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Baltra · Galapagos · Ecuador
The Galapagos Aqua: 8D/7N (Liveaboard Dive Cruise) (Route A)
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From $5,512.81 per person
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The Experience
What your day looks like
The Galapagos Aqua is the ideal boat for divers and adventure lovers of all ages! It offers a unique combination of both liveaboard diving safaris, including the best diving sites of the archipelago, as well as naturalist cruises for seeing what makes the islands themselves so special, something that should not be missed when visiting the Galapagos Islands. Type, Class & Capacity Category: Midrange Type: Motor yacht Length: 26m / 85ft Beam: 5.5m / 18ft Capacity: 16 passengers + 8 staff / crew members, 1 Instructor Guide and 1 Dive Master Guide. (For naturalist cruises only 1 bilingual naturalist guide) Social areas & Amenities: Sun deck: Solarium area shaded relaxing area Upper deck: Shaded outside deck Main Deck: Dive Platform Amenities: TV, DVD, laptop, beamer, deck chairs Diving Equipment on board: 2 dive tank compressors: Enriched Air and Nitrox Aluminum 12L scuba tanks with valves, belts, and weights Full personal diving equipment available for rent (BCD, regulator, mask, fins, 7mm wetsuits, hoods, gloves, boots, dive computer, torch, GoPro underwater camera) Diving Safety Equipment provided onboard for free: Personal Marine rescue GPS, Storm whistle, Diving beacon, Surface marker tube Aqua’s Dive related Certifications: Certitied with PADI, DAN, EFR
At a Glance
The experience, in brief
- Stay fit & refreshed and fully enjoy all activities (included in cruise price!)
- Have a more intimate nature experience
- An expert naturalist guide who brings nature even more to life
- Personal attention from our welcoming staff
Your Itinerary
Your day, step by step
Day 1
Baltra
Scuba Diving at Santa Cruz Island (Galapagos). AM - Baltra Airport Upon arrival at Seymour Ecological Airport, a check-up is carried out first, to ensure that no foreign plant or animal species are introduced on the islands. Then, your TCC (Transit Control Card) will be stamped; this must be kept safe during your trip, as it has to be presented again on your return flight. Lastly, entrance to the Galapagos National Park is due for entry (USD 200), if this has not yet been paid.
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Baltra
Scuba Diving at Santa Cruz Island (Galapagos). PM - North East Baltra This is the perfect spot to start your adventure with moderate currents. This dive site is for adventurous divers looking to see fascinating lava and rock formations, as well as an incredible number of marine species. At a depth of around 20m/60 ft, we might see white-tip reef sharks, pelagic sharks, reef sharks, rays, and turtles. Additionally, sea lions will be your companions upon entry and on the safety stops. Occasionally, hammerhead sharks can be spotted swimming nearby. Return on board for dinner and amusement at the social areas.
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Baltra
Accommodation
Day 2
Baltra
Scuba Diving at Isabela Island (Galapagos). AM - Cape Marshall (Isabela) Cape Marshall is located on the northeastern coast of Isabela island,just a bit south of the equatorial line and the base of the active Wolf volcano. This area offers drift diving and also an almost vertical wall of volcanic rock that falls all the way to the bottom of the sea. This is a great location for spotting hammerhead, white-tipped, and Galapagos sharks. Occasionally, whale sharks can also be seen. There are huge schools of black-striped salema and barracudas. You can also see black coral growing along the volcanic wall.
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Baltra
Scuba Diving at Isabela Island (Galapagos). PM - Manta’s city A unique attraction near Cape Marshall's is a place where giant manta rays are so often seen that it was named "Manta’s City". They roam feeding in the plankton-rich waters, so visibility can be below. After returning on board the Aqua, we will start sailing towards Darwin, as the distance to cover is quite considerable.
