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This itinerary is subject to change depending on the Park schedules.

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M/V GALAPAGOS SKY (7 Night itinerary)
Dive itinerary

DivEncounters' Live-Aboard Diving Cruises to Galapagos are seven night cruises, and the itinerary offers a total of approximately 16 - 18 dives and 2 land excursions on every trip. We visit Wolf and Darwin Islands on every trip - the diving there is arguably the best in the world! The Galapagos Sky itinerary has two days with long (you'll be asleep) overnight navigations in order to get to these crown jewels of world class diving.

You will enjoy up to three dives per day Monday through Saturday including Wolf and Darwin. The first two days and last two days of each cruise on Galapagos Sky will feature 2 dives per day, and these sites in the "central islands" showcase the diversity of Galapagos diving. Besides our resident mantas, sharks, and whale sharks, this is also the time to photograph little Galapagos invertebrates in vibrant color. During your cruise, you'll also have the opportunity to walk in the steps of Charles Darwin, with two guided land excursions on islands that are rich in Galapagos history. As on any live-aboard or diving adventure - Itineraries may be changed due to current or pending weather conditions or at the Captain’s discretion for your comfort and safety.

FULL DESCRIPTION

Sunday – San Cristobal

When you arrive at the airport at San Cristobal, the crew of the live-aboard Galapagos Sky will personally meet you, help with your luggage, and escort you to the Galapagos Sky. Your dive bags will be delivered to the dive deck, and personal luggage to your cabins. After everyone is on board, we will introduce you to the boat and do our mandatory safety briefings and drill. Next, we cruise to Los Lobos for our check-out dives. This will be your first underwater introduction to Galapagos sea lions and fur seals! As the sun sets, you'll enjoy cocktails and appetizers on our shaded, open air, upper deck as "Sky" circumnavigates the amazing twin-rock formation of Kicker Rock (Leon Dormido). Two inspiring towers of volcanic rock soar 500 ft. above the ocean and point directly to the sky. Blue-footed boobies, masked boobies, and magnificent frigate birds nest here on the vertical cliffs.




Monday – Highlands, Santa Cruz & Cousins Rock
This morning we disembark on shore on the northern part of Santa Cruz Islands, from here we travel through the highlands of SANTA CRUZ. The scenery gradually changes as we wind our way through several vegetation zones found in Galapagos. Here, we visit the tortoise reserve at one of the private farms in the highlands where we encounter giant tortoises in their natural habitat. We visit Los Gemelos, Spanish for “The Twins”, a pair of large pit craters where we find the bright red male vermilion flycatcher. We stop at "the tunnels", the largest lava tubes found in Galapagos. In the afternoon, there are two dives at Cousins Rocks where we have a beautiful wall that allows for viewing opportunities for coral, frog fish, sea horses and octopus. Sea lions will also be your companions on the safety stops. Overnight, the Captain and crew motor Galapagos Sky north.



Tuesday to Thursday - Diving Wolf and Darwin
You'll spend the next three days diving the legendary islands of WOLF & DARWIN. Most experienced divers will agree, Wolf and Darwin are the best diving sites in the world! Whale Sharks are common here, particularly from May through November. At the Northern Arch at Darwin, you will see Hammerhead sharks either individually, in small groups, or large schools. Bottlenose dolphins are not uncommon. The reef contains many warm water varieties of fish found nowhere else in the Islands and is the most consistent place to see Hammerheads.

Darwin Island: Considered by many experienced divers as the very best dive site in the world, The Arch at Darwin Island honors its reputation. It is warmer by a few degrees than the central islands. In one single dive you can find schooling hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks, large pods of dolphins, thick schools of skipjack and yellow fin tuna, big eye jacks, Mobula rays, and silky sharks. From June to November, we can almost guarantee whale sharks in numbers of up to 8 different individuals in one single dive. The presence of occasional tiger sharks, black and blue marlin, and killer whales add on to this amazing diving experience. If you still have time to look for smaller stuff, you’ll find octopus, flounders, and an enormous variety and abundance of tropical fish. Darwin Island is the biggest jewel on the Galapagos Crown.

Wolf Island: One of those magical islands, with several dive sites to choose from. If you want to see sharks, you are at the right spot. This is a place for schooling hammerhead sharks, large aggregations of Galapagos sharks, and occasionally whale sharks. Seeing dolphins, large schools of tuna, spotted eagle rays, barracudas, sea lions and sea turtles is common. The bottom is littered with hundreds of moray eels, many of them free swimming. Being several degrees warmer than the central islands, you can look for many representatives of the Indo-Pacific underwater fauna.



Friday – Roca Redonda & Vicente Roca

On our morning dive at Roca Redonda, we will encounter Hammerheads, Wahoos, big eye Jacks, and at times you can see the underwater volcanic vents which release warm water bubble streams. The afternoon dive including 2 dives at Punta Vicente Roca, includes colorful sites with many marine invertebrates, anemones, lobsters, shrimp with occasional Mola Mola sightings. We also offer a dingy ride and snorkeling.


Saturday – Marshall Island – Albany Islet (Jan to May)

 At Cape Marshall, on the eastern side of Isabela, we have 2 dives, where can encounter rocky volcanic cliffs which drop down to the ocean floor as an almost vertical wall. You may see large marine life such as manta rays, marble rays, hammerheads, mola mola and marine turtles. Also keep an eye out for Chevron barracuda, snappers, yellow fin tuna, rainbow runners, wahoo and groupers. There are also smaller fish, such as creole, parrot, scrawled filetfishes, pacific box fishes and tiger snake eels.

 Saturday – Marchena (Punta Espejo) (June to December)
 At Marchena Island, one of the northern most Islands, there are two dives where you might encounter cow nosed rays, turtles, schooling hammerheads, schools of Blue-striped snappers, grunts, surgeonfish, spotted morays, scorpion fish and in the shallows be on the look-out for red lipped bat fish.

Passengers who have chosen to extend their trip will disembark here at the Itabaca Canal in northern Santa Cruz Island as the Sky returns to San Cristobal late Saturday evening.



Sunday
This morning, we visit the Interpretation Center to learn more about the natural history of the Islands before returning to town to connect with your flight back to the mainland.



Galapagos Islands, Ecuador