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Scuba Diving in Ecuador and the
Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos is a unique, world-class
diving location, yet it remains relatively unknown among diving
aficionados. And precisely because this underwater world has yet
to be "discovered," it is still private, pristine, and
relatively unexplored. Nevertheless, a few tour companies specializing
in diving have been operating in the Galapagos for over a decade.
Unlike many other extraordinary dive sites, however, it is not the
coral reefs that are the main attraction, but rather the unique
mixture of marine animals (one in four species are endemic to the
islands), and their fearlessness of intruders into their watery
world. In the Galapagos it is possible to dive in the company of
sea turtles, manta rays, penguins, sea lions, dolphins, and numerous
species of shark, including hammerheads and whale sharks. There
are also hundreds of species of tropical reef fish, many of which
are particular to this fantastic underwater sanctuary.
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The islands feature about 30 dive
sites, a combination of which can be accessed on one to two week
charters. All charters are pre-approved by the Ecuadorian National
Park Service. Two to three dives per day are normally offered, in
addition to land excursions. Dive operators offer professional,
bilingual naturalist guides who specialize in Galapagos flora and
fauna as well as scuba diving (all guides are certified dive masters).
They also provide state-of-the art-equipment and dive boats that
meet international safety standards.
A wide range of diving opportunities are available. These include
introductory courses for beginners, 8 to 15 day dive tours for experienced
divers, and dive trips combined with on shore visits led by naturalist
guides. The best time of the year for diving is November to April,
when the seas are comparatively calm and the water temperature is
warm.
*This information was kindly submitted by www.ecuadorexplorer.com
where it was originally published in their Scuba
Diving in Ecuador and the Galapagos page.
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