8 years after our first trip to the Galapagos, we finally made it back to this very special place. A chance to SCUBA with whale sharks during peak season lured us back, and we were immediately reminded why we love these islands so much. Wildlife galore both on land and in the water…wow, Galapagos did not disappoint. Unlike our first trip in 2010, we came back armed with underwater cameras to record our marine adventures. Some of our highlights included: playing with friendly, bubble blowing sea lions at Playa Mann (with one trying to gift Becky some seaweed), snorkeling with dozens of turtles at La Loberia, swimming with a marine iguana at Punta Carola, being mesmerized by a whopping 24 whale shark sightings at Darwin’s Arch, getting front row seats at cleaning stations to watch scalloped hammerhead sharks getting rid of pesky parasites via butterflyfish, watching schools of dozens of hammerhead sharks both at Wolf Island and Darwin’s Arch, laughing as Becky got some turtle love by an overeager sea turtle keen on curling up in her lap, and indulging in phenomenal ceviche for cheap (courtesy of the excellent “menu del dia” offerings at the beach side food shacks). We met some wonderful people on our liveaboard with the Humboldt Explorer (two huge thumbs up), and had excellent dive masters Daniel and Paulo to guide us. Our return trip was so phenomenal that we are hesitant to return for a third trip…we fear nothing could top this trip!
Robby next to a blue footed booby (made from recycled plastic); near Playa Mann
A juvenile sea lion sucks milk from its mom; Playa Mann
A curious sea lion checks us out; Playa Mann
Becky playing with a friendly sea lion; Playa Mann
Posing beneath a hammerhead shark welcome sign; Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
Yellow crowned night heron; Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
Sleeping sea lions by a San Cristobal sign
Carrying our snorkel gear to La Loberia beach, a 30 minute hike out of town; San Cristobal
To get into the water, you have to run by this gauntlet of sea lions; La Loberia Beach
Marine iguana soaking up the sun; La Loberia
Admiring the coastal views on our short hike from La Loberia beach
Robby checking out one of dozens of green sea turtles at La Loberia; San Cristobal
Shoal of black striped salema fish; La Loberia
A turtle performs stretching exercises; La Loberia
Yellow tail surgeon fish; La Loberia
Landscape seen on our walk from La Loberia beach back to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno; San Cristobal
A marine iguana swimming to shore after feeding on algae; Playa Punta Carola
Becky joins the sleepy sea lions for a snooze; Playa Punta Carola
Robby riding a US cannon from WWII; near Tijeretas Viewpoint
Becky at the Charles Darwin statue; near Tijeretas Viewpoint
A nice view from Tijeretas Mirador
San Cristobal Island welcomes all visitors!
Paulo giving us a safety briefing on board the Humboldt Explorer
Stingray; Punta Carrion
Our stateroom cabin; Humboldt Explorer
Bacalao yellow grouper; Punta Carrion
Bullseye puffer; Punta Carrion
A sea lion sunning itself; North Seymour Island
A marine iguana perched on lava rock; North Seymour Island
A frigatebird preparing to fly
Hungry baby frigate bird; North Seymour Island
Male frigatebirds inflate a red gular sac with air to attract females during breeding season
A male frigatebird attracts a potential mate who swoops in for a closer view
Adult male magnificent frigatebird in flight; North Seymour Island
Check out the sharp, curved beak of this frigatebird!
Blue footed booby; North Seymour Island
Profile of a land iguana
Getting picked up by zodiac after our North Seymour Island excursion
Getting ready to dive Wolf Island (which we reached after a 12 hour journey!)
Pacific spotted scorpionfish; Wolf Island
Guineafowl puffer; Wolf Island
Mexican hogfish; Wolf Island
Finescale triggerfish
Green sea turtle; Wolf Island
Golden pufferfish
Two silky sharks checking us out from the blue; Wolf Island
A fever of spotted eagle rays glides by; Wolf Island
Cleaning time! Butterfly fish picking parasites off a hammerhead shark
Black jack fish; Wolf Island
Lunch buffet on the top deck; Humboldt Explorer
Wolf Island - the remains of an extinct volcano soaring 250 meters above sea level
A school of scalloped hammerhead sharks; Wolf Island
Dolphins zipping around us during a safety stop; Wolf Island
Sea lions playing in the distance; Wolf Island
Paulo getting up close and personal with a Galapagos shark; Wolf Island
Galapagos shark slowly cruising past our dive group; Wolf Island
One of our favorite places on earth, Darwin's Arch! Diving here is spectacular due to the abundance of marine life
School of trevally jack fish; Darwin's Arch
Pacific creole fish; Darwin's Arch
The first of 24 sightings of whale sharks at Darwin's Arch! Even though we visited during peak whale shark season, we were surprised by how many we saw
Becky capturing a whale shark swimming past; Darwin's Arch
Flavia is tiny compared to this heavily pregnant whale shark; Darwin's Arch
Enjoying dinner with Margaret, Flavia, Felix & Leif. At the other table are Bettina, Maria, Alberto, Bjorn, Eric, Bernard and Katrina; Humboldt Explorer
We were shocked to hear that local fishing boats are allowed to fish at Darwin Island (special permit only). Thankfully this fishing boat looks small!
