I was supposed to be on the Eco Explorer I, but due to a permit issue I will be on the M/V Estrella Del Mar.
Update on Galapagos??
- Thread starter oceancat
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I was supposed to be on the Eco Explorer I, but due to a permit issue I will be on the M/V Estrella Del Mar.
fairybasslet
Contributor
I had heard that the Eco Explorer couldn't get diving permits for Wolf and Darwin so they canceled all of their trips and put people on the Estrella.
Is this a new thing about the permits for the land excursions being revoked? Or did Estrella never have land permits? If they were just revoked, I wonder if that happened to the Aggressors also. I know the Aggressor boats got their land excursion permits in Feb and I thought they were good for a year.
Our naturalist did say there was a lot of pressure on the islands. Too many tourists. I think that's why they want to keep the diving and land excursions separate. We were not allowed to snorkel anywhere. We didn't have permits for that.
I just heard this from our trip leader yesterday. Until then, we had land excursions planned. She said, "The government is not allowing dive operators to conduct land excursions now." She also said things were changing daily.
That's all I know.
fairybasslet
Contributor
Well then, I'm sure you'll see much whale sharks and hammerheads to make up for it. Not to mention sea lions, eagle rays and dolphins. Have a blast. And don't feel badly if you feel like a complete noob at Wolf and Darwin. Every diver I was with, some who have over 500 dives in many different conditions, felt like an uncoordinated idiot. The surge can be unpredictable and just when you think you're tucked in good, you get pushed out of your spot.
I don't need that experience to feel like a complete noob. My Intro to Tech classes are taking care of that already.
fairybasslet
Contributor
I hear ya brother. I felt like that doing the DUI Dog Day dry suit demo. Though the instructor helping me out said I looked good. I guess he was comparing me to the diver before me who lost his weights and went rocketing to the surface. 
tnsean615
Guest
Hi everyone,I am planning my first trip to the galapagos islands,I can't wait it appears to be a dive of a lifetime. Could someone tell me the best time to go? I e-mailed aggressor and they said for whale sharks best to go in jan. feb. .I saw a post that said best to go june through august.Could someone clarify.Great post's on the galapagos by the way.
laurendell
Contributor
Everything I have heard is that the chances of seeing Whale sharks in July-August-Sept is nearly 100% and 50-50 the rest of the time.
I was seriously considering doing a January trip instead because the water was warmer and calmer and the air hotter, but then I did some searches for trip reports of people that had gone in the Winter (our winter), and it seemed like a lot less than 50% reported seeing Whale Sharks other times of year. Then I thought, well maybe I'll just go to Utila and see whale sharks another time somewhere else, but the more research I did it seemed like Galapagos in the Summer is pretty much your only reasonably convenient way of having guaranteed encounters. So August '09 it is
It sounds like the diving is awesome any time of year, but if you're looking for whale sharks in particular, late Summer is your best bet.
I was seriously considering doing a January trip instead because the water was warmer and calmer and the air hotter, but then I did some searches for trip reports of people that had gone in the Winter (our winter), and it seemed like a lot less than 50% reported seeing Whale Sharks other times of year. Then I thought, well maybe I'll just go to Utila and see whale sharks another time somewhere else, but the more research I did it seemed like Galapagos in the Summer is pretty much your only reasonably convenient way of having guaranteed encounters. So August '09 it is
It sounds like the diving is awesome any time of year, but if you're looking for whale sharks in particular, late Summer is your best bet.
tnsean615
Guest
Thanks for the help lauren,Thats kind of a bummer I was hoping to go this year.Have you seen were their government has allowed shark finning,I'm sure it won't take long before there damage the shark population.Paul watson is a guy out their trying to save the sharks,he owns several boats,you can go to,sea shepard.com.I plan to give what I can.Well take care.
tnsean615
Guest
Sorry I meant to say,before they damage the shark population.
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