Galapagos Master Cruise

After boarding at San Cristóbal, all diving guests aboard the Galapagos Master will go on a check-out dive. Carried out in a sheltered bay in an excellent shallow spot, at a maximum depth of 30 ft (9 m), this will allow you to check your dive gear and become acquainted with some of the local marine life.

• Activity:Arrival, diving
• Meal:Lunch, dinner
• Accommodation:Double or single cabins

AM: Punta Carrión. This boulder-strewn reef provides a superb introduction to some of the larger pelagics you can expect to see in the Galapagos, including white-tip reef sharks but also the occasional hammerhead and Galapagos shark. Sea lions are ever-present and there is the opportunity for some macro critter spotting with sightings of neon nudibranchs. The wall has an average depth of 50 ft (15 m) and a mild-medium current.
PM: North Seymour. Situated off the northern tip of Baltra Island, this site provides a stunning drift with sightings of white-tip reef sharks, sea turtles, eagle rays, and moray eels. An average depth of 60 ft (18 m) and a medium current are to be expected.

• Activity:Diving
• Meal:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation:Double or single cabins

This extinct volcano reaching 490 ft (165 m) above sea level was named in honour of
naturalist Charles Darwin. It is among the smallest islands within the Galapagos Archipelago. Like in Wolf Island, land visits are not permitted here.

You will dive twice here, once in the morning and once in the afternoon.

• Activity:Diving
• Meal:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation:Double or single cabins

Perhaps the most famed dive site is Darwin’s Arch, which provides an amazing drift dive along the wall at an average depth of just 30 ft (9 m). The expected medium-to-strong currents bring large numbers of hammerheads, black tips, silky sharks, and Galapagos sharks. Schools of jacks are a common sight, along with sea turtles, angelfish, and moray eels.

You will dive twice here, once in the morning and once in the afternoon.

• Activity:Hiking, exploring, snorkeling
• Meal:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation:Double or single cabins

Named after the German geologist, Theodor Wolf, this extinct volcano reaches 780 ft (253 m) above sea level and lies some 100 mi (160 km) northwest of Isabela Island. Land visits are not permitted; however, bird life, including red-footed boobies and vampire finch, may be spotted from the boat.

For the dives at Wolf Island, you can choose from a selection of reefs and walls. Typically, most have medium to strong currents, where the use of gloves is advised. Schooling pelagics are the main draw with sightings of hammerheads, white tips, and Galapagos sharks at each site. Between May and November, whale sharks may also be seen here. Divers should also be on the lookout for red-lipped batfish, barracudas, moray eels, and dolphins.

• Activity:Diving
• Meal:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation:Double or single cabins

AM: Alternatively known as The Ice Box due to its chilling thermoclines, this headland off the northwest coast of Isabela Island offers a wall drift dive, along which mola mola can be spotted. The occasional Port Jackson shark may also be seen, as well as the endemic Camotillo (white-spotted sand bass). Punta Vicente Roca is also a fantastic place to spot Pacific seahorses, frogfish, octopus, nudibranchs, flatworms, and a variety of sponges. We stick to a maximum depth of 100 ft (30 m), with an average of 60 ft (18 m) while enjoying some milder currents!

PM: Cape Douglas is known for offering one of the best drift dives in the area and is the best place for spotting marine iguanas and penguins. With an average visibility of 33-66 ft (10-20 m) and a maximum diving depth of 328 ft (100 m), Cape Douglas is indeed one of the most exciting drift dive spots on the island.

• Activity:Diving
• Meal:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation:Double or single cabins

AM: This is a famous site thanks to the wide variety of marine life you can encounter in just one dive, but it is for moderate to advanced divers only. Depths range from 33 to 295 ft (10 to 90 m), with visibility between 98 to 197 ft (30 and 60 m) depending on the season. Currents here are moderate, and surges will be experienced in the shallows. In the water, you’ll encounter sloping rock plate formations and a fantastic wall that drops far down out of sight. These rocky formations are home to seahorses, Galápagos black coral, octopus, a wide range of tropical fish, and Galápagos sharks and hammerheads.

PM: Los Gemelos (or the Twin Craters) are not, in fact, craters–although no less impressive for it! These two large pits were actually caused by the collapse of empty magma chambers after a volcanic uprising. The world-famous Charles Darwin Research Center is just a 10-minute walk from downtown Puerto Ayora and is the home of the non-profit Charles Darwin Foundation. Inside, you’ll find exhibits about the geography, geology, and climate of the Galápagos, and the evolution of its unique species.

• Activity:Hiking, snorkeling
• Meal:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation:Double or single accommodation

AM/PM: The Gianny Arismendi Galápagos Interpretation Center in San Cristóbal Island aims to provide a complete history of the archipelago and give visitors a more holistic understanding of these islands’ unique habitats and wildlife. There are also interesting exhibits covering the Galápagos’ human history, and the conservation efforts in place to preserve the islands and undo some of the damage human occupation has brought. Then, you will be transferred to San Cristóbal Airport for your return flight to the mainland.

• Activity:Walking, departure
• Meal:Breakfast