AM: Arrival, Baltra Island
Upon arrival Baltra, travellers pass through an airport inspection point to make sure that no foreign plants or animals are introduced to the islands, and to pay the park entrance fee of $200 (unless it has been prepaid). A guide will meet you, help you collect your luggage and escort you on a short bus ride to the harbour.

PM: Equipment Check Dive, Baltra Island
You will stop in north-east Baltra to try on diving equipment and ensure that it is functional and comfortable.

AM: Cape Marshall, Isabela Island
You will spend the day in Cape Marshall on the north-east side of Isabela at the base of Wolf volcano. In these dive locations, it is easiest to drift dive across a black coral-coated vertical wall descending to the seabed where Hammerhead, White-Tipped & Galapagos sharks can be spotted. Even Whale Sharks have been seen here. Other marine life includes large schools of Black-Striped Salema and Barracuda.

PM: Ciudad de las Mantas, Isabela Island
Ciudad de las Mantas, so named because Giant Mantas are a common sight here, is a dive site with rich waters, making it easy to spot an abundance of marine life, such as Rays, Sharks, Sea Lions, Turtles & more, which come to feed on plankton here (which can make visibility low).

You will be visiting Darwin & Wolf Islands. However, due to the large number of good dive sites here, not all will be visited. Your guides will consider marine conditions & how busy each site is before choosing which sites to visit. The possible sites you will visit are described below.

Darwin’s Arch, Darwin Island
Darwin’s Arch, now a pillar formation since the arch collapsed in 2021, is one of the Galapagos’ most iconic locations. The shallow reef platforms around the landmark make this a great diving spot for seeing schools of Scalloped Hammerheads. Whale Sharks can also be seen here, mostly between June and November, with females making a stop-off during their solitary migrations.

Darwin’s Theatre, Darwin Island
This dive site is where two forked ridges pointing northeast and southeast from the reef foundation of Darwin’s Arch. Curved shelves bending around the northern branch give the appearance of a grandstand with panoramic hangouts at around 18m / 60 ft, giving the dive site its name. There is often swarming marine life here, with Hammerhead, Requiem and Silky Sharks, Yellow-Fin Tuna, Wahoos, Bonitos, Amberjacks and large schools of fish often being common sights here.

El Arenal, Darwin Island
This dive site brings you close to the cleaning stations of Darwin Island, where Sharks, Turtles and Jacks regularly visit to be freed from parasites by the resident Barber Fish and King Angelfish. The busiest area here is the sandy slope in front of El Arenal portal. When the surge isn’t too strong, being dropped off here allows you to come face-to-face with Scalloped Hammerheads and resting Pacific Green and Hawksbill Turtles. As you swim further out, you can see the sloping shelves of rubble dropping into a deep gully, with the upper edges offering hideouts for Hammerheads. Other highlights here, depending on the season, include Whale Sharks, Bottlenose Dolphins, Mobula and Devil Rays and Giant Oceanic Mantas.

Shark Bay, Wolf Island
Shark Bay is on the east side of Wolf Island and is shallower than most other sites around it but one of the most memorable due to high Whale Shark traffic which gave the site its name. There are also local cleaning stations here where you can see visiting Hawksbill and Pacific Green Turtles, Spotted Eagle Rays and Hammerhead Sharks.

The Landslide, Wolf Island
This is one of the best dive sites of Wolf Island, with hundred of Hammerhead Sharks circling around or heading against the current in some seasons. This drift diving site follows a boulder slope underneath the partly collapsed east cliffs of the islet leading to a hangout between the boulders where you can see Requiem Sharks, pelagic schools. In hotter seasons, Pacific Green Turtles, Spotted Eagle Rays and, sometimes, Mobula Devil Rays and Giant Oceanic Mantas can be seen here too.

The Pinnacle & the Caves, Wolf Island
At this site are some of the archipelago’s most interesting caves. Located north of Wolf Island, there are 4 main caves which penetrate the pinnacle, normally easily accessible with cave entrances at 15-21m (50-70ft). A sandy ledge runs along the wall beneath the entrances to each cave, where it is possible to see Hawksbill and Green Turtles gathering, schools of Soldierfish, Guineafowl Puffers, Moray Eels, Whitetop Reef Sharks, Marble Rays, Cardinalfish and Lobsters. If you have time, the cave with the largest opening can be interesting to explore. The dive here ends in the northeast corner of Wolf at a large underwater pinnacle ending just below the water’s surface. If the currents allow, you can hold on to the pinnacle and watch the marine life visible from it.

The Secret Cave (Night Dive), Wolf Island
This dive site was formed by the collapse of large gas chambers dating back to the formation of Wolf. Along the walls which are sometimes surrounded by Hammerheads, there is an entrance to a cave with several nocturnal species like Cardinalfish, Spiny Lobsters, Shrimp, Sea Urchins, hunting Moral Eels, Pacific Green Turtles and Sea Lions.

Anchorage (Night Dive), Wolf Island
Anchorage is the only dive site located on the west coast of Wolf Island. Here, the strange walking Red-Lipped Batfish can be seen 20m (70ft) deep on the seabed. Though this animal is mainly active at night and is attracted by your diving lights, this probably won’t be your only time seeing it.

AM: Punta Vicente Roca, Isabela Island
There are great diving opportunities at Vicente Roca Point thanks to upwelling cold-water currents here. Marine life in the area includes various Shark species, Galapagos Penguins, Seahorses & Mola-Mola. Other animals which you can hope to see here when you resurface are Nazca & Blue-Footed Boobies, Brown Pelicans & Flightless Cormorants.

PM: Cape Douglas, Fernandina Island
This is a dive site used by Flightless Cormorants for fishing, providing a great observation experience as you watch these amazing creatures swim around you. Also keep an eye out for Galapagos Penguins, Red-Lipped Batfish, Baleen Whales & more.

AM: Cousin’s Rock, Santiago Island
This triangular rock formation is home to Blue-Footed Boobies & Brown Pelicans but is also the summit of an underwater cone. There are 2 dive sites at this location – a wall-dive around the steep northeast corner and a ridge flanked by a terraced wall – which will be decided between based on the direction of the currents (normally, you will have 2 dives at one site). Diving here, it is possible to see Galapagos Fur Seals, terraces of colourful algae, White-Spotted Eagle Rays & more.

PM: Highlands, Santa Cruz Island
The road to the highlands leaves from Bellavista, a small village located a 15-minute drive from Santa Cruz’ main town of Puerto Ayora. The road passes through the Galapagos’ most productive agricultural zone, up to the National Park boundary. We find Miconia vegetation at this altitude, changing to the Fern and Sedge zone as we ascend further. With clear weather, we can enjoy beautiful scenes of rolling hills and extinct volcanic cones covered with grass and lush greenery all year round. In the Highlands, you will be able to see Galapagos Giant Tortoises as they graze in freshwater ponds and there will be a diversity of birdlife rarely found in the lowlands. Other species to see at this reserve include Short-Eared Owls, Yellow Warblers & Finches. More elusive species which can be difficult to spot here are Galapagos Rails & Paint-Billed Crakes.

AM: Departure, Baltra Island
Your guide & some crew members will go with you to Baltra where you will board the airport shuttle. Your guide will remain with you through the check-in counters & departure hall.