Marine Life Back
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| Reef Fish abound in the Galapagos including: |
Anamic Sergeant Major
Bacalao
Balloonfish
Barberfish
Barred Pargo
Barred Serrano
Batfish
Black Striped Salema
|
Blenny
Boxfish
Burrfish
Butterflyfish
Chub
Cornetfish
Creole Fish
Flag Cabrilla
|
Flounder
Frogfish
Giant Damselfish
Goatfish
Golden Grouper
Graysby
Grunt
Halfbeak
|
Hawkfish
Hogfish
King Angelfish
Leather Bass
Lizardfish
Moorish Idol
Panamic
Parrotfish
|
Porgy
Puffer
Scorpionfish
Sea Horse
Snapper
Streamer
Surgeonfish
Triggerfish
Wrasse |
| Pelagic Fish are commonly seen: |
Bigeye Jack
Tuna
Bonito
Sierra
Wahoo
|
Sailfish (sometimes)
Marlin (sometimes)
Billfish (occasionally)
Whalesharks (seasonal)
|
| Possible Invertebrates that may be seen: |
Octopus
Sea Cucumbers
Anemones
Nudibranchs
Corals
|
Sea Urchins
Starfish
Sponges
Three species of Lobsters including the
endemic Slipper Lobster |
Equipment Back
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Each vessel has its own way of providing or renting equipment.
Some vessels require that divers take their own personal equipment
while others provide all equipment on-board. The norm in the Galapagos
is that tanks utilize the international connection system, therefore
if divers want to use their own regulators with the DIN system,
they will also need to provide their own adapter. For vessels that
do not have their own equipment, sometimes it is necessary to pick
up the equipment in the airport where someone from a rental agency
will check over the equipment with the diver and require a deposit
to be paid either in cash or by leaving a signed credit card voucher.
This deposit or credit card voucher will be returned once the equipment
is turned over in the same condition. For cases in which the equipment
rental is not included in the dive/cruise package, the rental is
also paid for with the cruise and diving costs.
If divers do not bring their own personal equipment, the following
information will be required when making the reservation:
- Diver´s height
- Diver´s weight
- Diver´s shoe size
Procedures, Conditions & Diver Experience Back
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Depth
All dives are between 15 and 25 meters because this is where you
encounter most of the marine life in the Galapagos. Maximum depth
for dives is 30 meters.
Length of Dive Back
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Dives are done with one tank, therefore the bottom time depends
on air consumption.
Number of Dives Back
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You can expect to make between 2 and 4 dives per day depending on
several factors. Some itineraries offer the possibility of night
dives, but this is the exception rather than the rule. The southern
island itineraries almost always include one or two land excursions
with snorkeling each day, leaving less time for dives. When visiting
Darwin & Wolf, no land excursions are available, therefore more
time is dedicated to diving. However, these islands are 14 to 20
hours from the other islands depending on the open sea conditions.
Safety issues also need to be taken into account, some specifically
due to this being open ocean diving: surface time between dives,
waiting after meals, time between diving and flying, and making
sure there is sufficient daylight time to search for any diver who
has been separated from the group, which is not that uncommon.
Sea Temperatures Back
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For general weather conditions of the Galapagos Islands, please
refer to the Climate
section. More specifically, water temperatures vary between the
southern islands and Darwin and Wolf.
| Sea Temperatures |
December to May
(Warm Season) |
Central Islands
|
75-78° F / 24-25.5° C |
Wolf & Darwin
|
76-80° F / 24.5-26.5° C |
June to November
(Cool Season) |
Central Islands
|
65-72° F / 18.5-22° C |
| Wolf & Darwin |
74-78° F / 23-25.5° C |
Due to the cool water temperatures, it is recommended to wear full,
1/4" (6mm) wetsuits year-round and hoods in the cold season.
Visibility Back
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During the warm season, there is almost no wind, so the sea is usually
very calm and the visibility tends to be better. In the cool season
there is more wind, the sea can be choppy and the visibility is
lower. In general, visibility ranges from 5 to 25 meters, but most
of the time it is restricted to between 12 and 18 meters.
Experience Back
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In the Galapagos there are dive sites for all levels of diving experience--beginners,
intermediate and advanced. A few vessels offer courses for diving,
or this can be arranged through hotel/day tour packages. However,
in general, the diving in the Galapagos is for intermediate to advanced
divers, and the best dives sites are usually the most difficult
ones. Most dives are drifts along the cliff faces, off-shore rocks
and pinnacles; additionally, strong currents, sea swells, surges,
upwelling, large animals and difficult entry onto/exit from the
dive boats (usually zodiacs) contribute to the reason why divers
will feel more comfortable in the Galapagos if they are more experienced.
Each vessel has its own set of regulations for determining experience
level, which usually correspond to the following rough guide:
- Beginners - Newly certified divers or divers with fewer than
15 to 30 dives.
- Intermediate - Between 15 or 30 dives and 99 dives logged with
experience in cold water and with drift and wall diving.
- Advanced - 100 or more dives logged with experience in cold
water and with drift and wall diving.
However, these guidelines are general and a detailed description
of dive experience may be required in order to confirm a dive itinerary.
A diver with 10 dives in cold water and currents may feel more comfortable
than a diver with 40 logged dives in warm water and little current.
Also, a newly certified diver may feel more comfortable than a diver
with 50 logged dives but who has not been diving for several years.
Some vessels require a minimum of 25 dives before diving in the
Galapagos.
Some vessels allow divers as young as 12 years old.
Guides & Dive Masters Back
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Due to Galapagos National Park rules, a Naturalist Guide will be
in the water with the divers during all dives--just as visitors
must be accompanied by a Naturalist Guide on land. Sometimes this
Naturalist Guide is also a dive master and sometimes there is a
separate dive master who accompanies the group and is responsible
for directing and controlling the group.
Safety Back
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For safety reasons, the following information is requested about
each guest´s diving experience:
- Type of diving license (level and training agency)
- Current number of dives made
- Date of last dive
- Experience with drift and wall diving
- Experience with diving in cold water and with thick wetsuits
- What would the passenger like to see in the Galapagos?
Some vessels also require a recent medical certificate verifying
the diver is fit to dive and/or request that a waiver release be
signed prior to diving.
In case of emergencies, there is a recompression chamber in Puerto
Ayora on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos. It is operated by the
Protección Submarina del Ecuador. For their direct services
as well as for administration between them and DAN or PADI, they
charge USD 2.00 for each dive tank on daily dive tours, and USD
35.00 for live-aboard cruises up to 10 days long. Some vessels may
include these fees in the rates while others will need to be paid
onboard the vessel.
Underwater Films & Photos Back
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Some vessels offer the opportunity to rent underwater camera equipment.
The Galapagos National Park requires a special authorization in
order to film under water. If you are interested, please let us
know, so arrangements can be made to fulfill your request.
Diving Courses Back
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Full certification courses are available while in the Galapagos.
Whether you want to begin your first diving experiences in the enchanted
islands or are looking to become a divemaster, you can take these
courses in the Galapagos: Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue
Diver, Divemaster, Instructor, and Medic First Aid & CPR.
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