Award-winning and fully-protected holidays
If you’re a certified diver looking for that once-in-a-lifetime underwater experience, this place delivers in every way. I’ve been lucky enough to dive these waters myself, and it’s hard to overstate just how wild and alive it all feels. This isn’t the Caribbean. It’s raw, dramatic, and utterly unforgettable.
Expect powerful currents, deep drop-offs, and jaw-dropping marine encounters. Think schools of hammerhead sharks, sea turtles drifting past like old friends, eagle rays, manta rays, and even whale sharks in season. The Galapagos is one of the few places on Earth where you can dive alongside marine iguanas nibbling algae or hear sea lions bark underwater as they swirl around you like underwater puppies.
Like many other sites, they are only accessible via liveaboard dive cruises, which are best suited to advanced divers. These remote outposts are legendary for a reason, but they’re not for the faint-hearted.
If you’re newer to diving, want something a little gentler, or you are island hopping, you can still enjoy superb day dives from Santa Cruz or San Cristóbal, with regular sightings of sharks, rays, and vibrant reef life. Sites like Gordon Rocks offer thrilling currents and big pelagic action, while others are more suited to intermediate experience levels.
If you’re on a regular Galápagos cruise but still want to experience the islands’ incredible underwater world, rendezvous diving is the perfect solution. Local dive operators will meet your cruise at its current location, take you out for a dive, and bring you back in time for the next excursion – allowing you to enjoy a few unforgettable dives without committing to a liveaboard itinerary.
How It Works:
Flexible Arrangements: While your cruise focuses on land excursions and snorkelling, you can arrange rendezvous dives with trusted operators in key spots like Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, and Isabela.
Convenient Pick-Up: The dive operator coordinates with your cruise to pick you up directly from the dock, making it easy to fit a couple of dives into your schedule.
Prime Dive Sites: Depending on your location, you could explore sites like Gordon Rocks, Seymour Channel, or Kicker Rock, encountering hammerheads, rays, and sea turtles.
Certified divers: Dive centres will offer complete equipment rental, experienced guides, and safety briefings.
Adding a rendezvous dive to your cruise is a fantastic way to experience the Galápagos’ world-renowned marine life without dedicating your entire trip to diving.
Water temperatures vary—from 16°C in the cooler months (July–November) to around 25°C in the warmer season (December–May)—so a good wetsuit is essential. Conditions can be challenging, but the rewards are massive. If you’re passionate about marine life and up for the adventure, the Galapagos will leave you speechless.
This guide was created by Val, specialist in tailor-made Ecuador and Galapagos adventures.
Do you fancy having a chat about Diving in the Galapagos? Personally, it's one of our favourite things to talk about.