Dive
Centers & Accommodations
General
Information
The Galapagos Islands are
located on the Equator, 600 miles
off the west coast and part of
Ecuador. Visitors will experience
unique encounters with prolific
wildlife both topside and underwater.
The waters surrounding the islands
become the meeting point of three
distinctive oceanic currents which
result in a bizarre mix of warm
and cold water species. Sharks,
sea lions and turtles can be seen
on nearly every dive. Topside,
you'll see flamingos, penguins,
giant tortoises, sea lions, blue
footed boobies, iguanas, and a
whole lot more. Many of these
animals are unique to the islands,
found no where else in the world.
Most remain unafraid of human
visitors; making for incredible
photo opportunities.
Dive sites are usually not located
adjacent to the main islands.
The most exciting diving is found
around smaller, isolated rock
pinnacles which rise abruptly
from the water's surface. These
rock croppings act like a magnet
to attract a wide variety of marine
life. All dive sites are accessed
by means of a short ride by inflatable
boat. Vertical walls, ledges,
shelves, submerged boulders, and
sand chutes are all part of the
underwater topography. Hammerheads,
Galapagos, and reef sharks are
sighted daily. Dolphin, Orcas,
and other whale species are often
spotted from the boat. In shallow
areas, divers can delight in the
playful antics of the sea lions.
MARINE
RESERVE
After
several attempts to protect the
surrounding waters, in March 13,
1996, the Galapagos Marine Reserve
was declared with 70.000 square
Km. and 1.400 Km of coast.
In
1990 shark fishing was prohibited
In 1992 the Galapagos was declared
a "Whale's Sanctuary".
In 1985 United Nations declared
the Galapagos a "Reserve
of the Biosphere"
In 1989 CEDAM Intl. Declared the
Galapagos islands "One of
the seven underwater wonders of
the world"
In 2001 The islands were declared
"Natural Heritage"
DIVING
CONDITIONS AT THE GALAPAGOS
Galapagos
Islands scuba diving isn´t
necessarily for real beginner
divers. We recommend it for mid-level
to advanced divers, especially
for certain areas. Dive shops
will advise you on the conditions
at that time and can suggest less
strenuous itineraries for beginners.
Diving conditions at the Galapagos
are considered medium to hard
due to the currents, depth and
shape of the dive sites, temperatures
and fauna. However, for those
of you who want to get your PADI
certificate, there's no better
place than the Galapagos. Even
in the waters near the islands,
will give you the chance to swim
with sea lions, watch mantas,
look out for flounders, colorful
fish, and perhaps even dodge the
hungry nibbles of a Blue Footed
Booby, diving for its mid-morning
snack.
GALAPAGOS
TEMPERATURES The range of surface
temperature of the sea is from
18ºC to 30ºC. September
to November are the coldest months,
and February to April the warmest.
Thermoclines are present, between
10 to 30 meters depth ( 30 to
100 feet) and the temperature
can drop from one to five degrees
Celsius. Galapagos Islands scuba
diving shops will supply divers
with wet suits and appropriate
gear for the temperatures.
CURRENTS You will probably dive
in the Galápagos in medium
to strong currents. We understand
medium currents to be between
one and three knots (between 1
and 4 miles/hour or between 2
and 6 Km./hour), and strong currents
are more than three knots (more
than 4 miles/hour or 6 Km./hour).
Galapagos diving can be tricky
if you are caught in an unexpected
current on the surface. Just relax,
get positive bouyancy and call
the boat. If you are in a group,
get close together. In the garúa
season (from July to December)
the Humboldt current coming from
the southeast is present. In the
warm season ( from January to
June) the Panamá current
from the northeast arrives in
the Galápagos.
GALAPAGOS
VISIBILITY couldn't be better!
100 feet or 30 meters often is
present in the Galápagos
waters. You shall expect a visibility
from 50 to 80 feet or 15 to 25
meters in most of the places.
In some areas and in some seasons
due to the richness of phytoplankton,
green waters are present. This
planktonic algae is the first
step in the trophic chain and
is necessary to sustain all marine
life at the islands.
Getting
There
There are two airlines that fly
to the islands, AEROGAL and TAME.
