The Galápagos Islands are an Ecuadorian archipelago of volcanic islands straddling the equator about 970 km west of continental Ecuador. The Galapagos are a UNESCO World Heritage site, an official Ecuadorian province, an Ecuadorian National Park as well as a biological marine reserve.
You may wonder what all this fuss is about, but we can assure you that these islands have earned all of these titles. Firstly, these 18 islands and 100 islets are world-renowned for their vast endemic and unique wildlife, which were studied by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle. His observations and collections in the Galapagos contributed to the famous 'Darwin Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection'.
Due to being located both in the Southern and Northern hemispheres, the islands are already an oddity themselves, but this archipelago is the land of every extreme.
Their vastness (220 km from North to South, 7,880 km2 of land spread over 45,000 km2 of ocean) is surprising, but the fact that it's still being shaped by volcanic activity is amazing. The wildlife is just beyond wonders; plants, birds and animals do not seem to have changed much since ancient times. You'd be forgiven for thinking that this place seems frozen in time and to visit the Galapagos is truly a chance of a lifetime.
Few people are granted the opportunity of diving these pristine waters and no place on Earth will boast such a variety of underwater sightings. Your underwater adventures will encompass everything from whales to nudibranchs and much, much more. The islands are best known for amazing shark diving and you will generally have a chance to encounter silky sharks, the famous Galapagos shark and an abundance of schooling hammerheads. Macro-lovers will also get their share of the excitement with an array of seahorses, blennies, hawk fishes and many others.
Your trip to the Galapagos will be filled with memories to last you a lifetime and your experience may be challenging, but the rewards will be unforgettable.
Sample itinerary:
**PLEASE NOTE** The itinerary below is an example only and is subject to change depending on local regulations, guests' experience, flight schedules, weather and logistics and is at the Captain's discretion. Currently, each week the itinerary includes the same islands. The order of the island visits, however, is dictated by the Galapagos National Park and may vary weekly.
The diving day aboard the M/V Galapagos Master has a typical schedule as follows:-
Light Breakfast followed by a briefing and dive 1
Full Breakfast, relaxation period, briefing and dive 2
Lunch, relaxation period, briefing and dive 3
Snack, relaxation period, briefing and dive 4, where possible
Dinner
To allow our guests to explore the Galapagos to its fullest, on days 2 and 7, dives 3 and 4 will be substituted by an island visit. Prior to your flight home, you may also opt to visit the Interpretation Center on San Cristobal Island.
