Update on Galapagos??

[aussiejosho]

Just got off the Aggressor 2 and all is great there. All permits are in place (land and diving also in wolf and Darwin), the crew are fantastic and things run smooothly.

We had one whale shark and 3 the trip before us. You should be in for a blast.

The video will be on-line soon.

We are probably leading another trip there next year.

 

[fairybasslet]

What were the water temps like? I heard they were higher than normal? Also the air temps please. I leave on Wednesday. OMG I am soooo nervous and excited.

 

[aussiejosho]

75-82 in water, no idea what the land temps were - sweaty hot in the sun out of the wind, hoody cold in the wind and shade ????

 

[fairybasslet]

Thanks Josho. I'm well-prepared then. All packed with a range of clothes and layers of neoprene. I am sooooo excited.:dancingsnoopy::yl2jump:

 

[sporket]

Thanks for the information.

 

[tracydr]

Just got back last week. Saw tons of hammerheads, galapegos sharks, turtles, a redlipped batfish (our group saw 3), 3 whale sharks in one dive and the group saw 3 more in the next dive that I didn't go on. (I thought we had two more dives that day and another day left but we had to leave because one of the divers had DCS (note to self) never, never, never miss a dive if there is a chance of seeing a whale shark, no matter how yucky you feel or how much your ear hurts!!!!! It may be the last chance!
Yes, unfortunately we only got two dives in at Darwin instead of our scheduled 8. We had a very experienced diver who had been having a headache behind his left eye since he had been on the plane and he had continued to dive all week but continued to feel worse and worse. I had been recommending all week that he return but he was trying to tough it out and he finally couldn't go on, unfortunately picking the farthest out place to say "no more!!". (I think the fact that he got better on 30 minutes of pure O2 is what convinced him)
Between me and two other physicians we had two (me and one other saying go back and one saying he had a new onset of cluster headache at age 69????? and should take a triptan and tylenol #3) So, boat turned around with a bunch of unhappy campers and we took him back where he took a chamber ride and was then returned to the states. Boy, I didn't know there wasn't an evac system from Darwin. That's a long ride if you get bent!!! Silly me for assuming they would have a helicopter in Ecuador!
But, besides that little glitch, the rest of the trip was awesome and was all I could ask for in a honeymoon. Hope you have a great trip too. It was the best diving I've ever done!

 

[fairybasslet]

Wow Tracy. What a bummer about that diver. I hope he is doing OK. What boat were you on? I guess you didn't go back to Wolf then either? Where did you finish out the rest of your dives then?
I guess you went a week after me? I went on Aggressor 2 from June 5 - 12 (?) I think it was the 12th we got off. We only saw 1 baby whale shark at Wolf. In fact, not everyone saw it. Only the people in the back of the group did. But we saw dolphins, tons of hammers, galapagos sharks, silkies, spotted eagle rays, mobula ray and the crazy sea lions. Like you said, it was a trip of a lifetime. And the land tours were outstanding too. I loved the blue footed boobies and the tortoises.

 

[oceancat]

Tracy--what lousy luck. I am glad to hear that in spite of the poor judgement of a fellow diver you still had a good trip. I am surprised that there is no contingency for rescue if you are on the remote islands (such as a navy helicopter)--we do get spoiled in the US.

Fairybasslet--I am also happy to hear you enjoyed your trip.

I leave tomorrow for Ecuador and am bouncing off the walls. It's 2am and I can't sleep--this trip has been planned for so long I can't believe it's finally almost here.

 

[DocVikingo]

It appears that the essential malady was pre-existing (i.e., "We had a very experienced diver who had been having a headache behind his left eye since he had been on the plane….) and merely advanced as the week progressed. The constant equalizing inherent in SCUBA can be rough on even perfectly normal sinuses and ears.

Moreover, while the response to 02 could be suggestive of DCS, it is well known that certain types of headaches, especially cluster headaches, often respond excellently to 100% 02. There is no report of the affected diver being questioned regarding a history of headaches, so it is hard to speculate. This notwithstanding, while onset of cluster headaches at age 69 would be quite atypical, it is not unheard of.

It also is worth mentioning that the diver was not reported as manifesting any other symptoms or signs of DCS. That he received what appears to be a single recompression treatment means nothing in and if itself. Given the circumstances, such a procedure would be undertaken as a matter of simple prudence even in the absence of compelling evidence of DCS.

IMHO, significant questions remain as to what this poor chap actually experienced.

In any event, that really is too bad for all involved.

Nice to hear some whale sharks were sighted before the boat was forced to leave Darwin Island.

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[fairybasslet]

I leave tomorrow for Ecuador and am bouncing off the walls. It's 2am and I can't sleep--this trip has been planned for so long I can't believe it's finally almost here.

Have a blast. Don't miss your flight like I did. I missed a day of diving but Aggressor was wonderful. They arranged for me to fly into Baltra instead of San Cristobal where the boat picked me up. I was just in time for the land excursion to see the bluefooted boobies.