GALAPAGOS Islands

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Geography

These volcanic islands, located 600 miles to the west of Ecuador, are the tips of huge submarine volcanoes that emerged from the ocean floor severa million years ago and together comprise the underwater Galapagos platform.

There are 48 islands and many offshore rocks that lie about 400 feet above the platform. Most of these sites are great for snorkelling, drift diving, wall and night diving.

Many of the divers and snorkellers who visit the Galapagos specifically go to see sharks! On most dives you often see several kinds of sharks. They are said to be harmless, and some of them are unafraid of man.

NO reports of shark attacks to divers have ever been recorded in the Galapagos.

This may be one of the few places in the world where you are likely to have safe encounters with hammerhead sharks, black-tip sharks, white-tip sharks and Galapagos sharks along with sea turtles (December-May), sea lions and innumerable large and small coral fish.

Night dives are optional, but you are required to bring your own torch or flashlight. A wide variety of nocturnal sea creatures are likely to be spotted, including lobsters, nocturnal sea urchins, sea cucumbers and crabs.

There are also fish adapted for night vision like squirrel fish, glass-eyed eels, etc.

Diving in the islands is not appropriate for inexperienced divers because of conditions like strong currents, surges and large swells. Large animals like sea lions, sharks and whales are often glimpsed during the diving tours.

The diving sites are characterized by offshore rocks, underwater pinnacles and cliff faces of the different islands.

NOTE : The only way to get to all these sites is on liveaboard

Technical information