Galapagos & Cocos

[jalber]

Hi there,
I'm considering a trip to Galapagos next year, but apparently all liveaboards have been barred by the authorities.
Does anyone know what the land-based diving is like? Is it significantly inferior to Darwin & Wolf, the two remote islands that are supposed to be the most spectacular?
What are the chances of seeing humpbacks and whale sharks on a land-based trip?
Any info gratefully received.

I also looked at doing a liveaboard to Cocos, but the only two I can find (Okeanos Aggressor & Undersea Hunter) are booked up. Anyone know of any other Cocos liveabord options?

Any advice gratefully received!

Cheers,
James (London)

[robint]

Hi there,
I'm considering a trip to Galapagos next year, but apparently all liveaboards have been barred by the authorities.
Does anyone know what the land-based diving is like? Is it significantly inferior to Darwin & Wolf, the two remote islands that are supposed to be the most spectacular?
What are the chances of seeing humpbacks and whale sharks on a land-based trip?
Any info gratefully received.

I also looked at doing a liveaboard to Cocos, but the only two I can find (Okeanos Aggressor & Undersea Hunter) are booked up. Anyone know of any other Cocos liveabord options?

Any advice gratefully received!

Cheers,
James (London)

1. Galapagos are South America, not Central America. You might want to search and post questions on that Forum.
2. Galapagos are 24-48 hour boat ride off the coast of Equador, you can't dive them from land-based op.
3. From what I understand, all boats are not forbidden from diving Galapagos, but some boats are not allowed to do Wolf and Darwin. Only the Aggressor and Peter Hughes are allowed to dive those islands, from last I heard. Other boats do dive in the Galapagos, just not those particular islands. That could all change though as the Equadorian gov't seems to change policies on a whim.
4. Cocos Islands are off Costa Rica and are also 24-48 hour boat ride so only a liveaboard can do them. The diving is comparable, according to many of my friends who have done both. The difference is that Galapagos has land tours to some of the islands to see the unique wildlife like the iguanas and tortoises and sea lions. Cocos are much more tropical rainforest.
5. Both Galapagos and Cocos trips are booked up at least a year in advance usually by dive shops booking the whole boat for the week, some dates (like summer with peak whale shark encounters, etc) are booked 2 years in advance. If you want to do either of them sooner, you need to find out what dive shops have booked them and try to join in on one of those trips.

hope this helps!

[RoatanMan]

I'm considering a trip to Galapagos next year, but apparently all liveaboards have been barred by the authorities.
Does anyone know what the land-based diving is like? Is it significantly inferior to Darwin & Wolf, the two remote islands that are supposed to be the most spectacular?
What are the chances of seeing humpbacks and whale sharks on a land-based trip?

I am one of the people that bang the drum for land based Galapagos. Few divers from the US or Canada can be bothered, they have been so intensely marketed by the Liveaboards- they can see it no other way. In fact, more people dive the Galapagos land based than by liveaboard. Most of them were not raised speaking English, many Europeans, and it is a younger crowd, but I have always enjoyed their company!

I have done it both ways. Sure- if it's available and if you can afford it, I think everyone ought to dive it from a liveaboard, at least once. Darwin and Wolf can be spectacular, but remember it eats up 1.5 days of your trip, at sea in travel. I have seen all the same critters, not in the same quantity diving land based, but the same from either option. I have not seen a Whale in the Galapogos. Unfortunately, once people have a good experience on a liveaboard, they are unlikely to be swayed from it to land based. Too bad.

Land based has a lot of positives for it, but it is seemingly contrary to my standard droning mantra, "dive dive dive". It would be a shame to drag all the way to the Galloping Pogos and not spend a lot of time exploring the islands in detail- on a liveaboard you really will not be able to do this, on a cruise ship your diving will be limited severely. Very few destinations do I recommend anything other than "maximum diving", but Galapagos is similar to the Red Sea- better see the Pyramids, right?

Look at our trip report and note many of the cool things that were available. Every night, a different inexpensive restaurant, two very cool lava tunnel tours, the highlands where the turtles really live, the lava domes, the Darwin Research Station, the interesting town and all of the very legitimate art salons. Very few places that have great diving also offer these diversions.

