Land based diving in Galapagos - need a dive op recommendation

[Leejnd]

We just booked an 18-day Machu Picchu/Galapagos trip for October, and we'll have six days in the Galapagos. Four of those days will be on a private-chartered yacht, and two will be staying at a hotel on Santa Cruz Island. This is a tour arranged through a travel company, with everything included...but no diving!

So we're hoping to book a couple of days diving with a local dive op. Does anyone have any recommendations? From my research it appears that local dive ops can provide day trips, starting from Puerto Ayora...which will probably be good for the days we're staying in the hotel, which I imagine will probably be in Puerto Ayora, since that's the only place I can find that has hotels (we don't have the details from the tour company yet). I'm also wondering if local dive ops will come pick you up from your cruise ship, if we want to dive while we're staying on the ship.

We're advanced divers - 120+ dives, many in extreme conditions (which pretty much describes any dive we do here at home in SoCal ). Any suggestions for the best dive sites that we should ask for?

 

[MagicChicken]

Hi LeeAnne!

RoatanMan told me about Scuba Iguana, but I ended up on the Deep Blue liveaboard.

The best sites were hands down Darwin Island, Wolf Island and then Cousin's Rocks. You can't reach Darwin and Wolf unless you book a cruise.

Cousin's Rock is relatively close to Santa Cruz Island. We saw manta rays (many!), eagle ray flocks, cow nose rays, marbled rays, blacktip & whitetip reef sharks, sea lions... and more

Afterwards my girlfriend and I did some land-based trips on our own. I noticed a few shady dive guides (not Scuba Iguana)... shop carefully.

BTW, nice sig!

 

[Leejnd]

Thanks for the feedback! I've initiated communication with Scuba Iguana - hopefully they'll be able to help me. I'm so excited about this trip!

Btw, I like your siggy too.

 

[pikeblenny]

Scuba Iguana is a very good operation. I just came back from Galapagos and dove with Macarron. They have really improved their operation and I enjoyed diving with them. Nauti diving is also good.
Be careful with Sharksfriends and also with Albatros. I would not recommend either one.
The best dive siite accessible form SAnta Cruz is Gordon Rocks-hands down. It is like a mini version of Darwin hammerheads, mantas, galapagos sharks. My second choice would be North Seymour(the point) - nice white tips and a good chance for more hammerheads.
These sites are the bast that are regularly visited. Cousins Rock is great but most day operators do not do it very often as it is a long trip.

 

[Leejnd]

Thanks for the feedback! I've initiated communication with Scuba Iguana, and am working out a schedule. The trip isn't until October, so we have some planning time ahead of us. We're waiting to find out the exact itinerary of the boat that we'll be on, so they may be able to come and pick us up off our boat for one of the days.

I tend to stick with dive ops that have been personally recommended by other divers, and so far I've heard nothing but good things about Scuba Iguana - so that's who we'll go with. Thanks!

 

[Manuel Sam]

Definitely Gordon Rocks, Cousins and North Seymour among the ones that are accessible to Pto. Ayora . Just a word of caution about Gordon Rocks - and of course, your luck might vary.

Gordon Rocks is indeed a great dive site - probably my favorite in the Central Islands - but it can be seasonal. When I dove it in May (dry season, I think) many years ago, it had everything: many mantas, hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, eagle rays, golden cownose rays, huge schools of fish and decent viz.

But when I dove it in October (wet season, I think) 2005 and 2007, it was a veritable washing machine with pea-soup viz. And low 60's.

Hopefully you will have better luck if you dive there.

 

[sinduda]

I just went diving for one day in Galapagos last week. By the time you come, Macaron will have his new boat ready (about another month). He used to be at Scuba Iguana for 10 years and is excellent. He's been on his own about 2 years now. He is hooking up with Red Mangrove to present a 3 island option, but that would be at least 5 days. Red Mangrove does have lodges on both Floreana and Isabela. Actually, there are lots of hotels on Isabela, but only 2 lodges on Floreana. There is a dive operator in Isabela, but he's not PADI certified...very local if you know what I mean.

I live in Ecuador and will be heading back out to do some more diving with Macaron in Feb. Will let you know how it goes.

 

[5continentBo]

We went diving with Macarron on what I guess is his new boat. What a great guy, and what a class act. He is kind, fun, and very safety oriented. Christian, James, and Maca are wonderful and I would use them any time! A class act -- great diving, very service oriented, and just sweet, life-loving people. The best operation I've been with to date (and I live on St. John and dove regularly!). SCUBA Iguana is $50 more expensive and no better. Go with Maca for the experience of a lifetime (unless you are high strung -- they are a relaxed operation, so if you want a crew that treats you like a commodity, go somewhere else! I "danced" with Christian underwater before our ascent. Can you get any better than that? LOVED them!).