How much experience for Galapagos?

[Mossman]

Everyone keeps mentioning the currents? Are these drift dives? (Forgive me if that is a stupid question) Do you have to swim against the currents to do the dive? Or is it more like a seamount surrounded by currents and you just have to avoid them during the dive?

They're drift dives in the sense that you don't have to swim back to an anchored boat. The dinghy comes to get you (hopefully) wherever you surface.

For the most part, you're hanging onto rocky reef during the dive, not swimming. However, kicking against current may be necessary when descending and finding a suitable viewing spot, though once you're on the reef, it's often easier to crawl from rock to rock unless the current is in your intended direction. Also, when a guide spots a whale shark, it's may be necessary (though entirely optional) to kick against current to get out into the "blue" and closer to the behemoth (it's amazing how camouflaged such a big fish can be - sometimes you don't see it until you're literally on top of it).

 

[Kmludwig76]

Some good advice... unfortuantely the challenge is when you only get a few nice vacations each yet, it's about being able to optimize each one (at least for me). I did my training at Dutch Springs and, no offense, but I find that to be boring. The only value in that is the cold water diving... I've been to too many places in the Caribbean pre-certification and considering there is SO MUCH of the world to see, I'd rather try various pacific islands.

All in all, great advice in the thread so 'thank you' to the experienced posters/divers on this board.

 

[ronscuba]

I agree that Dutch is boring, but it is a good place to practice cold water diving and new equipment. Glad to hear you did some training there, so at least you know what it's like to dive in a 7mm with hood and gloves.

You do swim against the currents if you want to get close to the whale sharks. Basically you swim down to the rocks and hold on. Then if a whale shark is spotted you swim off into the blue against the current. If time, air and energy permit, you swim back to the rocks and wait again. It can be exhausting and being in shape is a big benefit.

In my signature is a link to my site with several video clips from my trip to Galapagos. Watch a few and you'll see us trying to keep up with the whalesharks. Part 5 in particular shows what is necessary if you want to get close enough to touch.

 

[Kmludwig76]

Wow, I'm kind of surprised to hear that you're 'allowed' to touch

 

[SelkieDVM]

Wow, I'm kind of surprised to hear that you're 'allowed' to touch

On the liveaboard that I was on (the Estrella del Mar), we were specifically told that if we were seen touching a whale shark, we would not be allowed to dive again for the rest of the trip.

 

[ronscuba]

I don't recall any specific mention about touching the whale shark, but it's generally known we are not supposed to touch marine life.

My post about being close enough to touch does not mean I touched the whale shark or condone touching marine life. It was just a statement of how close I got. If you've seen my part 5 video, you'll see I was close enough to touch, but did not. A member of our group did touch and you can see it on the video. People scolded her about it in a kidding way. She was pretty embarrassed.

I'm not a marine biologist so I will leave up to someone else to determine if her touch did any harm to the whale shark. I kinda doubt it, but maybe someone more educated on the subject can answer ?

 

[Mossman]

On my last trip, we were told to not touch the whale sharks. Then we saw one of the DM's touching the shark, knocking remoras off the tail, etc. Naturally, monkey see, monkey do.

There's absolutely no way that a slight caress of a 50' shark by a 6' human harms it in any way. Most likely the shark doesn't feel the touch, or at least isn't bothered by it any more than it's bothered by the remoras hanging off its tail. It certainly didn't give any sign that it noticed my light touch. If the shark is going to be spooked, it will be spooked by a crowd of bubbly divers chasing after it, touching or not.

Then there's the involuntary touch. Sometimes the sharks change direction and come right at you. It's a great shot until you realize that it's coming after you fast and before you know it, you're scrambling to get out of the way. I have some interesting video I shot after one such encounter.

Is it really "generally known we are not supposed to touch marine life"? I think it's generally known to not touch marine life that is harmed by touch (many corals, puffing pufferfishes), or not to touch marine life that can harm us with touch (fire coral, jellies, white sharks), or not to touch marine life that is illegal to touch (turtles in Hawaii, marine mammals in the U.S.), but it's really about not harrassing or hurting the creatures. Certainly no one complains about anyone touching lobsters in lobster season, or touching a freshly speared specimen of marine life meant for the frying pan. Is it wrong (besides the obvious danger) to play with a friendly moray or octopus, or let cleaner shrimp give you a manicure, or hug a Napoleon wrasse, or even to fondle stingrays at Stingray City?

 

[ronscuba]

I agree with you Mossman, but this is a sensitive topic for some people. I've been criticized that I caused a turtle stress because I cut off it's swim pattern and made them turn.

My experiences have been that most Americans that I meet on dive trips don't touch anything. The local dive masters tend to touch more than anyone in my experiences.

 

[SelkieDVM]

Ronscuba, my post was not intended as a criticism of you, but was simply made for the benefit of the previous poster.

 

[ronscuba]

No problem Selkie, I didn't think your post was directed towards me.