mattiedread
Guest
I haven't filled out my log book yet (other than some notes),so the temps/depths are coming from my wife's (she tracks both our depths/times).
16 dives + 1 checkout. All dives were great. (Thanks everyone for the wetsuit advice, we both ended up diving 5mil, no hoods and were nice and toasty). Aggressor II didn't do a night dive, but Aggressor I did (we chose to stay at Darwin an extra day, and Darwin isn't a good place for a night dive).
Water temp 70-77 (Gordon's rock was 70, Darwin was 77 on one dive only, typically 75).
Depths, from 50 - 88 and no real need to go below 75.
Vis, 35-80 feet, typically 45-60. I can't imagine what it would be like if the vis was 100+... it must be like Africa.
Currents, weak (rarely) to pretty strong (4+ knots), some people had trouble pulling themselves along the rocks against the current... and it is true that your bubbles go sideways or down as frequently as they go up... I dove overweighted at Wolf and Darwin, and thought I had a huge advantage over the neutrals, except on the safety stops. It was considerably easier for me to maintain depth/position and use the surge to my advantage. I was very mobile. (I'm in pretty good shape though, and could still chase Senor Big with the extra weight).
9 passengers, 9 crew members, almost too much pampering. Hot tub on board, which is a nice way to bring up your core temp if you got cold.
Boarded the boat Thursday, drove to a secluded cove, saw a minkie whale and a manta (I'd never seen a manta before, even if it was only on the surface) on the way. Did our checkout dive with way too much neoprene and burnt 2500 psi (170 bar) in 34 minutes with a max depth of 35 feet. That was the end of the hooded vest... I was hyperventilating I was so hot. (73F) I dove 5mil, no hood the rest of the trip.
Friday, two dives at North Seymore island, and a land tour. After the land tour everyone on the boat agreed they would have shortened the tour for an extra dive (which the boat will do, we were a 'dive! dive! dive! boat according to our crew, and they were willing to accomodate us).
The first dive was great because it was 'welcome to the underwater world of the Galapagos', which I found throughout the entire trip to be beautiful despite the lack of coral. It reminded me of the landscapes in Sawatch range in Colorado... large sloping boulder fields, sometimes dropping dramatically. Tons of white-tip reef sharks, crustaceans and fish life. Thick clouds at times.
2nd dive was one of the best of the trip. Dropped down next to a boulder wall into a garden of garden eels (thousands of them, sticking up like strands of spaghetti). First 15 minutes a very playful sea lion swooped through our group of four, coming face to face with each of us numerous times. He would leave for air and return within a minute, it was really cool. I took my reg out and blew air at him and he blew bubbles back. Got it on film. There were several other sea lions swimming with us later in the trip, but none as playful as this one (grabbed my flipper when I headed into the flats where the white-tips where). Tried to 'sneak up on' white tips, got as close as 3 feet once. This dive ended with 11 eagle rays, mother, fathers and children glidding right by us. (Although I only saw nine clearly, two infants shot away out of my vis).
2:00pm, left for 17 hour trip to Darwin (Wolf is about 2 hours closer, but we wanted Darwin). Many dolphins on the way up and at the islands, but I personally didn't see too many while actually diving. The next two days (8 day dives at Darwin) can be highlighted, but not classified, by Whale Sharks. I didn't see any on only two dives, typically saw two and saw 4 on two dives. They are very cool fish. Our video has a diver (Craig from Houston) getting a full trip down one heading east, only to turn around because the camera dude was pointing as one approached/passed him from the West, about 20 seconds after that one passed, a third one swims right under him. It is a great piece of video. Hammerheads galore (but, go off with your buddy if you want to see them close, they don't like large groups.. most of the time they were silouttes above us, but, we did get several close ups). They are definately scared of you, quick movements and away they go.
