic landscape, looks almost lunar and provides a great introduction to the volcanic origins of the islands, with spatter cones and cinder cones. You will also see Pinnacle Rock, a striking example of a tuff cone, and good examples of pioneering plants, including some beautiful stands of lava cactus. At sea level, this is a great place for swimming and snorkelling, if you are lucky with Galapagos Penguins.

WEDNESDAY
Gordons Rock One dive at this site which is one of the best diving spots in the central islands and is well known for hammerhead and Galapagos sharks, as well as different kinds of rays, sea lions and marine turtles.

South Plaza South Plaza is the best island for observing land iguanas, along with cactus finches, tropic birds and sea lions. One of your first stops will be through a small “forest” of prickly pear (Opuntia) cactus. The walk along the sea cliffs is a wonderful experience, with Audubon’s shearwaters and red-billed tropicbirds gliding by. Towards the end of the walk is a bachelor sea lion colony, with a battle-scared collection of old bulls in various states of recuperation or total retirement!

Santa Cruz - Charles Darwin Research Station The Charles Darwin Research Station offers a great chance to learn about the work being done to conserve and protect the islands wildlife. For some visitors (depending on the time of year) this is the only time to see Giant Tortoises and certainly the closest range opportunity. You can also visit the pen of the famous Lonesome George, the last-surviving member of the Pinta Island sub-species

THURSDAY
Check out and flight back to mainland Ecuador from San Cristobal.

Please note: Itineraries are unlikely to change significantly but are subject to change. Weather, wildlife breeding, instructions from the Galapagos National Park, specific abilities and interests of passengers as well as operational matters may cause your guide or captain to change the times or nature of your visits. Your guide will always endeavour to have the best itinerary for you within these constraints.

Shore Diving

Shore Based Scuba Diving in the Galapagos Islands

For those who want to experience scuba diving in Galapagos, but don’t want 8-days intensive diving on a liveaboard, several days of shore-based diving at the beginning or the end of their cruise is a great option. Our partners in Galapagos are Scuba Iguana, the undisputed leader in providing Galapagos day dives.

Based out of Puerto Ayora, on Santa Cruz Island, in the heart of the Galapagos Islands, they can arrange a variety of Galapagos diving adventures designed to help discover some of the most impressive sites in the Galapagos - one of the "Seven Underwater Wonders of the World".

They use only the best dive technology, 7 mm wetsuits to keep you comfortable and provide all equipment, dive boat, Dive Master guides, dive gear