I read you letters in the Forum and before I make a few comments about you disappointing trip I have to express that:
1_ you have all the rights and reasons to complain if you feel that the service you obtained was not what you expected, and situations like this unfortunately happen.
2_The positive part of all this is that your complaint probably hit the high levels so it is highly probable that a similar situation will not occur to the next visitors, things will hopefully get fixed (the cabin problems) and people disciplined.
If you read my profile I am a former guide-divemaster onboard different dive boats in the Galapagos Islands (including the Aggressor boats), by the way I do not work for the Galapagos Aggressor anymore, I stopped working for them more that 3 years ago, and I very often I let my impression of certain aspects of the operation be known when it was necessary during the time I worked for them or any other live-aboard in the Galapagos, an action that does not leads to being very popular in certain circles.
Your comment
The first problem has to do with our room (# 7, upper level, starboard side). There was a significant leak (you could actually hear the water sloshing next to the closet), making the floor very wet. We could not put anything on the floor because we learned on the first night, it would get
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Mechanical issues occur in all live aboards, but that is not an excuse, you simply paid for a comfortable room and you did not get it, and have all the rights to complain, again you actually helped someone else as it is expected that such problems be fixed, and they place more attention upon this matters in the future.
Just because it happens in many boats worldwide it should not mean that is acceptable in the industry.
Your comment
On at least 2 occasions, a crew member entered our room without knocking. One time I was in the bathroom, another time I was about to get undressed.
No excuse for this, but it happens in many places: hotels, at home, etc,. It is a human error that should not happen in the tourism industry, but it occurs worldwide. I can imagine that after the technical problem in your cabin, you did not have a good day and any inconvenience and mistake added-up to that.
Your comment:
Some other equipment issues on the boat were the satellite and the hot tub. There was no any email communication available,
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If they offer something they must deliver it, e-mail is offered and you expected it, you have all the rights to complain about this. Hot tub the same; if offered it should be delivered. Regarding the temperature, I suggest that in the brochure the live aboards should actually WRITE the temperature, so there is no room for misinterpretation and the crews should actually keep and use a thermometer to be sure it is at the promised numbers. It sounds too bureaucratic, but that it should leave no space for misinterpretations and mistakes.
Your comment
I will start with Solon. His dive briefings were rote, mundane, and completely unenthusiastic. On the very first day (after he just had 2 weeks off), he looked overtly burned out and tired
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It would be ideal if you can get similar comments from the other passengers, if someone if tired or unenthusiastic at work all passengers noticed.
Here I am not trying to give an excuse, just remember that DMs are humans, they have good days, bad days, issues at home, they break up with wives and girlfriends or boyfriends, some problems at home, etc.. I sometimes compared the job to an opera, inside we have a big problem that affects us, but on the outside we had to be smiling and look happy, I used to say
the show must go on, it is hard to have personal problems and at the same time be smiling and look enthusiastic. I have no idea what was going through the DM mid that week, neither do you.
It is sad you met this person in a bad situation that added to your previous problems (and this should not be an excuse), but remember that DMs are humans not robots.
Your comment:
There were two occasions when one of the less experienced divers specifically requested a DM escort (Solon), and both times he abandoned her under the water.
One common misconception amongst divers visiting the islands is that the divemaster is there to babysit them, but such is not the case, and that is usually expressed in the welcome briefing (I did it every week onboard the Aggressor and even in other boats).
This is because of the legal responsibilities/liability issues, if a DM expresses during a briefing that he will take care or be the dive-buddy of a diver that feels uncomfortable in/or under a particular situation underwater, he is legally responsible if something goes wrong. In other words: DMs are only underwater guides when leading certified divers, they are not instructors (instructors have a legal responsibility to take care).
What I just mentioned is the official line, however, yes, I had to babysit divers, and help with:
a) The buoyancy issues, poor buoyancy skills.
b) Help with fear of sharks, (being there for psychological reasons).
c) poor diving skills in general,
d) mainly in Galapagos with its difficult currents I had to take care of divers basically diving beyond their skills levels, that did not wanted to miss a dive or look as inexperienced in front of others.
All DMs do it there (babysit), but it is really unofficial, legally there are many implications of accepting being the dive-buddy of a passenger. When I worked there every week there was a semi-rescue or difficult scenario that could have lead to a disaster if the DM was not there to help. Through the peak of the whale shark season I did at least 5-7 out of air or almost out of air rescues, it became a routine, every year. This happened many occasions after the briefings were given before every dive reminding divers of checking their air.
Your comment
Ramiro made passes at two of the female divers. The first one was able to effectively stop his behavior immediately.
