Galápagos Islands, The World’s Most Unique Scuba Diving

The Galapagos Islands is one of the world’s most unique scuba diving destinations. Here you will find the most diverse marine bio-diversity in the world as well as the highest biomass. The Coral Triangle in the Indo-Pacific has the title of the highest marine biodiversity in the world. Biodiversity meaning the number of different species. However, the species of the Coral Triangle are all tropical, not so with the Galapagos Archipelago. The Galapagos Islands are about 600 miles (ca 1,000 KM) from Ecuador and sits on the equator. Being on the equator, you could imagine a hot tropical climate and seas filled with tropical fish and coral reefs. Yes, you will see tropical fish, but you will also experience marine life found in temperate even cold waters. The islands are at the convergence of several ocean currents, with three of them playing an important role in the development of life on and around the islands.

The Galapagos archipelago is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The UNESCO citation tells us this about the Galapagos archipelago:“The Galapagos archipelago is located about 1,000 km from continental Ecuador and is composed of 127 islands, islets, and rocks, of which 19 are large and 4 are inhabited. 97% of the total emerged surface (7,665,100 ha) was declared a National Park in 1959. Human settlements are restricted to the remaining 3% in specifically zoned rural and urban areas on four islands” (Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Isabela, and Florena) “(a fifth island only has an airport, tourism dock, fuel containment, and military facilities). The islands are surrounded by the Galapagos Marine Reserve which was created in 1986 (70,000 km2) and extended to its current area (133,000 km2) in 1998, making it one of the largest marine reserves in the world.”

If you paid attention in your high school biology class you may remember Charles Darwin’s “The Origin of Species” which was based on his observations of unique wildlife that evolved on these remote islands.

Galapagos Islands Current Affairs

These current affairs are not about the news or politics, but the three main ocean currents. These currents are the Humboldt Current, the Panama Flow Current, and the Cromwell Current and each plays an important and unique role in the islands.

The Humboldt Current brings cold water from Antarctica up the coast of South America and then west to the Galapagos Islands. These waters are not only nutrient-rich, but they bring temperate water marine species along. These species can thrive in an area that should be too warm for them. This current also impacts the weather, The Humboldt Current and the Panama Flow Current converge in the Galapagos (often referred to as the South Equatorial Current after the convergent). When the Humboldt is at its strongest, generally June to November, a cool mist is formed with few clouds creating a dry season. The Panama Flow Current (Warm water) will be the dominant current in December to May causing clouds to form and higher precipitation. You may have heard of the El Nino weather, during El Nino, the flow of Humboldt is weakened and the Panama Flow Current is dominant for longer. Not only will this bring more rainfall, but the water temperatures will be higher and the nutrient levels lower impacting marine life.

The Cromwell Current is the countercurrent to the South Equatorial Current. It is a deep current that flows in the opposite direction of the other two currents. When it reaches the islands, the current is forced towards the surface bringing a concentration of marine life and nutrients near the surface.

Earlier, I mentioned the term Bio-mass. When talking about the oceans, bio-mass is the total weight (mass) of living organisms in a column of water. This includes the microscopic organisms the currents bring to the area but also the marine life that feeds on it. This includes large pelagic species. There are many dive sites on the islands where you can encounter hundreds of hammerhead sharks or dozens of whale sharks.

Can I Scuba Dive the Galapagos Islands

Before talking about the best way to dive the Galapagos Islands and the best places to dive, it is best to qualify who should dive here. The Galapagos Islands are best dived by experienced divers. You can dive here at the land-based dive resorts as an Open Water Diver and even become certified here. However, many, maybe even most, of the dive sites will be beyond your training level. Diving conditions here can be challenging. Visibility and currents can rapidly change. Liveaboards, the only way to dive the remote dive sites, require an Advanced Open Water certification with most requiring over 50 dives and logged deep and drift diving. Some sailings require 100 dives and EAN qualifications. Many divers who have only experienced warm tropical waters may want to get some experience in thicker wetsuits. You could dive your first dive of the day at a dive site influenced by the Panama Flow current in a 3 mm wetsuit, travel to the opposite side of an island to a site influenced by the Cromwell Current and need a 7 mm wetsuit.

 So why go through all this effort? Depending on the time of the year and dive site, you may see more hammerhead sharks in one dive compared to a lifetime of diving in the Caribbean. The same could be said of whale sharks, Mola, rays, and a dozen other pelagic species. The three main currents bring species from different parts of the world and 17% of the marine species are endemic, meaning can only be found here. There is nowhere else you can find an iguana swimming alongside you at 65 feet.

How To Scuba Dive the Galapagos Islands

Liveaboard diving is the biggest draw for scuba diving in the Galapagos Islands. The best dive sites are generally too far from the four inhabited islands to visit any other way. Most liveaboards are 7 nights/ 8 days sailing and leave from Baltra/Santa Cruz or San Cristobal, which are in the central area of the archipelago. Wolf and Darwin Islands are often cited as the best large species diving in the world are approximately 100 miles north of the central area. A typical sailing will have three days around these two islands. Also, it is typical for there to be two “light” diving days. On these days, naturalist events will allow you to explore some remote islands. 52 liveaboards operate in the Galapagos Islands. Some of these offer naturalist cruises that include snorkeling instead of diving. So, make sure you are booking the right package. The diving liveaboards offer around 20 dives per sailing including a few night dives.

