Dive Review of Explorer Adventures/Humboltd Explorer in
Galapagos Islands/Wolf, Darwin, Santiago

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Explorer Adventures/Humboltd Explorer: "Most challenging diving", Jul, 2021, by Bert Ross, CO, US ( Reviewer 3 reports with 1 Helpful vote). Report 11739 has 1 Helpful vote.
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Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
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Comments	Our adventure in the Galapagos took place between July 18 - July 27, 2021 and was during a full moon cycle. Which is great for attracting all the bucket list fish; but may have also contributed to very strong currents. Especially further north around Wolf and Darwin. More on the currents later. Getting there seems to be relatively easy and we were coming from Denver. It took 3 flights to get to the Galapagos Islands with a layover in Guayaquil; for the night. Originally we were supposed to have an extra day at the front end and two days at the back end for land based touring. However with the Covid-19 virus up-ticking, in Ecuador at the time; the land tours were scaled back on the mainland. We were still able to go ashore on Santiago to see the Blue Footed Boobies and other assorted birds and wildlife. At the end of the trip we visited a giant tortoise preserve and volcanic formations; on Santa Cruz. You will need to be vaccinated and have a negative C-19 test prior to departing. As of this writing I think it is 72 hours prior to departure. We did not have to get a test a few days in unlike other countries. We were required to test and show negative prior to departure and arriving back in USA. Our home away from home was on the Humboldt Explorer. Which can accommodate 16 divers though we only had 14 on this trip. The boat is about 12 years in service and our trip leader had come to Galapagos 11 years earlier and was on this very boat; when first put into service. According to our trip leader not much had changed. The Humboldt is still in good shape, though it could use some TLC in spots and newer upgrades. As far as accommodating a bunch of divers; it held its own. To me what really makes the boat is the crew. They went above and beyond in taking care of our needs and making our week onboard comfortable. The kitchen/galley was small, but boy could the two main chefs put out some tasty dishes. They kept us well fed and most importantly the chefs were very accommodating to both vegetarian and vegan diets. Something that is hard to find; though more Liveaboards and resorts are starting to get dialed in. There were always scrumptious goodies awaiting us after each dive and a variety of hot beverages. Like most older Liveaboards the rooms are small; though all had their own head and shower. There was always plenty of hot water. Storage is limited in the rooms, so be efficient in your packing. It was helpful that the boat was able to store everyones empty luggage elsewhere and not jammed in our rooms. Not sure where they put those bags...possibly in the empty cabin. If fully booked who knows. Just saying. The boat was typically stationed in calmer waters in a cove or protected area and the Pangas took us out to the dive sites...where we would find the rougher water. I slept fine; though I can sleep fine almost anywhere...my wife was a bit more challenged. But hey, it's a live aboard. We are not here for the accommodations. Though in 2022 we are diving on a Liveaboard in Palau that has more luxurious accommodations. Can hardly wait. The first day of diving is more for check out and getting your weights situated. Everyone is diving with semi dry or 7 mil suits. We get a little taste of what's to come including the currents. For some, the two dives on the first day is enough to figure out gear and weights. A third dive would have been helpful to others. Make sure you jump in the water before going to see what your weight configuration should look like. Know what to expect before arriving in Galapagos. Normally I dive with 6-8 lbs in a 3 mil suit and slightly more with a 5 mil. However diving with the 7 mil suits plus hood, gloves etc; I needed 16 lbs to get down. Others were taking 20+. Some folks started heavy just to help them get down and then had issues with buoyancy at depth. The dive guides and our trip leader were helpful in dealing with divers that had weight and buoyancy issues. Since most of our entries were hard entries and the need to descend quickly was required you will want a good strong kick off the surface to help you descend. After the check out dives; it was back to the boat and start making our way to the north islands of Wolf and Darwin...a mire 13-14 hour boat ride, in not exactly calm water. There seem to be a nice steady rocking motion. Which I like because it just lulls me to sleep. This long trek is done at night while everyone is sleeping or trying to sleep. Enough about the boat...Let's get to the diving. You better be good and have your shit together. I have spoken to many divers who have been and all have returned with tales of strong current...combat diving was another description! If the only current you have ever dove is Mushroom Forest in Curacao; those kind of drift dives will barely prepare you. If you have experienced Cozumel you have a better understanding on what currents are like. Do not under estimate the currents in Galapagos. This not drift diving; though at times you will drift