Galapagos Trip Report Deep Blue Yacht 17-24 Sep 07

[Fionab]

Hi Guy

Thanks for the report, I hope you don't mind it has been cross posted over on our side of the pond on YD, there are 16 of us heading off this afternoon for our trip on DB and I can't tell you what an excited bunch we are. We booked 2 years ago and it never seemed to come round but after all the uncertainty it is here.

I suspose we are lucky that group is from the same forum and there will definitely be a no touching rule, anyone who breaks this will get a severe beating :no

Sounds like the guides are passionate about thier world and we can look forward to spending time listening to their stories.

Thanks to Jeff as well for some great electronic support over the weeks we didn't know what was happening.

 

[MarkUK]

Said this on YD as well, but have fun in the Galapagos. I know from your other postings that it has been a long time coming, but I am sure it will more than live up to expectations. I'm a bit jealous as I haven't done it yet, but it will happen down the line.

Say hit to the whalesharks for me...

Umpteen thousand dives around the world in 22 years and I still haven't seen one... They are my Moby Dick...

I might devote a whole issue to 'em once I finally see one!!!

Mark

 

[John Gulliver]

Say hi to the whalesharks for me...

Umpteen thousand dives around the world in 22 years and I still haven't seen one... They are my Moby Dick...

I might devote a whole issue to 'em once I finally see one!!!

Mark

You've either been very unlucky or been to the wrong places or the right places at the wrong time, Mark. I've seen one in Thailand (Richelieu Rock), one in the Maldives, one in the Red Sea and 5 in Mexico (Sea of Cortez), so I've really already had my ration but I won't mind if I see another 10 or so in Galapagos I'm flying a day later than the UK mob, by the way, meeting them in Quito on Sunday.

 

[MarkUK]

You've either been very unlucky or been to the wrong places or the right places at the wrong time, Mark. I've seen one in Thailand (Richelieu Rock), one in the Maldives, one in the Red Sea and 5 in Mexico (Sea of Cortez), so I've really already had my ration but I won't mind if I see another 10 or so in Galapagos I'm flying a day later than the UK mob, by the way, meeting them in Quito on Sunday.

Don't even get me started, John...

Did the Similians and Surin Islands – and Richelieu Rock – at the height of manta/whaleshark season, saw plenty of mantas, no whalesharks (though they had plenty both sides of my liveaboard trip!).

Did the Maldives at the height of manta/whaleshark season and again, lots of mantas, no whalesharks (but they were there before and after my trip!).

One of many trips to the Red Sea (34 in total!), did an entire week diving Ras Mo every day. The one day I went to Jackson Reef to look for the hammerheads, a sodding juvenile whaleshark spent the morning in the shallows off Ras Mo!!!! Arrrgghhh!!!!!

I have yet to do the Seychelles or Ningaloo, due to the fact that my flaming contributors keep going and I can't justify me travelling there if I already have a story for the mag! I have now banned any articles from Ningaloo and the Sea of Cortez so I can go myself in 08/09/10!!!

Mark

 

[Scubagal]

I haven't been on an "open boat" liveaboard where our group didn't control the boat in quite a while, now I remember why. Never know what you're going to get....

Found out the departure we're taking next September on the Aggressor II has the following other divers:
7 from Ecuador, 4 from Spain and 1 from England
Guess we better brush up on our Spanish!

 

[MN Lakeman]

Great trip report... 'starting preliminary planning for a June 2009 trip. I feel the pain regarding the later post on harrassing the wildlife. Last Feb. I dove Belize on the Nekton - great trip, but this big group f/ Texas felt no problem kicking up/standing on the coral & chasing critters everywhere - one lady even grabbed each side of a huge barrel sponge, stuck her whole body inside to get a photo:11: I'm curious - did you consider Aggressor? What was the deciding factor for Deep Blue? Also, is June a favorable month for Whale Shark sitings?

 

[cowjazz]

I chose Deep Blue because my LDS chartered the boat, and it was less expensive than the Aggressor. Deep Blue is the newest yacht offering diving itineraries. It was clean, modern, plush and has a great crew. Plus I could book less than a year out, and Aggressor was booked years in advance for the time I wanted to be there (September or October).

As far as whale sharks in June, I'm not sure. Looking at the Aggressor's Captain's logs, June produces whale sharks: Captain's Archive

 

[Fionab]

Well I still in Peru but so wont post a report until I get back.

A couple of comments though, first the good one this is the first dive boat I have been on which had a saftey drill.

Now a couple of bad ones, this is the only boat where I have not had to show a cert card or asked if I even had a nitrox cert.

Also I am not a vegetarian but I was embarressed eating our food as the options for the vege's was extreamly poor and the chef certainly had no imaginiation.

All in all an excellent trip and Luis one of the guides was fabulous.

 

[dpaustex]

I thought everyone always understood not to handle the wildlife. It annoys the c$ap out of me when I go places and people ride the turtles. I like to take pix/video and it isn't cool when people scare stuff off. Please leave the critters alone!

 

[laurendell]

Agreed. Just got back from the Galapagos and we had one guy on our trip who touched everything. Finally I saw a slipper lobster right out in the open at Wolf, about to take a pic, and the guy touches it. It freaks out and backs up a bit. Okay, you got your little love tap, fine, he's still there. I am angling again to try and get a shot and he goes down and taps it on the head again, so it high tails it backwards into a hole!! That was the last we saw of it, and the one and only I saw on the trip. No photo. I was pissed. Came back up and mentioned it to the dm who said "hmm, they are very rare to see here as well". Grrrr! Didn't help.