Hairy Galapagos shark experience here. My wife and I got tired of hanging in the same area and waiting for Mr. Big, so we headed out to the flats (between the arch and the point). I guess the dingy driver didn't understand us because they weren't looking for us when we surfaced. We couuld see both dingys, but they weren't looking in our direction. Anyway, Galapagos sharks (large reef like sharks) tend be curious, but they would come in once or twice and leave. This particulary large one was circling us for quite some time with several close approaches, so we blew off our safety stop (the flats are 25 -45 feet deep, and we had been in 25 feet for 20 minutes) and surfaced. We drifted for 15 minutes before the dingy got us (our fault for not specifying where we were going to surface, but the boat captain was pissed at them when he looked at our computers and saw we only had a 44 minute dive and were obviously drifting waving one flag frantically for some time. The dingy drivers just never turned around and looked). Anyway, the shark stayed with us the entire time we drifted/kicked towards the rocky outcropping where it was obviously shallower and rougher, which sharks don't tend to like. Finally we got over a shelf (< 10 ft deep) where the waves were pseudo-breaking and reforming, and he stopped following us. It was scary as hell. He bumped my wife twice, we were kicking at him and poking at him with our second PVC flag (much better than a sausage, the boat lends them out). I peed in my wetsuit three times that dive, only having peed in the wetsuit once before prior, inlcuding a 120 minute skin dive. Very memorable dive, and the flats at Darwin are beautiful (tons of jeuvenille fish)... but, go in a group large enough to keep sharks away, and a pony would be a good idea because the surf can get hairy if you head for the shallows by the point. (The dingy didn't want to come in at first, then shot in and dragged us out to deepeer, non-breaking water before we got in... great feeling getting in that boat).
I don't think Jamie (dive master)is going to let groups smaller than 4 go out there anymore. Both dive masters were shaken when they saw how white my wife was, and how gittery I was. But, a beautiful dive, and the only place we saw lots of turtles and small fish. Everything in the Galapagos is big. I'll never forget my wife saying, 'he's right to your right!' and putting my head in the water and seeing this 10 foot shark, 5 feet from the bottom of my flippers looking right at me). I don't think most divers venture here because of what is in store in the other site, but, it is their loss. Take away the shark and this would have been one of our best dives.
I wish I had a film of me screaming to my wife, in a total panic, "The thing to do here is not to panic!!!" Too funny, retrospectively.
We busted a Costa Rican and a Columbian 'long' liner. The Ecuadorian Navy actually came up and apprehended them after a radio call from us. (the 'long' liners put out ballS with 50 hooks and a radio transmitter, and once it starts moving, they go pick it up and haul the sharks in, sometimes keeping only the fins). Last shot on my land video was the morning we left the boat in Baltra, both illegal fishing vessels were in the port being guarded by the military, and the shot fades away to nothing.
After Darwin we did three dives in Wolf, which were beautiful. On two dives we saw Whale sharks. These dives were beautiful seascapes, and ironically my wife's favorite dive of the trip was the blender, where she really didn't get a good look at Mr. Big, but had a great time with small fish, lots of crustaceans filling volcanic crevices, turtles and two sea lions. She also likes to show off how well she can do in strong currents/surge having grown up on the ocean. Her bouyancy/underwater mobility skills are pretty good, and this was a perfect dive to utilize them to the fullest.
I wish I had a pony to extend the dive, even though we were the last ones up. Very nice pinicle (the 'blender') where the currents flow up/down sideways. Bubbles from a diver 10 feet above you can (and did) stream accross your mask leaving you with 0 vis.. You have to physically move yourself into a different current 'stream' to get away from the bubbles. All but three of the divers on the boat bailed after a minute or two on this pinicle. You want to be in a different current stream than your buddy to avoid his/her bubbles. If you just 'go with the current' the bubbles do too (sounds obvious, I know). It is kinda cool to watch bubbles go up sideways, over and down a pinicle before swirling aound it and off into nowhere; just like a blender.
The marine life on this pinicle was quite varied, and very cool. I could easily have done this dive four times (you start out with two shallow caverns, lobsters, turtles, sea-lions...). And, if you cut it before you hit the pinicle which is where the hairy current starts, it would be a fantastic night dive. (I believe this is where Aggressor I did their night dive) After the dive the dingys brought us to cave where a few of us snorkled, marbled rays all over the floor (30ft deep), several turtles (green sea turtles were the only type I saw the entire trip) and two playful sea lions, although only one came even remotely close to me.
