Galapagos Sky

Guests fly to the Galapagos Islands from Mainland Ecuador, arriving in the islands late morning. Guests are met at the airport and taken to the vessel. After lunch and briefings, there will be a check dive at Isla Lobos. 

AM: 1 dive at Bartolome and a land visit. Bartolome is an iconic Galapagos site and perhaps the most photographed of all sites. The island’s best known feature is the remains of a tuff cone called Pinnacle Rock. Snorkeling opportunities with penguins, sea lions and sea turtles. Panga rides provide magnificent view of lava fields and geological formations. The trek up the Summit Trail leads to some of the most panoramic views in the Galapagos. 

PM: Cousins Rock. This combination of wall and coral covered rock is home to a variety of smaller creatures, a huge variety of tropical fishes and it’s not unknown to drop in on mantas or eagle rays. Black corals, small hard corals, sea fans and red sponges cover the tiered wall providing cover on the small ledges for many critters including Turtles, Frogfish, Long-nose Coral Hawkfish and the giant Pacific Sea Horse. Off in the blue, it’s not uncommon to spot Mobulas, Mantas, Eagle rays as well as sharks. rays, mantas and sharks (white tipped reef and hammerheads), sea lions and large groups of spotted eagle rays. 

Wolf Island, along with Darwin Island, is considered one of the best dive destinations in the world. This small island located more than 100 kilometers to the northwest of the main Galapagos Islands chain. Navigation time is around 14 hours to arrive.

Sightings include: large schools of Hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks, Ea- gle Rays, Sea Lions, Mantas, Turtles, Jacks, Trumpetfish, Butterfly fish, Morish Idols, Moray Eels, Dolphins and, in season, Whale sharks. Wolf Island is also prolific in corals and reef life, with more than 8 species of corals, and the greatest diversity of tropical fish in the islands.

Some of Wolf’s dive sites are Shark Bay, The Landslide, La Banana and Islote La Ventana. Wolf is also a great experience above water. It is home to literally hundreds of thousands of seabirds such as Nazca boobies (also known as masked boobies), frigates, pelicans and swallow-tailed gulls. 

Considered by most to be the best dive site on the planet, Darwin is the northernmost island in Galapagos. This site is only visited by divers as there is no land access.

Sightings include large schools of Hammerheads, free swimming morays, Galapagos sharks, Dolphins, Puffers and Porcupine fish, huge schools of Jacks and, of course, Whale Sharks between June and Nov. This is the only place on the planet where you can swim with 40+ ft / 12+ mt pregnant whale sharks. The island itself is home to countless birds, including the rare red-footed booby. Fur seal colonies also make Dar-win their home. And, of course, there is the world-renowned Darwin’s Arch (now Darwin’s Pinnacles) to provide a memorable photo-op. 

And today you get to dive both of the bucket list dive sites, Darwin AND Wolf.

Cabo Douglas is located on the northwestern side of Isla Fernandina, the volcanic hotspot of Galapagos. Volcano La Cumbre is the most active of all volcanoes in Galapagos, one of the most volcanically active places on earth. Fernandina has the largest of all marine iguanas in Galapagos and watching them feed will be one of the highlights of your dive. While marine iguanas are abundant in Galapagos, diving with them is far more rare than seeing them sunning outside of the water. Other endemic species sightings possible are the flightless cormorant and the Galápagos penguin. 

Isabela is the largest island of the archipelago. It is roughly shaped like a seahorse. On the northwestern side, in what would be the “mouth” of the seahorse, is Punta Vicente Roca. Here the remains of Volcano Ecuador form two coves with a bay protected from the ocean swells. The upwelling of the Cromwell current, very rich in nutrients, gives rise to an incredible abundance of marine life. It is a Mola Mola (sunfish) cleaning station. Other sightingsinclude Red-Lipped Batfish, Seahorses, Sea Lions, Turtles, Galapagos Penguins, Galapagos Bullhead shark, schools of Black-striped Salemas and fish species not found elsewhere in Galapagos. Flightless cormorants are also often sighted at Punta Vicente Roca. 

Both Cabo Douglas and Punta Vicente Roca are located on the far western side of the archipelago in the direct path of the cold Cromwell current. You can expect water temperatures as low as 54 F / 12 C. 

AM: 1 dive at Pinzon. Sky is the only Galapagos liveaboard with Pinzon on their itinerary. Sightings may include white tipped reef sharks, juvenile Galapagos sharks, sea turtles, sea lions, large schools of black striped salemas as well as reef fish.

PM: You will be transported to the Highlands of Santa Cruz to visit a ranch where you can see the endemic Galapagos tortoises in their natural habitat.

Breakfast. Transfer to SCY Airport for your flight back to Ecuador.