It would be like going to New Zealand for snow skiing and not getting out of the mountains to see some of the island. Another, closer analogy: Most people only see and understand the wonderful diving of Tobago from the liveaboard. Boy- are they missing this natural haven's land based wonders. Same diving, but what a difference. Take Roatan. There is absolutely no need to do a Bay Islands liveaboard, unless it is being moved 200 miles in a week. Roatan is best seen from a land based dive op. There are a lot of reasons to move beyond the lowest common denominator experience, albeit the most expensive and best marketed... thus the "most popular and best known" to US and Canadian divers.

My favorite (by far) land based dive op there is Galapagos Diving Day Tours - Land based dive site (http://www.scubaiguana.com/html/_Day_Diving_Tours.html)

See a report at Doc 's Galapagos Trip 2002 (http://www.geocities.com/johnofrancis/galapagos.htm) (I promise to update it, but it is largely still on point)

You can also save 40 to 50+% of the overall trip costs, land based vs. liveaboard. Something to consider.

[Manuel Sam]

Hi there,
I'm considering a trip to Galapagos next year, but apparently all liveaboards have been barred by the authorities.

Does anyone know what the land-based diving is like? Is it significantly inferior to Darwin & Wolf, the two remote islands that are supposed to be the most spectacular?

I myself prefer liveaboard for two very simple reasons: Darwin and Wolf. It is here that you will see dolphins, sharks and whalesharks in numbers that you will not see in the Central Islands. And the whalesharks here can be like buses in size. The water is warmer up here too. And if the liveaboard goes to Isabela (not always), that's a bonus because you might get to see mola-molas there.

What are the chances of seeing humpbacks and whale sharks on a land-based trip?
Any info gratefully received.

I also looked at doing a liveaboard to Cocos, but the only two I can find (Okeanos Aggressor & Undersea Hunter) are booked up. Anyone know of any other Cocos liveabord options?

Any advice gratefully received!

Cheers,
James (London)

>>No true, unless something changed drastically overnight. There are 2 Aggressor boats, one Peter Hughes boat, the Deep Blue, and the Galapagos Explorer (using a different boat that is licensed) currently doing liveaboard trips in the Galapagos. There may be others, but these I know for sure. This may sound like a plug for a dive operator, but if you go to the Galapagos Adventures website, you will find a wealth of good and up to date info regarding what boats are out there.

>>Land-based will allow you to see just about everything that you will see on a liveaboard, as already explained by Roatan Man. Land-based is mostly in the Central islands, with maybe an occasional venture into the Southern Islands. I do not think that they do Isabela (Western) and definitely not the Northern Islands.

>>Whalesharks have been seen in the Central Islands, and I'm sure that the Humpbacks do cruise by. But for consistent whaleshark sightings, nothing beats Darwin and Wolf, especially Darwin.

>> There is also the Sea Hunter and the Argos, both part of the same Undersea Hunter group fleet.

[Manuel Sam]

Oops, failed to mention that you do not take a boat out to the Galapagos. There are daily flights out of Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador to the Galapagos.

[robint]

I looked at the Aggressor website yesterday, and they show a few openings on their boat for July 31st week and Aug 27th week. If you want to do the Galapagos by liveaboard, there is your chance. :D
Aggressor Fleet Reservations and Contact information (http://www.aggressor.com/onlineres/index.php) (check availability)

Aggressor: Explore the Galapagos Islands from the Aggressor Fleet adventure yachts (http://www.aggressor.com/subpage9.php) (Galapagos info)

robin:D

[jalber]

Roatanman, thanks so much for this informative and helpful reply. In fact, it confirms what I'd always thought about diving, that it's best to get the most out of the area, not just the diving. In fact, that's been my philosophy so far - and Belize, Indonesia and New Zealand have so much to offer besides.
My only concern was that I might miss out on a lot in such a location by being landbased. It sounds like the chances of seeing whale sharks are better at Darwin & Wold, but they can still be seen elsewhere, so I'll take the chance. And, as you say, it's a helluva lot cheaper.
Thanks for the site refrences - much appreciated.
Thanks also to Robint and Manuel Sam for your useful advice!

[Topper1972]

Galapagos sounds great!

What is diving and the weather like around July?

Would the place be very overrun...considering July is the peak of summer holidays for Europeans and North Americans?