Appropriately when we got in the boat and started getting ready for the long drive back, a whale shark swam right next to the boat.
Tuesday we did two dives on a rocky outcropping called Cousin's rock. (and a nice land tour) I had taken 6lbs out of the back of my BC and forgot to put it back in before this dive. Of course the first dingy in screams 'Manta' (I had never seen one in the water before). I managed to get down to 28 feet for about a minute and I got a nice, but quick view of the Manta. Then I surfaced and got four more pounds from the dingy which shot over the instant my hand breached.
Nice dives, mellow current, good vis. Large seahorses (way cool) and large groups of fish (clouds effecting the vis at some points). The seascape on one side of the rock was particularly striking IMHO... sloping, the volcanic activity that created it was clearly visible with holes and evidence of where the lava had flown. Circumnavigated the rock with my wife, and the same manta (12 foot, no tail) swam next to me for about 30 seconds before two divers above us came racing down (one hit my tank, tank to tank, I have no idea how, I was watching the manta and didn't see him coming) and scared our friend off into the blue. Second dive watched sea lions poke their noses into the cracks for food and checked the nooks and crannies... they were quite cute. You just want to take one home. Also did an afternoon snorkle where my wife got to swim with a penguin, a lifelong dream.
Well, Wednesday came, and it was our last and one dive day. Vis was crappy, current was the strongest of the trip and the water was the coldest of the trip. In the very beginning a school of what I thought was about 35 eagle rays swam above us and I darted out to be under them (didn't want to gain any depth). After seeing the video, there was at least 45 if not 60. That was the beginning and end of that dive, basically nothing else happened the rest of that dive and after all that diving/hiking I was ready to get out of that current and cold water.
Great trip. Good food. Very professional staff who wait on you hand and foot. Their vidography skills are still developing, but we bought a nice 35 minute (editted from hours) video. Could have added some boat interaction, for nostalgic purposes... we didn't get a group shot (except in the dingy) or even a good shot of the boat. But, the video has great shots of The Big Senor (most of the video), rays, sharks free swimming spotted morays (tons of them, everywhere, very cool). My dive buddies who have seen the video were very impressed with the underwater Galapagos, but not so with the videography. (although, they all want to go to the Galapagos now).
I've rambled, but a few last notes: I couldn't find a real Cuban cigar in either Quito or Guayaquill (even the Hilton had only fakes). If you are going to buy a bottle to bring on the trip, buy it on the flight to the Galapagos, it is duty free. I bought a liter of Johnny Walker Black for $31. It is sitting, unopened, in my liquor cabinet right now. Nobody really drank much, a little on the last two nights, but mostly wine.
The dive shops in the Puerto Ayora are for ****, bring your own stuff, two pairs of gloves is a good idea, I gave my second pair to someone who would have missed dives if there wasn't an extra pair on the boat. But, bring cheapos (even gardening gloves would work, you don't really need neoprene, you need the protection from the ubiquitous barnicles). Your going to wear the hell out of the gloves, tephlon or not. The people who brought $40 gloves are replacing $40 gloves, same with those of us who brogh $20's.
A pony would have been a great thing to have, not only for safety (almost everyone came up at least once with under 150 pounds), but to prolong the dives. When I came up with 100 it was because I chased a whale shark on my safety and shot down to 60 feet. A pony would have been a nice thing. You have DIVING FREEDOM!!! with this group. You can stay with the group or go off (depending on the dive, not on Wolf in the 'Blender'). Of course you can stick with a divemaster the whole time if you like.
Lights... very useful on Wolf, Gordon's and Cousins for peering into the nooks and crannies.
If you go, bring your video camera up to the front deck as you approach Darwin, you'll get great shots of dolphins launching off the bow wake, sometimes landing on their backs.
For those of you who made it this far, I would like to thank Doc Viking, for pointing out that there is no maleria in Guayaquill or the Galapagos, and I should finally take my wife on the honeymoon we postponed in 98 due to El Nino.
Thanks everyone for all the great advice over the last few months... my short diving career has been a great one thus far.