Hieroglyphic hawkfish; Darwin's Arch
A tornado shaped swarm of pacific creole fish; Darwin's Arch
A pregnant whale shark swims by; Darwin's Arch
It is very hard to gain perspective on how large this whale shark is (about the size of a school bus)
Alberto getting some close up video of a massive whale shark; Darwin's Arch
Frigate birds hoping to score some food fly above the Humboldt Explorer; Darwin's Island
Close up of a flag cabrilla fish (starry grouper); Darwin's Arch
The female whalesharks at Darwin's Arch are so big that even a GoPro's wide angle isn't enough!
Becky got about 10 minutes of "turtle love" by this overeager green sea turtle; Darwin's Arch
Inquisitive red-footed boobies have no idea what to make of us SCUBA divers; Darwin's Arch
Team Whaleshark at Darwin's Arch - Eric, Robby, Margaret, Flavia, Becky & Bjorn
Felix checks out a red-footed booby; Darwin's Island
A scavenging spotted eagle ray; Wolf Island
A giant moray eel poses for its closeup; Wolf Island
Longfin bannerfish; Wolf Island
A black jack fish "rides" a spotted eagle ray; Wolf Island
A scalloped hammerhead shark swims up close to our dive group; Wolf Island
Mexican goatfish; Wolf Island
Such a lucky lobster! No one will bother it at Wolf Island
Simply magical as dozens of hammerheads swim by; Wolf Island
Posing with our awesome dive guides Daniel and Paulo; Humboldt Explorer
Blue starfish; Cousin's Rock
An octopus tries to hide in coral; Cousin's Rock
Two panamic fanged blennies side by side; Cousin's Rock
Yellow cup coral; Cousin's Rock
The face only a mother could love! Close up of a pacific spotted scorpionfish; Cousin's Rock
Starfish; Cousin's Rock
Guineafowl pufferfish; Cousin's Rock
School of bluestriped snapper; Cousin's Rock
The hilly road leading to Puerto Ayora; Santa Cruz Island
Galápagos giant tortoise; El Manzanillo Ranch
The tortoise shells are super heavy! Trying our best to imagine life as a tortoise
Munching giant tortoise
A man brushing his dog in Puerto Ayora
Galapagos scene made from colorful ceramics; Puerto Ayora
Skeleton of a 13 meter bryde's whale; Charles Darwin Research Station
Detail of a Galapagos giant tortoise; Charles Darwin Research Center
Galapagos mockingbirds
Marine iguanas huddled for warmth
Juvenile marine iguana
Lava heron; Puerto Ayora
Robby and Charles Darwin chat it up
Souvenir shops; Puerto Ayora
Galapagos brown pelican
Sleeping sea lions blocking the path; Puerto Ayora
Boats lined up near the fish market; Puerto Ayora
Our last breakfast on board the Humboldt Explorer....yummy bacon!
Art work on a house in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno; San Cristobal Island
Robby and a flamingo; San Cristóbal Airport
Striking a pose by an orca; San Cristóbal Airport
Ecuador tourism poster
San Cristobal
Hostal Terito – free airport pickup. Friendly owner and clean room with hot water shower and free drinking water. WiFi very weak and unusable. Had to ask for the AC remote control. No ventilation in the room (esp the bathroom, so nothing wet will dry overnight). Cost: $40 for 2 per night. Check out is at 9 am, but we were able to store our gear in the living room.
Casa de Jeimy – walking distance of the airport and sea port. Friendly staff who let us check in at 9 am. Huge rooms with fan (good ventilation). Close to the mercado (cheap meals upstairs). Decent WiFi at times. Free drinking water, two kitchens for self caterers, hammocks on the top floor. Cost: $30 for 2 per night.
Cri’s Burgers – people rave about the burgers here but they were just OK, prices were quite high. We preferred eating at the local food shacks which cost $4 – $5 (juice, soup, main). Highly recommend getting ceviche!
Humboldt Explorer Itinerary
27 Aug: San Cristobal check dive (near Playa Mann)
28 Aug: Punta Carrion (2 dives), North Seymour Island tour. Transit to Wolf Island
29 Aug: Wolf Island (4 dives)
30 Aug: Wolf Island (2 dives), Darwin’s Arch (2 dives)
31 Aug: Darwin’s Arch (4 dives)
1 Sep: Wolf Island (3 dives), Transit to Santiago Island
2 Sep: Cousins Rock (2 dives), Santa Cruz (visit El Manzanillo Galapagos Tortoise Ranch and free time)
3 Sep: San Cristobal morning drop off
The Humboldt Explorer is a great option for SCUBA diving in the Galapagos. Staff is competent and friendly. Dive masters were excellent, swapping between dive groups daily (2 dive groups of 8 pax). Briefings are very good, with nightly lectures on the wildlife. Nitrox is $150 extra (worth it). The crew bends over backwards to ensure everyone is happy and satisfied. Hot water jacuzzi on the top deck was a nice bonus although water level too low. Free soda, beer and wine on board, although you are cut off from diving the moment you have your first drink. Smart TVs in each room fully stocked with new movies and BBC Galapagos specials. We were upgraded to a stateroom next to the kitchen. Huge windows, including one in the shower (nice views looking out but nearby boats can also peep in!). Food on board was varied and good. Snacks all day and hot beverages and towels provided after each dive. We would dive with this liveaboard again if offered the chance!