briefly. It was not unusual to see a diver holding onto a rock and their body is extended horizontally like a flag in the wind. Even some of the fish seem to struggle. All dives sites are reached by two small inflatables the crew called Pangas. Seven divers in each Panga. All entries were hard entries rolling off the sides. Which I always find more dynamic. Now comes the challenge. The surface water was choppy and the Pangas are just bouncing along. We get to the drop site...one final adjustment and it's 1-2-3 GO! As soon as you roll off you drop down about 30-40 feet to the first shelf and find a place to grab onto. You really need to be paying attention and get yourself situated in the rocks ASAP. CALM DOWN...this is very important; otherwise you will start sucking air and you don't want to suck; do you?. There is not much coral in the Galapagos and most everything is volcanic rock covered in barnacles. Which by the way can break off in your hand and you go floating off. Try to avoid the barnacles. You will be wearing gloves, so do not hesitate to grab, straddle and wedge yourself in. As I mentioned earlier, this group experienced some very strong currents and this was verified by the boat guides as some of the strongest they have ever encountered. I am sure the full moon had something to do with this; what do I know. Soon the guides lead us to some lower shelfs in about 65-75 feet of water and sometimes 80-85 feet. The current is still strong and I quickly learn to try and position myself on the opposite side of the rocks from the direction of the current. Kind of acts like a rock in river and getting behind the eddy line. The trick is trying to find a good spot as the other divers are also jockeying for position. Then you just hang on and watch the show. If you are operating a camera, this can get tricky to shoot pictures, whether video or still photos. You typically need both hands to operate your camera rig; so developing a technique to wedge yourself into the rocks using your legs and knees is helpful; though not in such a way that your foot would get caught. While you are trying to get situated you also need to remember to keep and eye on your buddy. Easy to end up a few rocks away from each other when trying to score the ideal spot for viewing. Sometimes we would come across a shelf that several divers could stand on side by side and be very protected from the currents. Like being in a dive-in movie. Yuck, yuck, yuck. We would usually hang out in one spot for about 15 minutes and then release and let the current take us to another position. As soon as our dive guide finds a suitable location for viewing; we start the whole process over again of finding a good spot. Now the currents do at times ease up depending on where you are. Typically the currents were a bit easier to deal with on the morning dives and much stronger in the afternoon. The dive sites around what was Darwin's Arch were particularly stronger than anywhere else on this trip. Well; I think I have driven home the idea that the currents are strong and very challenging. This is adrenalin diving and not for the timid. I consider myself a fairly experienced diver...advanced open water, stress and rescue, wreck and nitrox certified. Closing in on 400 dives. This was the most challenging diving I have done anywhere. With 4 dives per day you can get worn out. Though the water is colder than the Caribbean 68-75 F, I did not experience becoming cold at all. Was able to stay plenty warm in a 6.5 mil semi drysuit. A couple of people used heated under garments and were in heaven. Now let's talk about the entertainment. If you like sharks, there are 100's. Mostly Hammerheads, though you will see others. Every dive was a steady stream of sharks. Very overwhelming at first. There are just so many. As we came back south we would see less, though many more than what you might encounter in a week elsewhere, except maybe Cuba or some spots in the south Pacific. Up by Wolf and Darwin we came across numerous Spotted Eagle Rays and at times swimming in formation in groups of three. There were turtles on every dive and plenty of smaller fish fighting their way through the current. Large schools of fish were everywhere. We were hoping to spot Whale Sharks and we were told some other groups were encountering them right up until we arrived in the north. Only one was spotted at the end of a dive for about 15 seconds before vanishing into the depths below. Oh well...luck of the draw. Here are some of the other critters we saw. Moray Eels, Lobster, Crabs, various starfish, Sea Lions, Trumpet Fish, Bumphead Parrot fish, lots of Wrasses, Morrish Idols, lots of King Angle fish, Blennys, Tuna, Garden ells, Galapagos Grunts, Blue and Gold Snapper, Pompano, Jacks, Flounder, Butterfly Fish, Damsels, Hog Fish, Sea Lions, Octopus, Scorpion Fish, Barracuda (large school), Dolphins (large school), Trigger Fish, Mantas(2), Galapagos Sharks, White and Black Tip Sharks, Silky and many other critters. I was not expecting as many other tropical fish. At times I was experiencing sensory overload from so much fish activity. Most of the Dolphins we spotted were by Wolf Island. The Dolphins seem to stay near the surface and did not come down to 60+ foot level. We would see them during our safety stop. Once back in the Pangas; the Dolphins would follow our Panga and leap out of, and surf the waves. The group we dove with was through a dive shop in Denver (A1 Scuba), so most of us knew