16 dives + 1 checkout. All dives were great. (Thanks everyone for the wetsuit advice, we both ended up diving 5mil, no hoods and were nice and toasty). Aggressor II didn't do a night dive, but Aggressor I did (we chose to stay at Darwin an extra day, and Darwin isn't a good place for a night dive).
Water temp 70-77 (Gordon's rock was 70, Darwin was 77 on one dive only, typically 75).
Depths, from 50 - 88 and no real need to go below 75.
Vis, 35-80 feet, typically 45-60. I can't imagine what it would be like if the vis was 100+... it must be like Africa.
Currents, weak (rarely) to pretty strong (4+ knots), some people had trouble pulling themselves along the rocks against the current... and it is true that your bubbles go sideways or down as frequently as they go up... I dove overweighted at Wolf and Darwin, and thought I had a huge advantage over the neutrals, except on the safety stops. It was considerably easier for me to maintain depth/position and use the surge to my advantage. I was very mobile. (I'm in pretty good shape though, and could still chase Senor Big with the extra weight).
9 passengers, 9 crew members, almost too much pampering. Hot tub on board, which is a nice way to bring up your core temp if you got cold.
Boarded the boat Thursday, drove to a secluded cove, saw a minkie whale and a manta (I'd never seen a manta before, even if it was only on the surface) on the way. Did our checkout dive with way too much neoprene and burnt 2500 psi (170 bar) in 34 minutes with a max depth of 35 feet. That was the end of the hooded vest... I was hyperventilating I was so hot. (73F) I dove 5mil, no hood the rest of the trip.
Friday, two dives at North Seymore island, and a land tour. After the land tour everyone on the boat agreed they would have shortened the tour for an extra dive (which the boat will do, we were a 'dive! dive! dive! boat according to our crew, and they were willing to accomodate us).
The first dive was great because it was 'welcome to the underwater world of the Galapagos', which I found throughout the entire trip to be beautiful despite the lack of coral. It reminded me of the landscapes in Sawatch range in Colorado... large sloping boulder fields, sometimes dropping dramatically. Tons of white-tip reef sharks, crustaceans and fish life. Thick clouds at times.
2nd dive was one of the best of the trip. Dropped down next to a boulder wall into a garden of garden eels (thousands of them, sticking up like strands of spaghetti). First 15 minutes a very playful sea lion swooped through our group of four, coming face to face with each of us numerous times. He would leave for air and return within a minute, it was really cool. I took my reg out and blew air at him and he blew bubbles back. Got it on film. There were several other sea lions swimming with us later in the trip, but none as playful as this one (grabbed my flipper when I headed into the flats where the white-tips where). Tried to 'sneak up on' white tips, got as close as 3 feet once. This dive ended with 11 eagle rays, mother, fathers and children glidding right by us. (Although I only saw nine clearly, two infants shot away out of my vis).
2:00pm, left for 17 hour trip to Darwin (Wolf is about 2 hours closer, but we wanted Darwin). Many dolphins on the way up and at the islands, but I personally didn't see too many while actually diving. The next two days (8 day dives at Darwin) can be highlighted, but not classified, by Whale Sharks. I didn't see any on only two dives, typically saw two and saw 4 on two dives. They are very cool fish. Our video has a diver (Craig from Houston) getting a full trip down one heading east, only to turn around because the camera dude was pointing as one approached/passed him from the West, about 20 seconds after that one passed, a third one swims right under him. It is a great piece of video. Hammerheads galore (but, go off with your buddy if you want to see them close, they don't like large groups.. most of the time they were silouttes above us, but, we did get several close ups). They are definately scared of you, quick movements and away they go.
