Galapagos Islands Scuba Diving Travel Guide

Galapagos Islands Scuba Diving Travel Guide | Diving In The Cold Season

If you are a seasoned scuba diver, I am sure the Galapagos Islands are pretty near the top of your underwater bucket list! They are known to not only be jam packed with large pelagic life like mantas and sharks, but also offer unique opportunities to dive with sea lions, marina iguanas and penguins. It doesn’t get much better than that! If you are lucky enough to be planning a scuba diving trip there, then here is everything you need to know to make the most of your experience.

Why dive the Galapagos Islands?

The Galapagos islands are an absolute hub for unique wildlife experiences both above and below water. They are home to numerous endemic species and offer opportunities to have unrivalled marine life encounters. The two most iconic dive locations in the archipelago, Darwin and Wolf, have been repeatedly named as the best dive sites on the planet. Personally, I can vouch that Darwin in particular is one of the incredible dive sites I have ever experienced purely for the frequency of whale shark encounters – we saw five in a single day!

It is an advanced divers paradise, with strong nutrient rich currents which mean the waters are teeming with life from tiny nudibranchs to giant whale sharks. What makes it so special is not only the opportunity to dive with epic pelagic life like huge schools of hammerheads, but the incredible unique encounters you can’t get anywhere else with species like sea lions, penguins and the only marine iguanas on earth. Not to mention huge schools of fish, dolphins, rays and barracuda. Basically, if you love the ocean you need to experience it!!

When to dive in the Galapagos Islands

There are two main scuba diving seasons in the Galapagos:

The warm & wet season. Running from December to May, which features warmer, calmer seas, easier diving conditions and better viability. However, this is actually considered the “low season” since the famous whale sharks and schools of hammerheads the Galapagos are known for are not present.
The cold and dry season. Running from June to November, which features cooler waters, rougher seas, lower visibility but a huge uptick in big pelagic encounters. It is prime whale shark and hammerhead season which makes it the busiest time for diving.

When you visit is based on your preferences, but if you are an advanced scuba diver who wants to have that iconic Galapagos experience at Darwin and Wolf – I would recommend the cold and dry season.

How do you get there?

I am not gonna lie, getting to the Galapagos is a bit of a mission but it is totally worth the effort. You will need to fly into the mainland of Ecuador (Quito or Guayaquil) and then get a connecting flight to the Galapagos archipelago. From there if you want to dive the iconic Darwin and Wolf sites, you will need to hop on a liveaboard and sail for a day to get there. Phew!

Liveaboard vs land based diving

If you are new to scuba diving or just want to dip your toe into the underwater world in the Galapagos, then land based diving may be enough for you. However, for more experienced divers who are seeking large pelagic encounters I would 100% recommend a liveaboard boat.

Basing yourself on a liveaboard means you can live and breathe the underwater world, fitting in up to four dives a day! You will move between islands overnight and be able to access the full range of Galapagos dive sites – including Darwin and Wolf which cannot be reached on day trips. Basically, you will spend less time commuting and more time underwater with early morning and late afternoon dives that day boats can’t match. Plus there’s just nothing quite like immersing yourself in the eat, sleep, dive, repeat lifestyle with a group of like minded scuba lovers.

There are plenty of good quality liveaboard boats running itineraries in the Galapagos. We chose to travel on Galapagos Sky due to its great reviews, top notch service and all Ecuadorian crew. It is not cheap but it’s worth every penny. The interior has been recently renovated, the food was delicious (the best I have ever had on a liveaboard!) and the dive guides were experienced and knowledgeable. The service was on a whole other level – think warm towels and hot chocolate after your dives. Heaven! I couldn’t recommend them enough.

How much diving experience do you need?

I would say that the Galapagos is a more advanced diving destination and you should be a confident and fairly experienced diver to visit. Most boats request 50-100+ dives, experience in strong currents and good buoyancy skills. You will need an advanced open water qualification and nitrox due to the dive depths and frequency. You will also need to be confident preparing your kit for each dive, travelling on a small inflatable zodiac to sites and making negative entries into the water.

What should you pack?

What you pick depends on the time of year you visit, but here is what I took for a trip in July/August time aka the cold season:

Scuba gear. You can rent this from the boat with advanced notice, but most people bring their own. I took a 7mm wetsuit, 2 thermal under-layers, a 7mm hood, 6.5mm booties and 3mm gloves.Then the usual BCD, fins, mask, regulator and dive computer. You are required to carry an SMB, GPS and dive alert for your safety, but the boat can usually provide this. I also recommend a reef hook for if the current is super strong, and don’t forget your scuba qualifications as well as proof of insurance!
An underwater camera. I used a GoPro Hero 12 in the 30m dive casing on a floaty stick and it was perfect, capturing the whole trip beautifully.
Sea sickness medication. The sea can be rough, so it is recommended that guests bring medication if they think they will need it. Although they will usually have some supplies on board if you don’t bring your own.
Warm layers for the evening and after dives. It gets cold after the dives and wrapping up can help bring your body temperature back up! So make sure you bring hoodies, trackies, leggings and cosy layers.
Lightweight daytime clothing. When the sun comes out, it gets really hot during the daytime. A small selection of bikinis, shorts and lightweight tops are great for relaxing on the sundeck.
Reef safe sunscreen. For obvious reasons.
Minimal beauty products. I never wear makeup or style my hair on dive boats, so I just bring basic skincare staples, as well as nourishing hair products and masks. I recommend spraying a leave-in conditioner in your hair before each dive to prevent tangles.
Entertainment. Our boat had Starlink high speed internet, but not all boats do with many losing signal as you head out towards Darwin and Wolf. I actually chose not to connect to the wifi and instead have a digital detox – which I would highly recommend. It is worth bringing along some books to read during downtime and maybe card games for the evenings.

It is also worth noting that I actually brought a heated underwater vest for the two days of our trip where the dives were super duper cold and that was a game changer! I would recommend it if you’re able to bring one!

A sample day itinerary:

6.30am: Wake Up Call

7am: Breakfast

8am: Dive Briefing

8.30am: Dive 1

10.30am: Dive 2

12pm: Lunch & Downtime

2.15pm: Dive 3

4.30pm: Dive 4

7pm: Evening Meeting

7.30pm: Dinner

My final travel tips

I strongly encourage you to book as early as you can as the best boats can be full 12-18 months in advance – especially during the popular whale shark season. I would also highly recommend integrating your scuba trip into a wider itinerary exploring Ecuador and the Galapagos islands as there is so much more to see besides the incredible marine life. If you need guidance on planning a longer trip, check out my ultimate Ecuador itinerary here.

Zanna x