[yellowtang]

I also looked into the diving the Galapagos at the end of July but the only things I could find are just diving and no island exploring? I would like to do both because I don't want to make two trips out there. The dive trip looked like 7 days of diving twice a day which is nice but I want to see whats on the land too. Are there any that divide it up?

[fairybasslet]

If you want to go to Wolf and Darwin as well as doing land tours you should make sure the operators have land permits. I truly loved seeing the blue footed boobies and frigates and Lonesome George.

I'm going to Cocos in July and I know the Argo has openings. I believe the dates are 7/12 - 7/22. PM me if you want info.

[TheAvatar]

I dove off of a mainly surface tour live aboard (I was the only diver!!!) I did 5 dives and it was $75 per including gear. I was extremely happy. In those five dives I saw more turtles, sharks, and spotted rays (by many times) than I'd seen in 150 dives previous from liveaboards in the Caribbean! Also, where else can you dive with penguins and sea lions when it's 85F on the surface? We were in the main islands, not Darwin/Wolf. DO NOT SKIP SURFACE EXPLORATION IN THE GALAPAGOS! It is far more unique that what is under the water. Hope that helps!

[Klezz]

what is the best livaboard company, to dive Galapagos ?
deep blue ?
or peter hughes ?

someone told me deep blue is the same level as peter hughes

thanks
Stephane

[LRobbins]

Hi there,
I'm considering a trip to Galapagos next year, but apparently all liveaboards have been barred by the authorities.
Does anyone know what the land-based diving is like? Is it significantly inferior to Darwin & Wolf, the two remote islands that are supposed to be the most spectacular?
What are the chances of seeing humpbacks and whale sharks on a land-based trip?
Any info gratefully received.

I also looked at doing a liveaboard to Cocos, but the only two I can find (Okeanos Aggressor & Undersea Hunter) are booked up. Anyone know of any other Cocos liveabord options?

Any advice gratefully received!

Cheers,
James (London)

I went to Cocos last year (it was amazing!) but there are just 2 liveaboards (the ones you mentioned). I'm going to the Galapagos on a liveaboard (Agressor) in 2 weeks. I believe that there used to be more liveaboards that went to the Galapagos and now there's just 3 companies, but as far as I know liveaboards still go to the Galapagos.

[DiveTheGalapagos]

There are several live-aboard options in the Galapagos: The 2 Agressors, Peter Huges' Skydancer, Deep Blue, Estrella del Mar and the Alta makes both naturalist and dive cruises and is offering some really low priced deals for early fall...the best time to see whale sharks at Wolf and Darwin. The National Park is in the process of awarding new permits for diving in the Galapagos and will increase the number of live-aboards to 14 total.

Best way to see both what's above and below the water in the Galapagos (and they are both amazing) is to either do an extension before or after your live-aboard OR do a combo land-based dive-naturalist excursions via an island hopping program. I think Isla Isabela offers the most incredible non-dive sites in Galapagos. Sierra Negra Volcano trekking along with Volcan Chico. Los Tuneles is a spot that is NOT to be missed. I wrote about Los Tuneles on my blog: divingthegalapagos.com

Land-based will not afford you the opportunity to dive Wolf/Darwin, something many consider THE reason to dive the Galapagos. They are only accessible by live-aboard. But the sheer abundance below the water and land excursions together are a pretty amazing option.

[fairybasslet]

Great advice.

[DiveTheGalapagos]

In case anyone is interested, a truly beautiful sailing yacht, M/S Alta, will be making her final Wolf and Darwin dive trips this fall before she only offers Naturalist cruises. It is a very well appointed 140 ft sailing yacht that is the poshest of the Wolf-Darwin live-aboards. During the height of whale shark season (Sept-Oct 2009), spaces are available beginning at $2800! That is literally 2007 prices. I have more info on my blog: divingthegalapagos.com

She only makes one land visit, but you could easily spend an extra couple of days for land visits while you're there. Most live-aboards only make about 2 land visits and perhaps after this year, the park will finally remove all land visits from permits. It was sort of funny in that a couple weeks ago, I sat in the Park office asking them lots of questions since everything is in the process of changing. They stated as fact that none of the live-aboards are allowed to make land visits, but I challenged that. So we looked up the cupos and indeed, until the end of Jan. 2010, those with land visits on their permits will be allowed to continue. Beyond that, who knows? Word has been that all tur navegable permits had to choose either diving or land visits, but could not do both.