Hi Patwa...Short answer...no there's not. Isabela is great for visiting, not diving. The 2 musts are Sierra Negra Volcano Trek and Los Tuneles. Los Tuneles is now a bit crowded with multiple daily tours. I am not a fan of that, however, you can often snorkel with mantas, see our giant Pacific seahorse wrapped around mangrove roots less than 2 ft below the surface, countless sea turtles, young eagle rays and then get really up close and personal with the largest white tipped reef sharks I've seen in Galapagos. That is better snorkeling than most places you would dive. Even shore snorkeling from Concha de Perla (end of dock as you enter) can be good. I've seen penguins and a turtle sitting back on his hind legs like a dog begging to give cleaner fish better access as the second pozo is a turtle cleaning station.
---------- Post added January 12th, 2016 at 10:37 PM ----------
Drvngcrzy: I appreciate Doc enormously and know he has had good diving and loves Scuba Iguana (so do I), but I don't think he's ever dived the north (Darwin & Wolf). There is no comparison it is so much better. So in my opinion, rarely does anyone making the trip to Galapagos want to limit diving to the central islands and for good reason. I remember the first time I gave a spot to a friend who had worked for years as a dive guide (at Scuba Iguana and then scientific diving for the Park), but had never been to the north. As soon as he had signal, he called me and just said "Oh my God!" First time I heard him speechless. He did not know diving the Galapagos could be that good. I used to operate island hopping programs, in fact pioneered it back in the day. But that was when we could use 1 boat and 1 great guide for the week and decide where we wanted to dive. No one goes to many of the sites we used to go. As of 2011, all land based dive permits began having to stick to a dedicated itinerary. It is tightly enforced. So I dived a lot in the central islands and yes, I have some amazing memories, but can honestly say, it does not compare to the north.
I've often said it's like comparing walking down Broadway in NYC at rush hour. You're going to see lots of people. If you go to the Middle of Nowhere in the midwest and walk downtown at rush hour, sure you'll see people, but not in the quantities you would see in NYC. Now apply that to marine life. That is my analogy of the difference diving in the north versus the central islands.
And I didn't even mention the western sites now on most itineraries...In Oct, we filmed 2 Orcas shredding a turtle at Cabo Douglas. 1 took it in its mouth and the other came over, like they were kissing, to grab the other half to shred it. After seeing penguins feeding in a school of black striped salemas. I haven't had the good fortune to be underwater at Punta Vicente Roca and have a flightless cormorant swim by me, but clients have. Punta Vicente Roca is a great site though, loads of diversity. I have had huge mola molas come check me out there.
And the above sites are only accessible from a liveaboard. Most divers know this which is why the demand for land based is so limited relative to liveaboards.
Thanks for the info. I am surprised nobody else besides you and Doc (he sent a PM with info) had any input. Almost 700 views so this must be an interesting topic lol. Maybe the only diving experience anyone could offer was from a liveaboard.
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Originally we were going to take a cruise in the Mediterranean and not do any diving but then I kept thinking that if I am going to spend $10k on a vacation I would prefer to get some cool diving in and where else should I go? I would love to dive with hammerheads. The wife will enjoy it but she will enjoy the topside stuff more. So, unless I switch jobs sometime soon I think this is what I am going to do in August/September.
For two from Australia, including flights, I think I could get the dive trip for around $10,000 US. May be able to then add some shore based activity pre/post the cruise.
