Galapagos; is it really worth $5k US?

[DiveTheGalapagos]

One thing that adds cost is the push to put people into Quito for 2 nights each way. I really could have done without this though the only flights that can go to the GIs must originate in Ecuador so your stuck with either Quito or Guayaquil. Quito is a cool city but I got wicked altitude sickness both ways. One overnight in Guayaquil might have been a better idea though flight schedules might be more challenging.

Thought I would chime in on this comment. Flights from Quito (UIO) to Galapagos route through Guayaquil (GYE) so it's actually simple to book flights from Guayaquil. It's closer, slightly less expensive and if you are subject to any altitude sickness, it's at sea level. Even if you don't suffer from altitude sickness, the altitude will most likely make you feel tired. Also, the new airport in Quito should open sometime in 2013. It keeps getting pushed back and back...last I heard was Oct. When that happens, if your international flight arrives late (ie 10:30 PM) and your Galapagos flight departs early (ie 8:00 AM), you could end up with maybe 5 hours in your hotel room...it's a distance from the city and no hotels exist around the new airport. PIA! In short, much better to arrive into Guayaquil, fly direct to Galapagos after an overnight (or if you arrive on a red-eye you can fly the same morning) and then if you wish to see mainland sites, depart from Quito. Also, it seems there are more flights now departing back to the US in the evening or night which would do away with the overnight on the back end.

And no Philba, there is no cruise allowed to both dive and make land visits...it's one or the other with no one permitted to offer both.

 

[laurenceh]

its worth $10k if you go to wolf and darwin, if not, i wouldn't bother

 

[Katja]

Egnpaz - which dive sites did you go to?

 

[DiveTheGalapagos]

I´ve returned from two weeks diving trip (land based) to Galapagos and let me tell you diving here is OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! (and I´ve dove in many places like the Red Sea, Spidan Island, Phillipines, Raja Ampat, Bali, lot of the Caribbean). Galapagos is now on the top of my diving list. A piece of advice I´ve talked to many divers during this trip that did the liveaboard and some were disappointed becasused they didn´t see what they expected and see more on they land based diving. As always diving relies much in luck. Another point in favor of land based diving Galapagos is as beatiful above as it is below the surface so if you dive on liveaboard you´ll be missing a lot of what Galapagos has to offer, you´ll also be missing some interest diving (like diving with penguins, etc there are no penguins in Darwin Arch and Wolf).

About the time to go diving, hammerheads are all year around but they do love cold whater so the best time to see hammerhead sharks are from July to late december. You´ll see hammerheads during the summer months (january to March) but you have to go deepers. In winter water temperature drops up to 16 C while in summer gets up to 25-26 and also the visibility is better because the plankton bloom is in winter time. I went in mid december (a good time) and water was still a little cold (but no so much) 22C an so a lot of hammerheads. In my first dive I saw a school of 12 hammerheads, a school of 4 giant manta ray, school of egale rays and several galapagos sharks and of course a lot fish ( I mean a LOT!). I also dove in the other islands. Well hope this helps. Let me know if you want more information.

I missed this somehow. Once you dive Darwin and Wolf in high season, 12 hammerheads is a disappointment, a ridiculously low number. Up there, 50 in a day would be a low number and at least hundreds (sometimes in one school) per day is normal. In the central islands, you will never see enough fish to block the view of a 45+ ft whale shark. And it's incredibly rare you see the giant pregnant whalesharks in the central islands where as up north during the peak of high season, the question is usually how many did you see. And most liveaboards now either do a Bartolome visit or dive, where there are penguins, or dive Punta Vicente Roca where there are penguins, flightless cormorant (something you will never see land-based), mola molas, and many more etcs.

I've always said the central islands are good, but the north is amazing. They are 2 different destinations really. The closest analogy I've come up with is to say that yes, if you walk down the street in Altoona, Kansas you will probably see some people, but nothing like the sheer volume of people you would see in midtown Manhattan. I think anyone who has done both would agree with me on that. I once sent someone I work with in my spot (sinus infection prohibited me going on a charter I had) who had worked for years as a dive guide in the central islands. He called me as soon as they had signal on his return just to tell me how speechless he was. He could not believe the difference. I would agree with that. Granted, I am talking about high season in the north, not low season. Not saying the central islands don't have good diving to offer. Just saying it's not the north.

