Update on Galapagos??

[tracydr]

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.

We were on the Agressor 1. Yes, one week after you I guess since we started on June 11. The diver that got sick is so experienced, I really felt bad for him. He is getting older and I think just not used to doing what he could do when he was younger. He's fine now and it was a very very mild case of DCS thank goodness. Boy, I would hate to get bent badly way out there!!! Sure made me think hard about my bouyancy skills and how important they are in that current and that far out.
I was out in Tanzania as well and same situation, you are on your own. No way to get evacuated and it's a looong boat ride if you screw up.
I can't remember which dives they took us on afterwards, they were kind of lame but at least we still got to dive. I do remember one was called the washing machine and I really didn't see the point unless you've just never been on a surge dive before and like getting swished around. There wasn't a single fish on it. Some of the other dives were better but certainly didn't compare to Wolf and Darwin.
The diver that got sick felt very bad about cutting our trip short and apologized to all of us.
Were you on Agressor 1 or 2?

 

[fairybasslet]

I was on Aggressor 2. The Captain's log for our week wasn't posted last I looked, but the sightings are basically the same as those for Aggressor 1. I saw the log for your week. No mention of turning back. Aggressor 2's log isn't up for your week. Maybe that's a good thing so you won't read about what you missed.

Did you hear about the diver who missed her flight the week I went and had to be picked up in Baltra?

I remember the washing machine and it was a pretty good dive when we did it. It was as slack tide so there really wasn't much surge. We did see tons of sea lions though. Finally got some halfway decent shots of them.

I thought there was way more washing machine action at Wolf and Darwin. I had so many black and blue marks on my legs and arms (from being pulled into the panga) that we started calling it the S&M trip.

 

[tracydr]

I didn't hear about the diver that missed the flight. I bet she was having a panic attack!!!
I think maybe I saw one turtle and no fish on the washing machine. Our divemaster started to take us the wrong way so we didn't get all the way through where we were supposed to go before everyone was out of air. I think I was the last up with the second divemaster.
We saw a diver that had been left by that sailboat, he was waving his arm, guess he didn't have a sausage and was drifting farther and farther away. Our panga got on the radio and they got a panga out to pick him up but I suppose they hadn't even noticed he was missing. Our boat asked every person for a dive profile when they got back on the boat so there was no way they missed anyone.

 

[fairybasslet]

Well, thank goodness I wasn't famous the second week. Yes, that would be me. LOL. I was talking to some diver from the Aggressor 1 while we were in San Cristobal before our flight out, and when I told him I had missed the first day of diving, he said to me "Oh, you're the one who missed her flight?" LOL I thought only my boat new what a jerk I was.

 

[boulderjohn]

I leave Saturday morning and am still trying to decide what to pack. I want to bring the absolute minimum that I will need. Could any of you very recent returnees comment on water and land temperatures?

 

[fairybasslet]

I leave Saturday morning and am still trying to decide what to pack. I want to bring the absolute minimum that I will need. Could any of you very recent returnees comment on water and land temperatures?

Land excursions were very hot when I was there. One thing I did not bring enough of, believe it or not, was clothes. For a liveaboard, I usally bring a couple of shirts and a pair of shorts. I could only wear a shirt once because I got so sweaty and there were 4 land excursions. Make sure you bring a hat too because the sun can be brutal.

 

[boulderjohn]

Land excursions were very hot when I was there. One thing I did not bring enough of, believe it or not, was clothes. For a liveaboard, I usally bring a couple of shirts and a pair of shorts. I could only wear a shirt once because I got so sweaty and there were 4 land excursions. Make sure you bring a hat too because the sun can be brutal.

Land excursions are not going to be a problem for me, unfortunately. We were just notified yesterday that the govenrment has now forbidden land excursions from liveaboards. No night diving and snorkeling with the penguins as planned. We will be able to visit the tortoises and do some panga rides, but that is about it.

 

[boulderjohn]

Land excursions were very hot when I was there. One thing I did not bring enough of, believe it or not, was clothes. For a liveaboard, I usally bring a couple of shirts and a pair of shorts. I could only wear a shirt once because I got so sweaty and there were 4 land excursions. Make sure you bring a hat too because the sun can be brutal.

Could you please help me understand this post? I am a bit confused. You say you wish you have brought more clothes, but in your description you add that you could only wear a shirt once because it was so hot. It sounds to me as if you needed fewer clothes. I have seen other posts in other threads suggesting jeans, long-sleevd shirts, and jackets.

Since we apparently will not be doing any land excursions, how does this impact the clothing choices?

 

[laurendell]

Could you please help me understand this post? I am a bit confused. You say you wish you have brought more clothes, but in your description you add that you could only wear a shirt once because it was so hot. It sounds to me as if you needed fewer clothes. I have seen other posts in other threads suggesting jeans, long-sleevd shirts, and jackets.

Since we apparently will not be doing any land excursions, how does this impact the clothing choices?

Well if you can only wear a shirt once, then you probably need more shirts with you so that you can wear a different one every day - unless you're planning on going topless. Okay for the guys, maybe not so much for us girls.

Just paid my 2nd deposit for August '09 on the Aggressor. It's a long way off -- but still very excited!! I hope things change and we will be able to do some land excursions though. Was really looking forward to those as well.

 

[fairybasslet]

Land excursions are not going to be a problem for me, unfortunately. We were just notified yesterday that the govenrment has now forbidden land excursions from liveaboards. No night diving and snorkeling with the penguins as planned. We will be able to visit the tortoises and do some panga rides, but that is about it.

What boat are you on? That's a bummer. I loved seeing the blue footed boobies and Bartolome was really nice.

I could only wear a shirt once because it got so wet from sweat that I couldn't wear it again without worrying that I would make my fellow passengers faint from the smell. LOL