El Niño this year?

[Jungho Kim]

How will this impact the diving in Galapagos this year? I have a trip booked for 3rd week of July on the Sky...

 

[Interceptor121]

Just got off it.
Temperatures are extremely high currently Darwin and Wolf 27C Punta Vicente Roca 25C
No thermoclines you need to go in blue water to see schools of hammerheads
Hopefully in July the water will be cooler but season averages are 4-5C higher than normal
I was in a 5mm suit and was hot most times. Only used a hooded vest on a single dawn dive

 

[Jungho Kim]

Thanks for the update...

Just got off it.
Temperatures are extremely high currently Darwin and Wolf 27C Punta Vicente Roca 25C
No thermoclines you need to go in blue water to see schools of hammerheads
Hopefully in July the water will be cooler but season averages are 4-5C higher than normal
I was in a 5mm suit and was hot most times. Only used a hooded vest on a single dawn dive

---------- Post added May 20th, 2014 at 04:18 PM ----------

I found a great forecast (as of this month) of what is expected... http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdf

 

[Interceptor121]

The last time there was El Niño in galapagos around 70% of land population was decimated according to a naturalist guide I have met. So I would say hurry up for a visit. Not sure what the impact underwater will be but most likely sharks will go deeper looking for colder water

 

[Skittl1321]

We've been waiting 3 years for our galapagos trip (sept). The weather forecasts make me want to cry.
We will just be snorkeling, not diving, but previous el ninos have had devestating effects on most of the bird populations and the sea lions, and that is the whole reason we are going.

I have read the plants thrive...

 

[Interceptor121]

Head to Santa Fe is a day trip from Santa Cruz there is a big colony there surely they will be still there when you go
http://flic.kr/p/nrJ2U8

 

[Jungho Kim]

We've been waiting 3 years for our galapagos trip (sept). The weather forecasts make me want to cry.
We will just be snorkeling, not diving, but previous el ninos have had devestating effects on most of the bird populations and the sea lions, and that is the whole reason we are going.

I have read the plants thrive...

I just saw the latest update from NOAA and there is some indication the conditions for an El Nino is weakening... Can anyone local to Galapagos give any on the ground update?

 

[Dom@DiveAdvice]

Just had a group come back from Darwin + Wolf yesterday - group leader's 3rd trip and he says it was the best trip ever and they had everything. They all want to go again in 2015 so it must have been special. There does seem to be slightly warmer waters but at this time it has not had an adverse affect - to the contrary. I would calm your nerves and not get too upset about the forecast until someone comes back with first hand review that things are not good.

 

[Interceptor121]

Jungho Kim should be back by now. Temperatures are record high right now but maybe cool enough to be OK
Galapagos Aggressor has stopped posting logs since June 05 and that is usually a bad sign

 

[Hank49]

I would guess the seas are rough. There are four…right in a row….tropical depressions moving off the coast of Mexico right now.
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