Central Galapagos, Wolf & Darwin

Trip highlights: whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, seals/sea lions, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities

Diving environment: advanced divers, drift diving, off the beaten track

Dive sites and activities: Baltra North, Darwin Island, Wolf Island, Cousin's Rock (Santiago), wildlife land tours: North Seymour and Santa Cruz islands.
Extended trips also visit: Cabo Marshall and Cabo Douglas.

Day 1
After boarding the Humboldt Explorer in Baltra, you’ll enjoy a welcome lunch as the crew introduces themselves and walks you through the boat’s features and safety details. As evening falls, dinner is served while the vessel begins its voyage toward the first dive destination of your adventure.

Core Days
The Galápagos underwater realm is a theater of raw, untamed nature, where hammerheads dance, whale sharks glide, and marine iguanas graze in a spectacle found nowhere else on Earth.
Diving at Baltra North is usually a gentle, easy-going start or finish to a liveaboard trip but it still has its share of surprises. The site offers a mix of sandy slopes, rocky outcrops, and patches of coral. Currents here are typically mild, making it ideal for check-out dives or relaxed exploration. Visibility often ranges from 10-20 meters, and the seabed slopes gradually down from shallow training areas into deeper terrain where more marine life appears. While pelagics are less common here than at Darwin or Wolf, there’s still a good chance of spotting whitetip reef sharks cruising in the blue, and even the occasional hammerhead if you’re lucky.
From the moment you descend at Wolf Island, the underwater world comes alive. Vast schools of scalloped hammerheads glide in mesmerizing patterns along the rock faces, while sleek Galapagos sharks patrol the deep blue. Powerful currents at spots like The Landslide sweep you past bustling cleaning stations where marble rays and green turtles gather. Keep your eyes open - silky sharks may dart by unexpectedly, and the elusive mola mola often drifts silently in the sunlight.
At Darwin Island, the underwater show intensifies. Beneath the iconic Darwin’s Arch, enormous whale sharks - some stretching over 12 meters - appear like ghostly giants, especially from June to November when pregnant females grace the waters. Near the surface, swirling schools of bigeye trevally create shimmering silver storms, weaving through playful sea lions and curious Galapagos sharks. As you ascend, watch hammerheads form striking silhouettes against the sunlit waves.
Cousins Rock is one of the most photogenic and biologically rich dive sites in the central Galápagos. It’s a small triangular islet with sheer, terraced walls covered in black coral, soft corals, and sponges, creating a textured backdrop that’s perfect for wide-angle and macro photography. The dive usually starts with a gentle drift along the stepped rock face, where red-lipped batfish lurk on sandy ledges, and frogfish hide in coral branches. The shallower terraces are home to sea fans swaying in the surge, while deeper slopes attract schools of barracuda, salemas, and grunts.
On extended trips you will visit Cabo Douglas, on the remote northwest tip of Fernandina Island, one of the Galápagos’ most extraordinary dives because it’s one of the few places on Earth where you can dive alongside marine iguanas while they feed underwater. Also part of the extended liveaboard trips is Cabo Marshall, a well-known dive site located on the northeastern coast of Isabela Island. It is primarily a wall and drift dive, known for its strong currents and a high chance of encountering large pelagic species.
During the trip there will also be time for 2 land tours: one to North Seymour Island on Tuesday and one to the giant tortoises in the highlands of Santa Cruz on Sunday.

Final Day
A continental breakfast is served before you say goodbye to the amazing Humboldt Explorer liveaboard and its experienced crew. You are free to visit the beach, take a walk in town, or be transferred to the airport in Baltra.

Western Galapagos, Wolf & Darwin (11 Days / 10 Nights - 32 Dives)

Trip highlights: shark action, dolphins, manta rays, seals/sea lions, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities, onboard experts on wildlife and natural history

Diving environment: advanced divers, drift diving, off the beaten track

Dive sites and activities: Baltra North, Cabo Douglas, Cabo Marshall, Punta Vincente Roca, Cousin's Rock, Darwin Island, Wolf Island, 2 wildlife land tours: North Seymour and Santa Cruz Islands

Day 1
Your vacation starts with a boat briefing on Humboldt Explorer in Baltra, where staff will introduce the cruise, the crew and the other guests to you, while having lunch. Dinner will be served, while the boat departs for its journey to the destination of your first full day of diving.

Core Days
This is an unusual liveaboard route in the western archipelago, also visiting Punta Vicente Roca to see mola mola, red-lipped batfish and seahorses. Whale sharks are often seen from June through November.
From the moment you descend at Wolf Island, the underwater world erupts with life. Vast schools of scalloped hammerheads glide in hypnotic formations along the rocky walls, while sleek Galapagos sharks patrol the depths. Strong currents at sites like The Landslide carry you past bustling cleaning stations where marble rays and green turtles gather. Stay alert as silky sharks may streak past without warning, and the enigmatic mola mola often drifts like a silent shadow in the sunlit blue.
At Darwin Island, the spectacle reaches new heights. Beneath the legendary Darwin’s Arch, colossal whale sharks materialize like gentle giants, particularly from June to November, when pregnant females frequent these waters. Near the surface, swirling clouds of bigeye trevally create dazzling silver vortexes, weaving between playful sea lions and inquisitive Galapagos sharks. As you ascend, watch as hammerheads form dramatic silhouettes against the sun-dappled waves.
Cousins Rock, off Santiago Island, is one of the most photogenic and biodiverse sites in the central Galápagos. Its steep, terraced walls, blanketed in black coral, soft corals, and sponges, provide a stunning canvas for both wide-angle and macro photography. Drift along the rock face to spot red-lipped batfish perched on sandy ledges and frogfish camouflaged among coral branches. Shallow terraces sway with sea fans, while deeper slopes draw in barracuda, salemas, and grunts.
Cabo Douglas, on Fernandina Island’s remote northwest tip, offers one of the archipelago’s most unique encounters - diving with marine iguanas as they feed underwater. Watch as these prehistoric reptiles cling to rocks with their sharp claws, grazing on algae while parrotfish and surgeonfish dart around them, scavenging for scraps.
Further east, Cabo Marshall on Isabela Island is a world-class dive site famed for its stunning underwater landscapes and thriving pelagic species. Dramatic drop-offs and nutrient-rich currents attract an array of marine giants, making every dive here an unforgettable adventure.
There will also be time for some land tours: one to North Seymour on Tuesday and one to visit the Galapagos tortoises in the highlands of Santa Cruz on Sunday.

Day 11
A continental breakfast takes place before you say goodbye to the amazing Humboldt Explorer liveaboard and its experienced crew in Baltra. You are free to visit the beach, take a walk in town, or be transferred to the airport.