 

[fish-face]

just returned from GI in January 2013 on Galapagos Agressor. I thought trip was fantastic. it was 15 dives in 5 days (3 tanks/day) + 1 tank 'check out', for 16 tanks total. GREAT hammerheads year round. Whale sharks more likely 'in season". we did not see one, but friends on a boat 4 days after us, saw one. we spent 3 days at Wolf and Darwin Islands which have the most pelagics. one day at Isabella with colder water and different species (eg Galapagos penguins, red-lipped bat fish, etc.). I would recommend going, but cannot give opinion if it is 'worth' $5K.

i did stay on Santa Cruz Island for 4 extra days to do "land based' trips. I did not think that was nearly as interesting as animals seen while diving!

Now GI diving rules have JUST changed (since my trip) and apparently night dives are allowed again. But as noted here, much of the moving from island to island takes place at end-of day (if you do a live-aboard) and there is a lot of current, so I am unsure how the night diving would work out, on a live aboard. there are land based dive operators too.

 

[Katja]

OMG Wossa,

Your photos are AMAZING. I've been considering doing land based, but this makes we reconsider....
Thanks for sharing ;-)

 

[willyjohnson]

Considering a trip to Galapagos the last week in May. It is the fringe between low and high season. I don't expect to be disappointed in any circumstance, but is this an okay time to go? We are looking to take the Darwin-Wolf Buddy liveaboard if that matters.

 

[viakovlev]

We went with Darwin/Wolf Buddy in December. Lots of room on the boat, almost brand new, the crew was trying hard to provide service. I found diving in Galapagos special, especially at Darwin/Wolf islands. These places are the warmest in Galapagos, and, practically the reason to go there (other sites are OK, but not that special). A wall of hammerheads, which we observed on each dive, is a view you may not see again. We were in 7mm wetsuits and did not need vest/hoods at those islands. All other places were COLD. Even in the warmest month, in 7mm suits, vest/hoods/gloves and warm water fill before the dive. You will need a dry suit to enjoy diving at those sites, and a drysuit for all Galapagos in summer months. The guides are "guides" only, they do not babysit. We frequently were wandering off away from the group if the current was pushing us faster. I have a monster camera with lights and strobes and find fighting a current useless. They give you a GPS radio, air horn and a sausage, but the boatmen are very good and pick up everybody quickly. Most of the time the group was surfacing with a range of 15-20 min apart and in a radius of 200m. Nobody waited in water for more than few minutes. The diving operation was very smooth and organized.

So, the bottomline:
-The experience is very different and the only way to experience it is to pay
-Pick a liveaboard, which dives more dives at Darwin/Wolf
-It is cold, consider a drysuit in winter and TAKE a drysuit in summer
-One has to be relatively experienced and comfortable to dive in some moderate challenging conditions
-Do not go to the information centre at the end of the trip, instead go to the beach, there are crowds.....of sea lions.

 

[speedboat]

I am a land-based Galapagos dive operator, <www.scubaiguana.com> We have two day trip dive boats. Live aboard is the best way to see more of the varied dive sites. Do check online for reviews of the dive operations, as not all live-aboards are equal. Likewise the day trip operators. Most of them are unlicensed and unregulated. Day trip diving costs less, is more flexible, you sleep in a bed that doesn't move, no enforced conviviality with strangers, and you don't have to bring your own gear. Live aboard trips do not go ashore except at inhabited ports. Live-aboard on a good boat will get you to amazing isolated dive sites with spectacular scenery. Our day trip boats take you to Gordon Rocks, for instance, one of the world's top rated dive sites. The one recompression chamber is at Puerto Ayora, our home base.

 

[Dom@DiveAdvice]

Hi Scuba 7,

Seems you created a great deal of feedback from your original post and I think the overwhelming concenus is that Galapagos is worth every bit whatever it costs, but the big plus in recent months is that with the changes in National Park regulations, not only can one dive 4 times per day and on some days a 5th night dive, but you can visit islands in the park and with some of the special deals currently being offered, you can do that for a lot less than it might have cost you a year or more ago. Today was announced a 2 for 1 offer aboard certain dates on the Aggressor boats, which in essence has brought the base cost down to a mere $2595 per person. Maybe the time to make those plans for Galapagos.