Hairy Galapagos shark experience here. My wife and I got tired of hanging in the same area and waiting for Mr. Big, so we headed out to the flats (between the arch and the point). I guess the dingy driver didn't understand us because they weren't looking for us when we surfaced. We couuld see both dingys, but they weren't looking in our direction. Anyway, Galapagos sharks (large reef like sharks) tend be curious, but they would come in once or twice and leave. This particulary large one was circling us for quite some time with several close approaches, so we blew off our safety stop (the flats are 25 -45 feet deep, and we had been in 25 feet for 20 minutes) and surfaced. We drifted for 15 minutes before the dingy got us (our fault for not specifying where we were going to surface, but the boat captain was pissed at them when he looked at our computers and saw we only had a 44 minute dive and were obviously drifting waving one flag frantically for some time. The dingy drivers just never turned around and looked). Anyway, the shark stayed with us the entire time we drifted/kicked towards the rocky outcropping where it was obviously shallower and rougher, which sharks don't tend to like. Finally we got over a shelf (< 10 ft deep) where the waves were pseudo-breaking and reforming, and he stopped following us. It was scary as hell. He bumped my wife twice, we were kicking at him and poking at him with our second PVC flag (much better than a sausage, the boat lends them out). I peed in my wetsuit three times that dive, only having peed in the wetsuit once before prior, inlcuding a 120 minute skin dive. Very memorable dive, and the flats at Darwin are beautiful (tons of jeuvenille fish)... but, go in a group large enough to keep sharks away, and a pony would be a good idea because the surf can get hairy if you head for the shallows by the point. (The dingy didn't want to come in at first, then shot in and dragged us out to deepeer, non-breaking water before we got in... great feeling getting in that boat).
I don't think Jamie (dive master)is going to let groups smaller than 4 go out there anymore. Both dive masters were shaken when they saw how white my wife was, and how gittery I was. But, a beautiful dive, and the only place we saw lots of turtles and small fish. Everything in the Galapagos is big. I'll never forget my wife saying, 'he's right to your right!' and putting my head in the water and seeing this 10 foot shark, 5 feet from the bottom of my flippers looking right at me). I don't think most divers venture here because of what is in store in the other site, but, it is their loss. Take away the shark and this would have been one of our best dives.
I wish I had a film of me screaming to my wife, in a total panic, "The thing to do here is not to panic!!!" Too funny, retrospectively.
We busted a Costa Rican and a Columbian 'long' liner. The Ecuadorian Navy actually came up and apprehended them after a radio call from us. (the 'long' liners put out ballS with 50 hooks and a radio transmitter, and once it starts moving, they go pick it up and haul the sharks in, sometimes keeping only the fins). Last shot on my land video was the morning we left the boat in Baltra, both illegal fishing vessels were in the port being guarded by the military, and the shot fades away to nothing.
After Darwin we did three dives in Wolf, which were beautiful. On two dives we saw Whale sharks. These dives were beautiful seascapes, and ironically my wife's favorite dive of the trip was the blender, where she really didn't get a good look at Mr. Big, but had a great time with small fish, lots of crustaceans filling volcanic crevices, turtles and two sea lions. She also likes to show off how well she can do in strong currents/surge having grown up on the ocean. Her bouyancy/underwater mobility skills are pretty good, and this was a perfect dive to utilize them to the fullest.
I wish I had a pony to extend the dive, even though we were the last ones up. Very nice pinicle (the 'blender') where the currents flow up/down sideways. Bubbles from a diver 10 feet above you can (and did) stream accross your mask leaving you with 0 vis.. You have to physically move yourself into a different current 'stream' to get away from the bubbles. All but three of the divers on the boat bailed after a minute or two on this pinicle. You want to be in a different current stream than your buddy to avoid his/her bubbles. If you just 'go with the current' the bubbles do too (sounds obvious, I know). It is kinda cool to watch bubbles go up sideways, over and down a pinicle before swirling aound it and off into nowhere; just like a blender.
The marine life on this pinicle was quite varied, and very cool. I could easily have done this dive four times (you start out with two shallow caverns, lobsters, turtles, sea-lions...). And, if you cut it before you hit the pinicle which is where the hairy current starts, it would be a fantastic night dive. (I believe this is where Aggressor I did their night dive) After the dive the dingys brought us to cave where a few of us snorkled, marbled rays all over the floor (30ft deep), several turtles (green sea turtles were the only type I saw the entire trip) and two playful sea lions, although only one came even remotely close to me.
