8 days cruise yacht Aqua – A8 Diving

Morning – Arrival at Baltra Airport. At the mainland airport, you have purchased your TCC or Ingala card and a luggage inspection has already been conducted to ensure that no foreign plant or animal species are introduced. Upon your arrival at Seymour Ecological airport, your TCC (Transit Control Card) will be stamped. This must be kept in a safe place during your trip, as it must be presented again on your return flight. In addition, the Galápagos National Park entrance fee is due upon entry (US$200), if not already paid. Your guide will meet you at the airport, help you with your luggage, and will accompany you on the short bus ride to the port. Here you will board the yacht. After greeting the crew and captain, you will be assigned your cabins and then have your first lunch together.
Afternoon – North East Baltra. This site is perfect to start your adventure with moderate currents. This dive site is suitable for adventurous divers who want to see fascinating lava formations and rock formations, as well as an incredible variety of marine life. At a depth of around 20m, you can see white-tipped reef sharks, pelagic fish, reef fish, rays and turtles. In addition, sea lions will be your companions as you enter the island and during safety stops. Occasionally, hammerhead sharks can be spotted swimming nearby.

Morning: Isabela Island – Cape Marshall. Cape Marshall is located on the northeast coast of Isabela Island, just south of the equatorial line and at the base of the active Wolf volcano. This area is ideal for drift diving and there is an almost vertical wall of volcanic rock that drops to the sea floor. This is a great place to see hammerheads, white tips and Galápagos sharks. Occasionally whale sharks can also be spotted. There are huge schools of black striped sea bream and barracuda. You can also see black coral growing along the volcanic wall.
Afternoon – City of Mantas. A unique attraction near Cape Marshall’s is a place where giant manta rays are sighted so often that it has been named “Manta’s City”. They roam the plankton-rich waters to feed, so visibility can be very low. After returning aboard the Aqua, continue sailing towards Darwin, as the distance to be covered is considerable.

Darwin Island. In the morning and afternoon you will do 2 dives off Darwin Island. A volcano with a height of 165 m above sea level, was named in honor of the naturalist Charles Darwin. It is one of the smallest islands in the Galápagos archipelago, and as in the case of Wolf Island, no shore visits are allowed. One of the most famous dive sites is “Darwin’s Arch”, where amazing drift diving is possible along the wall at an average depth of only 9m. Medium to strong currents and the higher water temperatures compared to the other Galápagos Islands bring many hammerhead sharks, blacktip, silky and Galápagos sharks, large schools of dolphins, large schools of skipjack and yellow fin tuna, stingrays, mobula rays and silky sharks. From June to November, it is not uncommon to encounter whale sharks several times on a single dive. The occasional tiger shark, black and blue marlins and killer whales add to the amazing diving experience. If you still have time to look for smaller creatures, you will find octopus, flounder and an enormous variety and abundance of tropical fish.

Morning – Darwin Island. A volcano, with a height of 165 m above sea level, was named in honor of the naturalist Charles Darwin. It is one of the smallest islands in the Galápagos archipelago, and as with Wolf Island, no land visits are allowed. One of the most famous dive sites is “Darwin’s Arch”, where amazing drift diving is possible along the wall at an average depth of only 9 meters. Medium to strong currents and the higher water temperatures compared to the other Galápagos Islands bring many hammerhead sharks, black tip, silky and Galápagos sharks, large schools of dolphins, large schools of skipjack and yellow fin tuna, stingrays, mobula rays and silky sharks. From June to November, it is not uncommon to encounter whale sharks multiple times on a single dive. The occasional tiger shark, black and blue marlins and killer whales also contribute to an amazing diving experience. If you still have time to look for smaller creatures, you will find octopus, flounder and an enormous variety and abundance of tropical fish.
Afternoon – Wolf Island. Named after the German geologist Theodor Wolf, this extinct volcano has an altitude of 253 m above sea level and is located about 160 km northwest of Isabela Island. Land visits are not allowed, however, the bird life, such as: Red-footed Boobies and Vampire Finches, can be observed from the boat. The current at Wolf Island is between 1 and 3 knots, and you dive at a depth of about 12 to 27 meters. Wolf is one of those magical islands, with several dive sites to choose from. If you want to see sharks, you are at the right place. Here you can see schools of hammerhead sharks, many Galápagos sharks and occasionally whale sharks. Dolphins, large schools of tuna, spotted eagle rays, barracuda, sea lions and sea turtles are common here. The bottom is littered with hundreds of moray eels, many of which swim freely. Since the water is a few degrees warmer than in the central islands, you can look for many representatives of the underwater fauna of the Indo-Pacific. On a night dive here, you can also watch red-lipped batfish migrate along the seabed.

Morning – Afternoon: Wolf Island Once again you will visit Wolf Island for three more exciting dives.

Morning – Vicente Roca Point. You will cross the Bolivar Channel to get to Vicente Roca Point, right at the entrance to the seahorse shaped Isabela Island. As you enter a dark cave under a spectacular arch, you will be accompanied by the thunderous echoes of the waves. Just around the corner, the collapsed amphitheater of Ecuador Volcano offers another impressive view. The calmer waters of the bays are well protected from the surf and are great for snorkeling among various species of sharks, penguins, puffer fish and even seahorses!
Afternoon – Cape Douglas. Cape Douglas is sure to provide you with amazing opportunities to observe a wide variety of marine life above and below the water! As you prepare for your dive, you may see Galápagos penguins, Galápagos flightless cormorants, and Galápagos marine iguanas – which swim and feed on the rocks below the surface-animals found only on the islands. Some marine life you may see are: Darwin’s sea bat, horn sharks, mola and possibly baleen whales!

Morning – Cousin’s Rock. This triangular rock formation is merely the tiny tip of a huge underwater cone, although only divers and snorkelers can admire the unimaginably colorful world below. Cousin’s Rock offers two popular dive sites: an adventurous wall dive around the steep northeast corner (mid-level), and on the opposite side, an attractive ridge flanked by a lush terrace wall and a rarely visited rock formation further south. Actual drop-off points around Cousin’s Rock and dive directions depend on currents.Typically, you will dive one of these sites twice. Dive depths at Cousin’s Rock range from 12-30 m, and currents can range from moderate to strong. Water temperature ranges from 20-26°C from January to May and from 16-20°C from June to December. Visibility ranges from 12-30m, and the dive site is mainly suitable for a reef dive. Low visibility usually means an abundance of plankton, which attracts numerous small and pelagic fish, and therefore large animals.
Afternoon – Highlands (Santa Cruz)After lunch, disembark the ship to visit the highlands of Santa Cruz on a private bus tour. Here you can admire different species of birds such as the small and large tree finches, ground finches, Galápagos flycatchers and cattle egrets (often standing on the backs of turtles). As you drive into the island’s protected area, you can see the contrasts of this diverse ecosystem. The path leads from the coast through the agricultural land and directly to the dense wet forests. Often you can see the Galápagos giant tortoises in the middle of the path or walking across the pastures and through the grass. This place is a paradise for ornithologists, because almost all birds either live on the island or pass through here.

Today you will depart to Baltra and will be transferred to the airport where you will say goodbye to the guide and the crew!