Diving in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Diving in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Having just completed my PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course, I was keen to put my new skills to the test. Diving in the Galápagos Islands seemed the perfect way to do this

We had pretty much planned our trip to the Galápagos Islands, but we decided to book our first hotel as well as our diving in advance.

In true Galápagos spirit, we decided to blow our budget for our first stop and checked into the rather luxurious Royal Palm Hotel in the center of Santa Cruz Island. It was nice to be away from busy Puerto Ayora, nestled in lush gardens with epic views over the island.

The hotel grounds include a lava tunnel, extensive gardens and even a barn owl! There's also a gym, a large pool, a tennis court and an in-room hot tub (!), as well as free bikes to explore the area, where giant tortoises roam freely in the fields. It was a great base to start our Galápagos adventure.

We spent a while researching the many diving outfits in Puerto Ayora and finally decided on Academy Bay Diving. They provide breakfast, snacks and a hot lunch during the dive, as well as a pre-dive buoyancy test - very useful if, like me, you are used to diving in warmer waters with a thinner wetsuit.

The Divemasters also film and photograph your dives and then provide the media files on CD or USB, all included in the price. The footage and photos below were shot entirely by them - a really nice touch! Plus, at $180 for a two-tank dive, it's pretty good value for the Galápagos Islands.

Our two dive sites for the day were at North Seymour Island (Isla Seymour Norte) and Daphne Island, both located north of Santa Cruz. On the first dive (North Seymour) we encountered dozens of whitetip reef sharks resting on the ocean floor.

At a depth of almost 20 meters, we spent several impressive minutes observing these magnificent (and scary) beasts. In return, they viewed us with complete indifference.

Next was a flood of sea turtles. I had briefly seen the odd turtle on a dive in Samoa, but never as many as on this dive or in such clear water. It was great to see them so close and uninterrupted.

Afterwards we spotted a few camouflaged stingrays on the seabed. Then, during our ascent, a group of majestic manta rays glided past our group. What a dive it turned out to be!

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Daphne's second dive was just as dramatic. Shortly after our descent, we made our way into a series of caves teeming with flocks of black-striped salema.

After a few seconds a sea lion dove from above and darted around and around feeding on the Salema. You can't see much of our facial expressions behind a mask and respirator, but know that we watched with wide eyes and (partially) mouths wide open!

Before the dive was over we were lucky enough to see a hammerhead shark. It was a ways away, but still… a hammerhead shark!

The two dives were by far the best I've ever done. Seeing so much dramatic marine life in such a short time was incredible. For me, the moment when the sea lion dived into the school of black-striped Salema and joined us was truly magical. Diving in the Galápagos Islands was definitely one of my greatest travel experiences.

Diving in the Galápagos Islands: The Essentials

What: Dive the Galápagos Islands around North Seymour and Daphne with Academy Bay Diving ($180 per person for a two-tank dive).

Where: The Galápagos Islands are 960 km west of mainland Ecuador. Santa Cruz is the center and tourist center of the archipelago. We stayed at the Royal Palm Galápagos Hotel, which is a 20-minute ($8) taxi ride from Puerto Ayora (pictures below).

We chose Royal Palm because of their exemplary commitment to the environment. They use foods that grow naturally on the property, including grapefruit, lemons, limes and avocados, and maintain their own kitchen garden full of fresh organic vegetables.

They use a rainwater collection system with filters and storage, significantly reducing their reliance on street deliveries. In addition, they are custodians of the rare Miconia plant that thrives on their property, as well as donors to the Galápagos Conservancy. Plus, did we mention they have their own barn owl!?

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When: The Galapagos Islands have two seasons. The islands are relatively dry all year round, but between January and June temperatures are hotter (30°C) and there are regular downpours.

From July to December temperatures are cooler (22°C) and it is generally drier, but the seas are choppier, making it less ideal for diving. The best time for diving in the Galápagos Islands is between January and June.

How: If you're flying from mainland Ecuador, there are two options: Guayaquil or Quito. Flights land on either Baltra Island (Santa Cruz) or San Cristobal. Prices vary, but we got a return trip from Guayaquil to Baltra for $400 per person (booked through skyscanner.net).

Most flights from Quito stop in Guayaquil in both directions and a flight to San Cristobal is more expensive than to Baltra. There are no international flights to the Galapagos.

From Baltra you can take a ferry and bus to the coastal town of Puerto Ayora. The city has everything a tourist needs to organize diving in the Galápagos Islands as well as other excursions around the islands. Academy Bay Diving is probably the best diving company I have ever dived with and is located in the heart of Puerto Ayora on Charles Darwin Avenue along the waterfront.

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Mission statement: Atlas & Boots

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