Join Blue Planet on the trip of a lifetime! Tour the Galapagos Islands on board the Galapagos Aggressor III and dive with playful sea lions, travel to the famous Darwin and Wolf islands for thrilling diving to see hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, clouds of tuna and much more.

The Galapagos

 The Galapagos Islands are located in the eastern Pacific Ocean, 605 miles (973 km) off the west coast of South America. The closest land mass is the mainland of Ecuador to the east (the country to which they belong).  In March 2016, Ecuador created a marine sanctuary in the area of Darwin and Wolf that includes 15,000 square miles as off limits to all fishing to conserve the sharks that congregate there and the ecosystem on which they rely. 

The primary attraction in Galapagos is the large pelagics such as schooling Hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks, Silky Sharks, Bullhead Sharks, Reef Sharks, Mola Molas and Whale sharks. Occasionally, there is sighting of Whales, Marlin, Dolphin and Orcas. You will see a rare combination of warm and cold-water creatures including Sea Lions, Mantas, Penguins, Flightless Cormorants, Sting Rays, Eagle Rays, Turtles, Moray Eels, Sea Horses, Marine iguanas and enormous schools of unusual fish. Many of the marine creatures are found nowhere else on earth! 

The Diving

Minimum dive certification/experience: PADI Advanced Open Water Diver with 50 dives. PADI Enriched Air/Nitrox certification strongly recommended.

The Galapagos Aggressor III offers a brand new itinerary in compliance with the Galapagos National Park regulations which includes a maximum of four dives daily; two in the morning and two in the afternoon. In addition, two night dives and two land excursions per week will be offered. All diving will be done from zodiacs.

The waters of the Galapagos Islands are a unique mixture of warm and cold water, ranging between 65°F and 85°F, with thermoclines about 65°F. The cruises to some of the islands can be rough and the diving in Galapagos can be strenuous, due to its currents and surge, varying water temperatures, limited visibility, and diving from dinghies. The trip is recommended for intermediate and advanced divers. 

The Galapagos Aggressor III

The Galapagos Aggressor III is 100 feet long, built and powered for comfort, safety and stability. The yacht has a beautiful spacious salon, large sun deck with shading, chaise lounges and deck chairs, bar, grill, hot tub, and a complete photo/video center. The onboard video format is both NTSC and PAL.  

The Galapagos Aggressor III sleeps 16 guests in privacy and comfort. Accommodations include four deluxe staterooms which have two twin beds and three portholes and four master staterooms with a queen bed (which can be modified to 2 twin beds) and a large window. Each cabin has a private toilet, shower, hair dryer, TV/Blue Ray DVD, stereo CD player, temperature controls and safe storage box. Linens are changed mid-week and fresh towels are placed in each stateroom as needed. 

Breakfast (cooked to order), buffet lunch and an elegant chef prepared meal at dinner with tableside service are served in addition to fresh mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. Beverages (alcoholic and nonalcoholic) are complimentary while onboard. 

Travel

Plan to fly into Baltra from either Quito or Guayaquil on Thursday, March 11. (An overnight hotel stay in Quito or Guayaquil is usually required prior to the flight.) We’ll board the yacht that afternoon, begin diving and continue through Wednesday morning. Checkout is Thursday morning, March 18. Please contact the shop before booking any flights or hotels.

Interested in extending your trip? We’re exploring land-based excursions on the Galapagos and in the Ecuadorian Amazon before and after the liveaboard.