POPULAR DIVING & SNORKELING SITES

of the Galapagos Islands

ALBANY ISLAND: 40' - 150'

AIbany is and it located hall a mile offshore from James Island on James Bay. This dive is characterized by a sloping rock waII and rocky ledges covered by sand. There are sometimes treacherous currents at the tips of this of crescent-shaped tuft crater. Diving from the rocky ledges is excellent as white-lip sharks can be observed lying ori the sand.

 

Rays and sharks, as well as large fish like jacks, wahoo, tuna fish, cruise by the island tips where the current is quite strong. Groupers, red-tailed and dog snappers among coral and sea fans are found at the rocky ledges.

Large numbers of sea turtles can be seen during their mating season, from November to May.

COUSIN ISLAND: 15' - 200'

This trihedral tuft remnant of a cone is located about 900 meters off the eastern coast of James Island. This boat dive is characterized by rocky ledges where many invertebrates and colorful coral fish can be observed.

The sloping rock wall at its eastern side is also quite colorful with a lot of black and yellow-black Galapagos coral.

 

Fish life includes sea lions and hammerhead, white-tip and Galapagos sharks. Sea turtles, rays, eels and sometimes sea horses are encountered while diving around the rock wall. This is the best site for white spotted eagle rays.

NOTE : good swimming skills are sometimes required to reach the site due to strong surface currents!

PIEDRA AHOGADA (Drowned Rock): 60' - 40'

Daphne Islands area

This dive is characterized by a rock that sticks out from the surface from a large plateau shaped by large boulders of basaltic rocks that drop down to a depth of 80 feet.

 

It is said that this rock was much larger before it was used for target practice by the U.S. Air Force during World War II. Remnants of small 13-pound lead bombshells are often found lying on the rocky bottom at all depths.

 

Fish life includes Galapagos white-tip and black-tip sharks, jewel moray eels, large dog snappers, yelow-tailed grunts, red tailed snapper, rays, and sea turtles.