each other and the experience level of each diver. Most of the divers were between 50-75, one was in their early 30s. There were two divers that booked directly through Explorer Adventures and were not part of our dive shop group, though from the same city. These two divers were out of their league and in no way should have been diving in the Galapagos. They certainly misrepresented their experience level. This was a husband and wife and neither understood how to read their computers nor would they stop and make safety stops. We were two days into the trip when our lead guide had a group meeting. He informed the group that 2 divers have gone into No-Deco and proceeded to explain to everyone how to read their computers and what various numbers and indicators mean. He did not OUT, who the two divers were. Eventually everyone knew. The lead guide should have pulled them from diving for 24 hours, but did not. This could have eventually lead to the entire group being jeopardized. The two main guides on board had a recently certified instructor whose job on this crew, was to assist the kitchen...was tapped to personally guide and keep an eye on the two inexperienced divers. This seem to solve the issues with them and the rest of the week went off without a hitch. Though at the end of the trip the wife of the inexperienced couple indicated she was feeling strange and was experiencing headaches and other aches in their body. Probably got bent, though we never found out as they went their separate ways and flew back on a different flight. Our two main guides have been diving the Galapagos for many years and they knew their turf. The pre dive planning was thorough and our guides were quite good at keeping the group close; despite the strong currents. No one ever got separated and drifted off from the rest of the group. Upon surfacing the Panga drivers were right there to pick you up. Out of 19 dives there was one time one of groups deployed a sausage. I think the Panga drivers did a great job reading our bubbles and being close by. There were a couple of occasions where divers might actually surface at different intervals (depending on profile) and the currents were quick to spread us out beyond the point of trying to swim to the Panga or the others in the group. On the first day there was a safety talk regarding the various safety and emergency features on the boat. Where the emergency escape hatch is located, life rafts, fire extinguishers, use of emergency transponders and beacons. At some point we had a fire drill on the first day so everyone onboard knew where to go in case of an emergency. There was one crew member who manned the boat and stayed awake through the night to keep an eye on everything. All items that need charging had a designated area in the main galley room. No items were allowed to be charged in the bedrooms. All in all we felt very safe on the Humboldt. Considering some of the tragic events that have taken place on Liveaboards in recent years; this crew was not going to let that happen. Always having a to-go dry bag ready in case one has to do a quick abandon ship; is certainly wise. I would definitely go back and hopefully on a slightly different itinerary as I would like to go to Isabela Island to see the Marine Iguanas, Penguins and Molas. Here is a youtube link to view a video of this adventure. [youtu.be link]
Websites	Explorer Adventures Humboltd Explorer
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	Indonesia, Philippines, Cuba, Roatan, Similan Islands, Cozumel, Turks & Cacois, Cayman Islands, Mediterranean, Belize, Great Lakes, Florida, Vancouver Island, Catalina Island, Costa Rica and Saint Lucia.
Closest Airport	Baltra	Getting There	Flying was easy from Denver Co. Denver to Miami, Miami to Guayaquil Ecuador, then an over night and fly out next morning to Baltra Galapagos.
Dive Conditions
Weather	cloudy, dry	Seas	choppy, surge, currents
Water Temp	65-75°F / 18-24°C	Wetsuit Thickness	7
Water Visibility	40-60 Ft/ 12-18 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Hard entry on almost all dives. No more than 100 ft and bottom time was :50 minutes.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	1 or 2
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals	N/A	Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	If you have a large camera set up...the camera table is on the small side (7'x 3' with lower shelf). Plenty of room for small camera set ups and Go Pro formats. The camera table is located outside on the dive gear deck...the table is under covering. All battery charging allowed in main galley in one location under the flat screen TV. No battery or any device charging allowed in rooms. They do have a dedicated air hose for drying off photo gear and a dedicated rinse tank for cameras. On subject matter, I gave a 3. Not because of lack of Pelagics and other critters. Mainly the difficulty in trying to capture your subject matter while trying to hold on and not get blown off the rocks. The currents are quite challenging even for the best divers.

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

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Dive Review of Explorer Adventures/Humboltd Explorer in Galapagos Islands/Wolf, Darwin, Santiago

Explorer Adventures/Humboltd Explorer: "Most challenging diving", Jul, 2021,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Explorer Adventures/Humboltd Explorer in
Galapagos Islands/Wolf, Darwin, Santiago