Diving Ecuador & Galapagos

Discover Darwin´s laboratory - the enchanted isles of the Galapagos are home to an amazing array of curious creatures. Get up close to blue-footed boobies, Galapagos tortoises, marine and land iguanas, waved albatross, Galapagos penguins, playful sea lion pups and many other species unique to this national park. Cruise onboard a hand-picked fleet of intimate to mid-sized vessels - all safe, comfortable and sailing with a top-notch crew. From Bartolome to James to Fernandina to Isabela and Floreana - -a week in the Galapagos zips by. Seasoned divers will witness a unique mixture of marine life in the rich and varied currents surging through the archipelago and particularly up at Wolf and Darwin Islands. Let the Galapagos experts at Reef & Rainforest match the perfect scuba dive or natural history vessel and itinerary to your needs. Before or after the Galapagos, explore Ecuador´s Amazon basin, Andean Indian markets, Peru´s remarkable Machu Picchu and more!

Ecuador is located in western South America by the Pacific Ocean and bordered by Colombia and Peru. The Andes dominate the landscape, reaching the highest peak with volcano Chimborazo at 20,703 feet. This mountainous country features numerous active volcanoes, bustling Indian market villages, colonial cities, charming countryside haciendas, the Amazon River basin and the Pacific coastline.

The gem of Ecuador is the Galapagos Islands which are located 600 miles offshore in the Pacific. This remote archipelago has been christened one of the the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World. Warmer Pacific currents collide with cold currents from the Antarctic bringing a bizarre mixture of marine life to these waters - hammerheads, whale sharks, sea lions, penguins and much more! Anyone interested in natural history, wildlife or ecology will find the Galapagos an unforgettable travel experience. The islands were officially discovered in 1535 by a Spanish Bishop of Panama, Fray Thomas de Berlanga. They were made famous by Charles Darwin`s expedition in 1835 and his subsequent publication "On The Origin of Species by Natural Selection" in 1859.

Today, the Galapagos Islands remain a living laboratory of evolution where animals have no fear of people making close-up photography and observation effortless. These isolated islands harbor the rarest species known. Blue-footed boobies, red-footed boobies, flightless cormorants, land and marine iguanas, hawks, sea lions, penguins, seals, pelicans, giant land tortoises, marine turtles and many others roam free as they did thousands of years ago.

The Galapagos have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The National Park administration and the Charles Darwin Research Station, founded in 1964, look after the preservation of the islands and the wildlife. A Galapagos National Park Entrance fee is $100 per person.

The best way to experience the Galapagos is onboard one of the natural history or dive liveaboard vessels on a 7-night itinerary. If you are short on time, some vessels offer trips for 3 to 5 nights. Scuba trips are generally for ten nights to allow extra travel time up to Wolf and Darwin Islands. Trips to the Galapagos require that you fly into the capital city of Quito or coastal city of Guayaquil, then fly out to the Galapagos Islands to meet your boat in Baltra on Isla Santa Cruz or San Cristobal. Galapagos cruising is easy to get used to. You will usually cruise between islands in the predawn hours and arrive at a new destination in time for breakfast. Wildlife excursions with your naturalist guide on the islands of South Plaza, Floreana, Isabela, Fernandina, James, Bartolome and Seymour reveal the flora and fauna unique to this fascinating ecosystem. Many boats in the Galapagos now have sea kayaks for close-up wildlife viewing. Side trips to Ecuador`s mountain region, Amazon rainforest lodges, Andean villages and other destinations within South America are easy to add on to your trip.

You can travel to the Galapagos any time of year. Seas are warmer and calmer from December to June with chances of showers during this timeframe; from June to September finds cooler and drier weather which is also the whale shark migration time. October and November are cooler still with chances of rough seas.

A scuba diving cruise in the Galapagos will offer you two to three dives a day with even more dives out at Roca Redonda, Wolf and Darwin Islands. A normal diving itinerary offers dives together with island visits. Land-based diving is available with Sub Aqua with stays in Red Mangrove Inn and diving out of Academy Bay for two to seven nights.

NOTE: Only experienced advanced divers are permitted to dive in Ecuador due to strong currents.

Any time of year is wonderful to visit the Amazon. Located just below the Equator, the weather varies very little month to month. You may experience rain at any time, which keeps everything so green. Generally, rain comes in short 20-minute bursts, then the sun shines again. Sometimes, the dense canopy overhead will virtually shield you from the deluge. It is warm in the jungle during the day, but not as hot as Hollywood would make you believe. At night, it can get chilly enough for a sweater.

A detailed and complete "how to prepare" and "what to bring" list will be supplied before you depart on one of these amazing journeys of discovery. To get to the Amazon, you will take a short flight from Quito to the towns of either Coca or Lago Agrios, then transfer by boat through dense rainforest.