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There is no excuse for this behaviour, and there is a specific briefing given to new employees at the Galapagos Aggressor and all the live aboards in the Galapagos about this delicate matter. I know of employees fired for behaving like this, not only in this boat, but on any boat in the Galapagos.
Your complaint about the sexual harassment case could be better validated if the victim(s) of such action substantiate your claim, probably they are aware of this forum and can come forward and confirm your words and appreciation of the events. Also the rest of the passengers that saw this situation can come forward and confirm you appreciations of the DM actions. Probably you have their e-mails and can contact them to confirm you words.
Actually you MUST do it (contact them, so they, the victims also complain), if not some of your most important and critical complaints will be unsubstantiated.
Your comment
On our last dive, Ramiro demonstrated some extremely poor judgment by having us swim against a very strong current at a depth of 100 feet
It is hard to make comments about specific circumstances in a particular dive, all I can tell you is that many of us occasionally swam for a short time against the current in the Galapagos diving scenario, it is not common, and it definitively does not happens on every dive, but it happens.
The same happens with the jigsaw dive profiles, the whale sharks are occasionally shallow and occasionally deeper (DM are supposed to show them to divers), if a divers feels it is unsafe to follow a DM he/she should simply not follow and openly express him impression/opinion after the dive, each diver is responsible for his actions and should not follow actions he/she feels or thinks are unsafe.
These profiles are very common there, and yes I agree they are not the ideal ones, just imagine how I felt after 4 dives of having similar profiles every 3 days of the week, but if you did not agreed with it, just not do them.
Your comment
Ramiro decided to be helpful and wave his hands and make sounds in front of the turtles faces, trying to get them to pick up their heads for the cameras. I actually lost it when he had the audacity to walk on the platform and actually knock on the shell of one
Again there is simply no excuse for this behaviour and actions, it is against park rules and guides should lead by example, it is disrespect for nature and there are sanctions for guides that break rules on the island. The Galapagos Park Service will be very interested if you have videos or photos of these actions.
If a guide has language problems then the dive operator should hire the ones that can communicate in the language of their customers. Unfortunately lately there is a shortage of good guides on the islands, and boats occasionally have a hard time finding a guide with a good reputation, it is even harder to find the combination of certified land-guide/certified divemaster. As expected the prices or day-rate go up with the quality. Your letter will ring the bells of the management regarding these issues.
Your comment
There are two issues with the dinghy boats. One is the exit procedure
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Sorry but there is no other way to get in the water in that place. Yes, it is the most disorienting way to get in the water, and accidents can happen, but there is no other way to get in, specially with in the currents and the small area to dive, if you miss the target you end up in deep water. There is little that can be done to change that, and thousands of experienced and inexperienced divers do it in Galapagos every year. The procedure is seen in every video advertising the Galapagos Islands diving.
Your comment:
The whale shark was right at the surface, and the dinghy prop hit its dorsal fin. The prop stopped moving; but picked up again
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The whale sharks are big creatures, and I have seen them surfacing UNDER a dinghy, and lifting part of it, dinghy drivers are very careful when they move in an area with divers and whale sharks, but an accident like that can happen, I imagine it was totally unintentional.
The DM was upset probably not because the passengers/client saw this, but just because it happened; divemasters like whale sharks, hang their pictures on the walls, draw it on their diving suits, and dream about them. Divemasters even get tattoos of whale sharks on their bodies.
Yes, scars can get infections, etc. but just remember that it is a fact that they have a thick skin, and occasionally big oceanic and Galapagos sharks attack whale sharks (I have seen the scars, the actions and the cuts by other sharks), although it is not an excuse, this was not a whale shark condemned to die due to a skin infection.
Dolphins rarely get it by a boat, a dolphin is not a dead body in the ocean, and it can easily avoid a dinghy, even if the driver intentionally tries to hit it. The whale shark incident was an unfortunate event that added to you previous situations.
Although as a former guide/divemaster it is sad to read a case like yours, it is thanks to people like you that take the time and energy to complain and let things know that the quality and reliability of the diving industry improves.
In many ways you are helping the industry to get better and improve, and helping other divers not to go through the same ordeal you lived; I hope that next time you take a live aboard in the Galapagos or anywhere else you have a more pleasant experience.
YOU MUST GET THE VICTIMS OF THE HARRASMENT TO COME FORWARD, IF NOT IT WILL CAST DOUBTS UPON YOUR UNFORTUNATE TRIP DESCRIPTION
At least the diving was good,
Keep diving, and stay wet (but only when you go diving, not in you room like in that trip).