If you do not meet the experience requirements of the liveaboards, then land-based diving is still an outstanding option. The dive sites located near the habitable islands are still outstanding and well worth diving. You will likely have to arrive the day before you depart for a liveaboard and many divers find it best to arrive a few days early and experience some naturalist activities and a few local dives before the liveaboard and a few days of naturalist activities before flying home.

The Best Galapagos Island Scuba Diving Sites

There are two dive seasons in the Galapagos Islands leading to two very different experiences. The cool season, also known as the dry season, runs from July to December. The water is cooler at this time of the year but brings the best visibility. Shark activity, especially schooling hammerheads and Galapagos sharks is at their peak. Sea Lions and different whale species are also in larger numbers at this time, including many migratory whales. The wet season/warm season runs from January to June. Whale sharks, sea turtles, and dolphins are more frequent in this season. Most species of large marine life are found year-round.

Here are some of the dive sites that are considered the best of the best:

• Darwin’s Arch: One of the most famous dive sites in the world. Darwin’s Arch is one of the dive sites around Darwin’s Island at the northern range of the archipelago. This island and the nearby Wolf Island are really mountain tops of a submerged mountain range. The currents eddy and swirl at the underwater ridge at this site and bring large pelagic to shallow depths. Large schools of sharks, rays, sea lions, dolphins, and turtles join over a thousand species of tropical fish. Sadly, the above-water arch collapsed in 2021, leading many to start calling the landmark Darwin’s Towers or Darwin’s Pillars.

• Shark Bay Wolf Island: Shark Bay by Wolf Island is the go-to place for Hammerhead sharks. A shiver of over 100 hammerheads is very common here any time of the year. Galapagos and Silky sharks can also be found with the hammerheads in large numbers. Several sites around Wolf and Darwin Islands also seem to be nurseries for juvenile hammerheads. Not only are the sharks found here so are marine mammals and large schools of tropical fish. The biomass here seems to be the highest in the world.

• Gordon Rocks Santa Cruz: If diving with hammerheads is your dream, but liveaboards are not your thing, then this is a must-do dive site for you. At one time, this site was a volcano, and you are diving in what was the cone. There are strong currents around the site, and they bring hammerhead sharks into a relatively small area. While the shivers are not as large as those around Wolf Island, you will still likely see dozens of hammerheads on a dive.

• Roca Redonda: This little islet is only about 330 feet (ca 100 meters) long,160 feet (ca 50 meters) wide, and sticks 200 feet (ca 65 meters) above the water. Underwater divers will at first experience heavy surges and then find a calm sandy bottom. This sandy bottom releases small stream of hot bubbles heated by a distant volcano below. Nudibranchs thrive here and you will generally find many Galapagos Sharks near the surface as well.

• Bartholomew Point: This dive site is known for its amazing drift dives past astonishing rock formations and tremendous marine life. Galapagos penguins, sea turtles, sea lions, manta rays and white tip sharks are frequently seen on dives to this site. Bait balls are common here and one of the reasons so many large pelagic are found here.

Getting Your Dive On

The Galapagos Islands has only 3 airports, none of which are international. When you start making your travel plans, make sure you are arriving at the correct airports. You need to plan your international arrival into Ecuador at either Quito (IATA code UIO) or Guayaquil (IATA code GYE) airports and then a domestic flight to the Galapagos.

 The Galapagos Seymour Ecological Airport (IATA code GPS) is located on Baltra Island and is your gateway to Santa Cruz Island from both of the airports previously listed. The island is basically the airport, a military base, and a ferry terminal to Santa Cruz Island. Once you take the ferry to Santa Cruz Island you will need a bus or taxi across the island to the town of Puerto Ayora.

The San Cristobal Island Airport (IATA Code SCY) is located on Cristobal Island just minutes from the center of town and piers. It also has multiple flights daily from the two mainland Ecuador airports mentioned.

The Jose de Villamil Airport located on Isabela Island is serviced by small prop planes with only 24 flights a week to the other two local airports.

A short warning before booking your airfares. Some tour operators and liveaboards get discounts on freight when booking their clients with the airline. If you book your flights yourself, they may charge you a Non-issuance fee. This fee is commonly $60. Before departing the mainland airport, you will need a tourist card. You will get this at the airport and can pre-register. This plastic card cost $20. All visitors to the Islands must pay a National Park Fee. Currently, this is $100, however, it will rise to $200 in August 2024. This must be paid in cash when you arrive at your Galapagos airport. Also when booking the airfare, pay close attention to any restrictions on the fare. Some fare classes are only for Ecuadorian citizens. If you accidentally book one, you may be denied boarding or be required to pay a $150 supplement.