Dive Review of Humboldt Explorer in
Galapagos Islands/Wolf & Darwin mostly

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Humboldt Explorer: "If you like to see large pelagics, this is a 'must do' trip", Apr, 2015, by W Stanley Wilson, MD, US ( 2 reports with 5 Helpful votes). Report 8220 has 5 Helpful votes.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Diving in the Galapagos was the most challenging and most rewarding trip I have taken in a very long time. Challenging in the sense of having to simultaneously cope with the surge associated with the swell, as well as the currents. Several times we were literally crawling along the bottom when having to swim against the current. Rewarding in the sense of never having before seen such a variety of big pelagics - three different varieties of shark (including hammerhead), two varieties of marine turtles, tuna, manta and eagle rays, etc - while also swimming along with sea lions and porpoises. The dive boat accommodated 16 divers with about the same number of crew. The food was very good, and the dive operation was well run. Our two panga (zodiac) drivers were both professional and friendly. I had two complaints. First, the weights were mostly 3 and 4 pounds, and none were marked. And by the time everyone had selected the weights they thought they needed, there were only a couple of extras left over. So, there was no easy way - after the first couple of dives - to remove one pound or so to achieve better buoyancy control. And second, the boat burned a low grade of diesel fuel and had an obnoxious exhaust. Of the 16 divers in our group, I was the oldest diver at 76; there were three 65, two at 27, and the rest in between. I am happy to say that I wasn't the slowest or least capable diver. As it was, I skipped out on a 4th dive on the four days when we did them, as did several others. While one needs to be in good physical condition and have some diving experience before doing such a trip, the Galapagos should be on every serious diver's bucket list.
Websites	Humboldt Explorer
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	Caribbean, Great Barrier Reef, Kona Coast, California, Florida Keys, Fiji, Flower Garden
Closest Airport	San Cristobal	Getting There	Miami direct to Guayaquil (or Quito), then to San Cristobal
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, cloudy, dry	Seas	calm, choppy, surge, currents
Water Temp	76-84°F / 24-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	30-50 Ft/ 9-15 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	?
Enforced diving restrictions	Diving in two groups of 8, each led by a park ranger/dive master; needed to stay with your group; max depth of 100 ft.
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	Squadrons
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals	N/A	Tropical Fish	N/A
Small Critters	N/A	Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

Report currently has 5 Helpful votes

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Dive Review of Humboldt Explorer in Galapagos Islands/Wolf & Darwin mostly

Humboldt Explorer: "If you like to see large pelagics, this is a 'must do' trip", Apr, 2015,

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 Humboldt Explorer in
Galapagos Islands/Wolf & Darwin mostly