Which time of year for Galapagos

[circusoflife]

Hi

Planning a trip to Galapagos in April/May 2005 (Though someone said that a dive guide there noted June is the best in their opinion). I've read numerous postings here and on the Internet and just want to re-confirm what I've found:


1) What are the best few months to see large Hammerhead schools?

2) I've read on this board that July-Oct is the best time for Whale Sharks, but I found the following on another website:


During the warmer season, whale sharks may be found in the
central and south Galapagos Islands, particularly Santa Fe Island, Enderby Island near Floreana, and Gordon Rocks near Santa Cruz Island.

During Garua / cold season, the whale sharks congregate in the far northern islands of Wolf and Darwin. The chance of spotting whales, orcas and humpbacks, is better during Garua, but certainly not guaranteed. Whales can be spotted in many places: in the region between Seymour & Gordon's rocks, on the western side of the
archipelago (Fernandina & Isabela), in between Marchena & the northern tip of Isabela, and in between Espanola & Floreana Islands.

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So with that clarification are Whale Sharks there year round then? It just depends on which site you go to? As most people posting on here seem to have done liveaboards their opinions/knowledge would be skewed toward the Northern Islands of Wolf and Darwin of which Whale Sharks are there only during the colder months. It looks like if one goes in April/May one just does a land base dive to the South and Central to find whale sharks.

Can anyone with insight into this help? Thanks.

3) Other than pelagics and water temperature are there any other reasons to go there during one time or another? Water visibility? Schools of Eagle Rays? (That's cool too!)


4) Any other shops recommened? I've found Galapagos Sub Aqua and Scuba Iguana on the net.

 

[sharkdiver00]

I was there in July and the whale sharks were at Darwin & Wolf. But we were really lucky and saw not only several whale sharks, but lots and lots of hammerheads, galapagos sharks, mantas, dolphins, three whales, seals everywhere, penguins, an albino shark, rays of different kinds, and all the other animals you normally see in Galapagos. The viz was very good as well and most of us were diving on 5mm or 7mm wetsuits very confortably.

As far as recommending an operation, the one I used is no longer there, so I cannot comment on any of the others. Both Peter Hughes and the Agressor go there and there is a new operator that was here at DEMA, I'll PM you their name as I'll have to find it.

cheers,

 

[Doc]

4) Any other shops recommened? I've found Galapagos Sub Aqua and Scuba Iguana on the net.

Good to hear someone who hasn't completely ignored the land based dive ops in favor of the liveaboards. I've done a lot of the liveaboards, but this method works for me. Not only is it a fraction of the cost, but you do get to eat at a different restaurant every night, sleep in a bed that isn't moving, still see all the critters, and get to tour the island as well. Scuba Iguana will do amazing things, including positioning their day boat at far ends of the island and transport you quickly and efficiently to the landing for your dive. One day, dive with the seals of Academy Bay, the next at Gordon Rocks with the Hammerheads, and then North of Baltra. Do it all for comparatively little $$ and meet some diving and naturalist legends.

Far and away the best day-dive op in the Galapagos is Scuba Iguana. It is operated by the highly regarded Mathias Espinosa

Mathias Espinosa, Naturalist Guide
As a naturalist guide and "diveguide" Mathias Espinosa has been working in the Galápagos since 1988. Along with Jack Nelson, Espinosa opened the dive shop Scuba Iguana in 1996, and conducts over 700 dives per year. Born in Germany to German and Ecuadorian parents, diveguide Mathias Espinosa is the only Scuba Instructor trainer in Galápagos (and one of only two in Ecuador), and has logged over 5000 dives there. In addition, he is an underwater video and camera expert who has collaborated with numerous underwater photographers and documentary and motion picture production companies. A pioneer diveguide in Galápagos, Espinosa has worked to find and map dive sites-several of which have been designated as recognized natural sanctuaries. Active in conservation and natural history education, he has also worked to combat illegal fishing in the Galápagos National Park.

See the IMAX 3d Movie and clips at: http://www.bigmoviezone.com/filmsearch/movies/index.html?uniq=21

See our trip report at http://groups.google.com/groups?q=r...=en&lr=&selm=3DF94018.122D53B8@att.net&rnum=4

and or website post with pics at http://www.geocities.com/johnofrancis/galapagos.htm

 

[circusoflife]

Thanks for the pointers, all. Faster than my reply. I'm in contact now with Scuba Iguana and a Quito agent for liveaboards. My only gripe now is that the only liveaboards that go to Wolf and Darwin are pretty pricey. Maybe I can get lucky and get a last minute major discount spot on the Mistral or something.

I think one plan is to just go there and plan for the land based dives with Scuba Iguana. Then look for a last minute liveaboard in Quito/Guayaquil or on Galapagos itself. I'm not set on doing Wolf and Darwin, the land based and South/Central Islands will probably keep me happy. There's always next time. Though I suspect that would be a long ways away next time.

Do you think I can make it with a 3mm Henderson Hyperstretch with a 5mm core warmer and a 5/3 Hood? Targeting May or June, so the water should be a bit warmer.

on another note...
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Scubaboard is an interesting place because there are some relatively obscure destinations and there always seems to be someone on the board who has been to it who can comment. While, Galapagos isn't that obscure, at 60k-100k visitors per year, not highly trafficked. And what % of those visitors are divers? < 15%?

Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, Kwajalein have popped up on my radar recently and there are a few threads on that too.

I checked out the tourism arrivals for the FSM (Federated States of Micronesia). The monthly figures for FSM in total <1500/month. That is for all the islands from all countries.

The least visited (Of the major ones) from the US seems to be Chuuk. Monthly 2003 int'l arrivals averages 500/month. Most from Japan, Europe, and other Asia. Monthly for 2003 from the US is as follows:

16/4/14/12/27/7/4/55/6/8/7/1

(Most months you can count fellow Americans on both hands!! I would have thought there would be more. I bet more Americans go to PNG. Anybody care to meet me in FSM in 2H 05?)

Kosrae, Yap, Pohnpei are in the hundreds/month from the US but no more.

I've been to Palau so I've been close. Guess I need to add the premier warm water wreck diving to my scuba to - do list. That's after the Andaman Sea in Thailand and a month all over the Philippines though, and hopefully Galapagos of course.

Wayne

 

[sharkdiver00]

Exposure suits..... when I was there I was the only person with a double 5mm...... everybody else had either a double 7mm or a drysuit. I was VERY confortable with the 5mm ......

Still have not found the new operator from DEMA.... will keep looking.
cheers