A Guide to Scuba-Diving in the Galapagos Islands

This guide provides a practical overview of scuba-diving in the Galapagos Islands, one of the world’s most dynamic and challenging marine environments. It explains how diving works within the Galapagos Marine Reserve, outlines the different ways to dive – by liveaboard, day trips from land, or as part of a cruise – and helps divers understand which option best suits their experience level, interests, and travel style.

It is particularly useful for travellers comparing liveaboards with land-based day trips, or those looking to combine diving with time on land alongside non-diving partners or family members.

It covers essential considerations including National Park regulations, dive guide requirements, diver-to-guide ratios, certification and experience thresholds, safety protocols, equipment, and conditions both above and below the water.

The guide also sets clear expectations around marine life encounters, seasonal conditions, and underwater visibility, helping divers prepare realistically for what is often described as one of the most rewarding but demanding dive destinations in the world.

For those staying at Galapagos Safari Camp, this guide also outlines how land-based scuba diving can be combined with wildlife excursions on land, including options for private Divemasters and itineraries that accommodate families and non-diving companions.

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Scuba-diving in Galapagos is often at the top of every diver’s wish list, and for good reason. The Galapagos Marine Reserve is among the largest in the world, a sanctuary for hundreds of different species, many of them highly endangered. While there is less endemism underwater than on land, there is a huge variety of species from both the tropical and temperate families, making these islands one of the best places in the world to scuba-dive, as well as an excellent year-round diving destination.

In this guide, we look at and compare three types of diving tours in the Galapagos; diving requirements and regulations; safety considerations; equipment recommendations; diving conditions; and more. We recommend using the table of contents in the side column (desktop only) to navigate the content.

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There are three ways you can experience scuba-diving in the Galapagos Islands. Each offers a different balance of underwater adventure, flexibility, and land-based exploration, allowing you to choose the option that best suits your diving skills and travel preferences.

1) Liveaboard Diving

Liveaboard diving tours are cruises designed exclusively for scuba diving, offering up to 20 dives during an 8-day/7-night itinerary.

What You Should Know

• Limited Land Access: Beyond a brief land tour of Santa Cruz Island, liveaboard itineraries tend not to include disembarkation on other islands. If you’d like to experience the iconic wildlife beyond the Galapagos Marine Reserve, consider adding a Pre- or Post-Cruise Safari extension.
• Experience Required: Liveaboard cruises cater to experienced divers due to the strong ocean currents at many dive sites. Some operators require divers to hold an Advanced Open Water certification and/or have logged 50 to 100 dives, depending on the itinerary.

2) Diving Day Trips (from land)

Island-based diving (or land-based tours) allows you to join daily scuba-diving tours departing from the main ports on inhabited islands, such as Santa Cruz, where Galapagos Safari Camp is located. These excursions range from half-day to full-day trips, depending on the distance to the dive sites. This option is ideal for divers who want to combine underwater exploration with land-based wildlife adventures. It’s also a good choice for intermediate divers who don’t meet the experience requirements for liveaboard cruises or for those traveling with non-divers.

What You Should Know

• Flexible Options: You can book a dedicated Dive Safari (with three or more full days of diving) or add individual dive days to your Classic, Family, or Pre- or Post-Cruise Safari.
• Customizable Itineraries: Diving day trips can either extend your stay (by adding more days to your itinerary) or replace activities offered in our signature Safari tours.

3) Diving Day Trips (from a cruise)

Some Galapagos cruises offer ‘rendezvous’ diving excursions, where a dive boat meets the cruise ship at a designated location to take divers on a one- or two-tank dive.

What You Should Know

• Limited Flexibility: Cruise itineraries are fixed, meaning you cannot add extra dive days. Dive excursions must replace the day’s scheduled cruise activities.
• Alternative Options: If your cruise doesn’t include diving, consider a Pre- or Post-Cruise Safari extension to incorporate additional dives into your trip.

Recommended Reading: Reef Fish Identification: Galapagos by Paul Humann.

Citizen Science with Shark Count: Divers can contribute to marine research by recording sightings of sharks, sea turtles, rays, and sunfish via the Shark Count app. Data is shared with the Galapagos National Park to aid conservation efforts. This initiative is supported by the University of San Francisco in Quito, Galapagos Conservancy, and the National Park Directorate.

OUR DIVE SAFARIS

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