Appropriately when we got in the boat and started getting ready for the long drive back, a whale shark swam right next to the boat.
Tuesday we did two dives on a rocky outcropping called Cousin's rock. (and a nice land tour) I had taken 6lbs out of the back of my BC and forgot to put it back in before this dive. Of course the first dingy in screams 'Manta' (I had never seen one in the water before). I managed to get down to 28 feet for about a minute and I got a nice, but quick view of the Manta. Then I surfaced and got four more pounds from the dingy which shot over the instant my hand breached.
Nice dives, mellow current, good vis. Large seahorses (way cool) and large groups of fish (clouds effecting the vis at some points). The seascape on one side of the rock was particularly striking IMHO... sloping, the volcanic activity that created it was clearly visible with holes and evidence of where the lava had flown. Circumnavigated the rock with my wife, and the same manta (12 foot, no tail) swam next to me for about 30 seconds before two divers above us came racing down (one hit my tank, tank to tank, I have no idea how, I was watching the manta and didn't see him coming) and scared our friend off into the blue. Second dive watched sea lions poke their noses into the cracks for food and checked the nooks and crannies... they were quite cute. You just want to take one home. Also did an afternoon snorkle where my wife got to swim with a penguin, a lifelong dream.
Well, Wednesday came, and it was our last and one dive day. Vis was crappy, current was the strongest of the trip and the water was the coldest of the trip. In the very beginning a school of what I thought was about 35 eagle rays swam above us and I darted out to be under them (didn't want to gain any depth). After seeing the video, there was at least 45 if not 60. That was the beginning and end of that dive, basically nothing else happened the rest of that dive and after all that diving/hiking I was ready to get out of that current and cold water.
Great trip. Good food. Very professional staff who wait on you hand and foot. Their vidography skills are still developing, but we bought a nice 35 minute (editted from hours) video. Could have added some boat interaction, for nostalgic purposes... we didn't get a group shot (except in the dingy) or even a good shot of the boat. But, the video has great shots of The Big Senor (most of the video), rays, sharks free swimming spotted morays (tons of them, everywhere, very cool). My dive buddies who have seen the video were very impressed with the underwater Galapagos, but not so with the videography. (although, they all want to go to the Galapagos now).
I've rambled, but a few last notes: I couldn't find a real Cuban cigar in either Quito or Guayaquill (even the Hilton had only fakes). If you are going to buy a bottle to bring on the trip, buy it on the flight to the Galapagos, it is duty free. I bought a liter of Johnny Walker Black for $31. It is sitting, unopened, in my liquor cabinet right now. Nobody really drank much, a little on the last two nights, but mostly wine.
The dive shops in the Puerto Ayora are for ****, bring your own stuff, two pairs of gloves is a good idea, I gave my second pair to someone who would have missed dives if there wasn't an extra pair on the boat. But, bring cheapos (even gardening gloves would work, you don't really need neoprene, you need the protection from the ubiquitous barnicles). Your going to wear the hell out of the gloves, tephlon or not. The people who brought $40 gloves are replacing $40 gloves, same with those of us who brogh $20's.
A pony would have been a great thing to have, not only for safety (almost everyone came up at least once with under 150 pounds), but to prolong the dives. When I came up with 100 it was because I chased a whale shark on my safety and shot down to 60 feet. A pony would have been a nice thing. You have DIVING FREEDOM!!! with this group. You can stay with the group or go off (depending on the dive, not on Wolf in the 'Blender'). Of course you can stick with a divemaster the whole time if you like.
Lights... very useful on Wolf, Gordon's and Cousins for peering into the nooks and crannies.
If you go, bring your video camera up to the front deck as you approach Darwin, you'll get great shots of dolphins launching off the bow wake, sometimes landing on their backs.
For those of you who made it this far, I would like to thank Doc Viking, for pointing out that there is no maleria in Guayaquill or the Galapagos, and I should finally take my wife on the honeymoon we postponed in 98 due to El Nino.
Thanks everyone for all the great advice over the last few months... my short diving career has been a great one thus far.
... and several of them were quite large. A gentleman from Dallas got some great video of them (also from below).