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Baltra
Accommodation
Day 3
Baltra
Scuba Diving at Darwin Island. Day 3-4-5 Thrusday, Friday & Saturday Day 3: 4 dives Due to the large number of dive sites available in Darwin and Wolf as well as the marked influence that marine conditions can have on the area, the 4-daily dive sites will be chosen with these factors in mind. The guide will communicate with all passengers in advance to inform them about the location, expected conditions and alternatives of each site, and learn about their interests. On Friday, the fourth day of the expedition, conditions may be suitable for night diving in one of the two available locations. The regular options include the following: -El Darwin’s Arch, Darwin -Darwin’s Theatre, Darwin -El Arenal, Darwin -Shark Bay, Wolf -El Derrumbe, Wolf -Pinnacle and the Caves, Wolf -The Secret Cave (night dive), Wolf -El Fondeadero (night dive), Wolf
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Baltra
Accommodation
Day 4
Baltra
Scuba Diving at Darwin Island. Day 3-4-5 Thrusday, Friday & Saturday Day 4: 4 dives Due to the large number of dive sites available in Darwin and Wolf as well as the marked influence that marine conditions can have on the area, the 4-daily dive sites will be chosen with these factors in mind. The guide will communicate with all passengers in advance to inform them about the location, expected conditions and alternatives of each site, and learn about their interests. On Friday, the fourth day of the expedition, conditions may be suitable for night diving in one of the two available locations. The regular options include the following: -El Darwin’s Arch, Darwin -Darwin’s Theatre, Darwin -El Arenal, Darwin -Shark Bay, Wolf -El Derrumbe, Wolf -Pinnacle and the Caves, Wolf -The Secret Cave (night dive), Wolf -El Fondeadero (night dive), Wolf
Continued
Baltra
Accommodation
Day 5
Baltra
Scuba Diving at Wolf Island. Day 3-4-5 Thrusday, Friday & Saturday Day 5: 3 dives Due to the large number of dive sites available in Darwin and Wolf as well as the marked influence that marine conditions can have on the area, the 4-daily dive sites will be chosen with these factors in mind. The guide will communicate with all passengers in advance to inform them about the location, expected conditions and alternatives of each site, and learn about their interests. On Friday, the fourth day of the expedition, conditions may be suitable for night diving in one of the two available locations. The regular options include the following: -El Darwin’s Arch, Darwin -Darwin’s Theatre, Darwin -El Arenal, Darwin -Shark Bay, Wolf -El Derrumbe, Wolf -Pinnacle and the Caves, Wolf -The Secret Cave (night dive), Wolf -El Fondeadero (night dive), Wolf
Continued
Baltra
Accommodation
Day 6
Baltra
Scuba Diving at Isabela Island (Galapagos). Day 6 - Sunday AM - Punta Vicente Roca, Isabela Right at the mouth of the seahorse that Isabela Island resembles from space, is located Vicente Roca Point. The roaring echoes of the waves will accompany you as you enter a dark cave under a spectacular arch. Around the corner, the collapsed amphitheatre of the Ecuador Volcano offers another breathtaking view. The calmer waters of the caves are well protected from the ocean swell and are great to snorkel amongst various species of sharks, penguins, pufferfish and even seahorses. Encounters with sunfish are also very common, and it's worth bearing in mind that the water in this area tends to be a little cold (hence the penguins!).
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Baltra
Scuba Diving at Fernandina Island. PM - Douglas Cape, Fernandina Douglas Cape is sure to provide you with incredible opportunities to observe an abundance of marine life, above and below the water. As you prepare for your dive, you can see Galapagos penguins, Galapagos cormorants and Galapagos marine iguanas, animals that are only found on the islands. We will also go in search of amazing marine iguanas swimming and feeding on the rocks beneath the surface. Some of the marine life you may see are the red-lipped batfish, horned dogfish, sunfish, and possibly whales!
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Baltra
Accommodation
Day 7
Baltra
Scuba Diving at Santiago Island (Galápagos). Day 7 - Monday AM - Roca Cousin, Santiago The solitary, symmetrical pyramid of Cousin Rock rises just above the coastal waters of Santiago, approximately 5 km off its coast. This bare volcanic rock serves as a resting place for blue-footed boobies, brown pelicans, Galapagos seals, sea lions and Galapagos penguins, which might be seen during a boat ride. It doesn't take much imagination to realise that this triangular formation is the tiny top of a huge underwater cone, although only divers and snorkellers can admire the unthinkable colourful world below.
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Baltra
PM - Highlands, Santa Cruz Your last visit is very contrasting to your previous underwater experiences. You will explore a Giant Tortoise Reserve in the Scalesia forest-covered highlands of Santa Cruz. This is the best place to look for Galapagos giant tortoises in their most authentic environment! Despite the interesting breeding centres -where you are guaranteed to find tortoises in their pens- there is nothing better than watching them in their wilderness. Although it can be quite wet and muddy, your visit can turn into an adventurous quest when you realise they have quietly left their favourite pond. Unlike the adjacent agricultural area, this Tortoise Reserve is a protected area and an official part of the Galapagos National Park. It stretches from El Chato Hill to the southwest coast of Santa Cruz Island, where females follow Darwin's "tortoise roads" to lay their eggs.
Continued
Baltra
Accommodation
Day 8
Baltra
Boating at Santa Cruz Island (Galapagos). Day 8 - Tuesday Transfer to Baltra airport It's time to say goodbye to your fellow passengers and crew! Assisted by the naturalist guide and some crewmembers, the boat will take you and your luggage to the Seymour Ecological Airport, to board your flight back to the mainland.
Before You Go
What to know before booking
Included
Lodging on board in a cabin with private facilities All diving and visits as mentioned in the itinerary (please note that the itinerary is subject to change) English speaking dive instructor and divemaster Shared shuttle transfer to Quito or Guayaquil airport *only departure transfer (included only if the Galapagos flight has been booked through us on our scheduled departure cruise dates) All transfers in Galapagos (airport-yacht-airport transfers are only guaranteed if the flight has been booked through us) 12L air Tanks Weights Belts Scuba safety equipment (Personal Marine rescue GPS, Storm whistle, Diving beacon, Surface marker tube) Towels provided
Not Included
Roundtrip flight to Galapagos Islands Galapagos National Park entrance fee (USD 200 pp, subject to change) Transit Control Card (USD 20 pp, subject to change) Hyperbaric chamber fee (USD 35 pp) Full dive equipment rental (BCD, regulator, mask, ns, 7mm wetsuits, hoods, gloves, boots, dive computer, torch) Nitrox (USD 150 pp) Soft and alcoholic drinks Tips Travel insurance
Meeting & Pickup
Pickup from Baltra Airport.
Planning Notes
Hotel pickup offered: No Confirmation: Manual By Business
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