FLIGHTS TO BALTRA, GALAPAGOS (SANTA
CRUZ, OR PUERTO AYORA)
Airline:
TAME MONDAY TO SUNDAY, EVERYDAY
QUITO
- BALTRA FLIGHT 191, EVERYDAY
Quito
- 7:30 | Baltra (GPS) - 9:30
QUITO
- BALTRA FLIGHT 193, EVERYDAY
Quito - 9:30 | Baltra (GPS) - 11:30
BALTRA - QUITO , FLIGHT 190, EVERYDAY
Baltra (GPS) - 10:15 | Quito - 14:45
BALTRA
- QUITO , FLIGHT 192, EVERYDAY
Baltra
(GPS) - 12:15 | Quito - 16:15
Vuelo
190 (Viernes) opera via San Cristobal
GUAYAQUIL
- BALTRA, FLIGHT 191, EVERYDAY
Guayaquil 09:00 | Baltra (GPS) -
09:30
GUAYAQUIL
- BALTRA, FLIGHT 193, EVERYDAY
Guayaquil 11:00 | Baltra (GPS) -
11:30
BALTRA-GUAYAQUIL
, FLIGHT 190,
Baltra
(GPS) - 10:15 | Guayaquil - 12:45
BALTRA-GUAYAQUIL
, FLIGHT 192, EVERYDAY
Baltra
(GPS) - 12:15 | Guayaquil - 14:45
Airline:
AEROGAL TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY
B-727
QUITO
-GUAYAQUIL-BALTRA
Quito - 8:15 | Guayaquil - 09:00
Guayaquil - 09:30 | Baltra (GPS)
- 10:10
BALTRA-GUAYAQUIL-QUITO
Baltra (GPS) - 10:40 | Guayaquil
- 13:20
Guayaquil - 13:55 | Quito - 14:40
Airline:
AEROGAL SUNDAY B-737
QUITO
-GUAYAQUIL-BALTRA
Quito - 8:45 | Guayaquil - 09:30
Guayaquil - 10:15 | Baltra (GPS)
- 10:55
BALTRA-GUAYAQUIL-QUITO
,
Baltra (GPS) - 11:40 | Guayaquil
- 14:20
Guayaquil - 15:30 | Quito - 16:15
FLIGHTS
TO SAN CRISTOBAL (PUERTO BAQUERIZO
MORENO)
Airline:
TAME MONDAY, WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY
QUITO
- SAN CRISTOBAL FLIGHT 191 FRIDAY
Quito
- 07:30 | San Cristobal (GPS) -
10:45
QUITO
- SAN CRISTOBAL FLIGHT 195 WEDNESDAY
Quito
- 10:00 | San Cristobal (GPS) -
12:00
SAN
CRISTOBAL - QUITO , FLIGHT 190 FRIDAY
San
Cristobal (GPS) - 11:30 | Quito
- 15:30
SAN
CRISTOBAL - QUITO FLIGHT 194 WEDNESDAY
San
Cristobal (GPS) - 12:45 | Quito
- 16:45
GUAYAQUIL-SAN
CRISTOBAL , FLIGHT 195 WEDNESDAY
Guayaquil
- 11:30 | San Cristobal (GPS) -
12:00
GUAYAQUIL-SAN
CRISTOBAL , FLIGHT 191 FRIDAY
Guayaquil
- 09:00 | San Cristobal (GPS) -
10:45
SAN
CRISTOBAL - GUAYAQUIL, FLIGHT 194
WEDNESDAY
San
Cristobal (GPS) - 12:45 | Guayaquil
- 15:15
SAN
CRISTOBAL - GUAYAQUIL, FLIGHT 190
FRIDAY
San
Cristobal (GPS) - 11:30 | Guayaquil
- 14:00
Â
Airline: AEROGAL MONDAY, THURSDAY
AND SUNDAY B-727
QUITO
-GUAYAQUIL-SCY
Quito - 8:15 | Guayaquil - 09:00
Guayaquil - 09:30 | San Cristobal
(GPS) - 10:10
SCY-GUAYAQUIL-QUITO
San Cristobal (GPS) - 10:40 | Guayaquil
- 13:20
Guayaquil - 13:55 | Quito - 14:40
PRICES:
PASSENGERS:
Adults.
Price Round trip: QUITO-GALAPAGOS-QUITO
390 US$ per person.
Price Round trip: GUAYAQUIL-GALAPAGOS-GUAYAQUIL
345 US$ per person.
PASSENGERS: Child (12 Years).
Price Round trip: QUITO-GALAPAGOS-QUITO
198 US$ per person.
Price Round trip: GUAYAQUIL-GALAPAGOS-GUAYAQUIL
175 US$ per person.
LOW
SEASON PRICES : MAY 01 TO JUNE 14
AND SEPT 15 TO OCT 30:
PASSENGERS: Adults.
Price Round trip: QUITO-GALAPAGOS-QUITO
334 US$ per person.
Price Round trip: GUAYAQUIL-GALAPAGOS-GUAYAQUIL
300 US$ per person.
PASSENGERS: Child (12 Years).
Price Round trip: QUITO-GALAPAGOS-QUITO
170 US$ per person.
Price Round trip: GUAYAQUIL-GALAPAGOS-GUAYAQUIL
153 US$ per person.
20 Kg. per passenger
Travel
Tips
All travelers must have a passport
valid for at least six months before
arriving in Ecuador. They must also
have a return ticket to their country
of origin or to another destination.
Citizens of the following countries
require a visa to enter Ecuador:
Algeria, Bangladesh, China, Costa
Rica, Cuba, Honduras, India, Iran,
Iraq, Jordan, North and South Korea
, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Palestine, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria,
Tunisia, Vietnam, and Yemen. To
enter the country, visitors must
fill in an international embarkation
–disembarkation form. It is
important to keep it with your passport.
Travelers should have their passports
with them during their stay in Ecuador
to avoid problems with the authorities
who may want to see it. A copy is
not acceptable. Those who wish to
stay in the country longer than
90 days have to fill out the corresponding
paperwork in an Ecuadorian Consulate.
If the traveler enters Ecuador as
a tourist it is not possible to
change visa status while they are
in the country.