The Galapagos Aqua liveaboard is a purpose-built 83-foot (25m) steel motor vessel, designed from the keel up as a dedicated expedition platform for the unique marine environment of the Galapagos Islands. Refurbished in 2019, it offers a focused and authentic liveaboard experience, prioritizing robust diver functionality, and direct access to the archipelago's most famed sites, including the remote pinnacles of Wolf and Darwin Islands. It represents a choice for those who value practical comfort and economy prices for a genuine connection to the destination.
Accommodation aboard the Galapagos Aqua is comfortable and practical, with 8 twin-share, en-suite cabins configured to host a maximum of 16 guests. This intimate group size ensures a cohesive atmosphere and allows for more personalized interaction with the knowledgeable, bilingual crew. The vessel’s social hub is its air-conditioned saloon, a space for post-dive analysis, sharing stories, or reviewing images on the onboard computer. Here, the focus remains on the shared experience of exploration, facilitated by a crew dedicated to friendly and attentive service.
The Galapagos Aqua liveaboard features a well-planned dive deck with individual gear storage, dedicated camera preparation areas with rinse tanks, and a nitrox membrane system. Dives are conducted from a sturdy tender, allowing for efficient deployment and retrieval of scuba divers. A key pillar of the operation is an unwavering commitment to diver safety; the vessel mandates the use of key safety equipment including personal GPS devices, surface marker buoys (SMBs), and audible signaling devices, providing an added layer of security in the archipelago's dynamic conditions.
A 7-night liveaboard diving tour on the Galapagos Aqua is crafted to maximize time in the water. Departures follow a consistent weekly schedule, providing structured access to a circuit that highlights the region's biodiversity. While the nutrient-rich currents of Wolf and Darwin offer opportunities to observe schooling hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, and seasonal whale sharks, the trip also explores other significant sites. This comprehensive routing allows for encounters with the Galapagos’ unique endemic species, such as the only marine iguana in the world that forages underwater, alongside sea lions, rays, and diverse macro life.
The liveaboard operator understands that a complete Galapagos experience extends beyond diving. To this end, the Galapagos Aqua also offers specialized naturalist cruises, which can be taken as a complement to a diving trip or as a stand-alone adventure. These cruises focus on snorkeling with penguins and turtles, kayaking along dramatic coastlines, and guided treks to observe iconic land species like giant tortoises and blue-footed boobies, all led by certified naturalist guides.
Choosing the Galapagos Aqua liveaboard is a decision to engage with the Galapagos on a functional level. It is a vessel for certified divers who seek a no-frills, professionally operated expedition that places the raw wonder of the environment at the forefront. It delivers reliable access, a strong safety culture, and the essential comforts needed after a day exploring one of the planet's most extraordinary marine wilderness areas.
There are 8 cabins with private en-suite bathrooms and either twin bunk beds or a lower double bed and single upper bed: 1 on the main deck, 4 on the upper deck, and 3 on the lower deck. The lower deck cabins are at a lower price and have portholes and central air-conditioning while all the other cabins have windows and individual air-conditioning.
All the cabins have:
- Air-conditioning
- Bathroom with toilet and hot water shower
- Hand basin, toiletries and towels
- Windows or portholes
- Reading lights
- Shelves and mirror
- Fire detector and alarm system
- Fire extinguisher & life jackets
- 2-flat pin 110-220V electricity
- Clinical orthopedic mattresses and bedding
No. of bathrooms / showers - 8 / 8 (hot water)
Central Galapagos, Wolf & Darwin (8 Days / 7 Nights - 19 Dives)
Trip highlights: whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, seals/sea lions, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities
Diving environment: advanced divers, drift diving, off the beaten track
Dive sites and activities: Baltra North East, Cabo Marshall: Puerto Coca, City of the Mantas; Wolf, Darwin, Punta Vicente Roca, Cape Douglas, Cousin's Rock. Wildlife and natural history land visits.
Day 1
Your Galapagos liveaboard diving adventure begins as the Galapagos Aqua crew meets you at Baltra Airport. After a short transfer to the dock, you'll board the yacht, enjoy a welcome lunch, and receive a comprehensive briefing on the boat and dive procedures. Then, it's time to gear up for your check dive off the northeast coast of Baltra Island. This is your first thrilling opportunity to dive with the playful residents of the archipelago - friendly juvenile sea lions, gliding rays, and the ever-present Galapagos sharks. Return to the boat for a delicious dinner and settle in for the journey ahead.
Core Days
Over the next several days, you will understand why the Galapagos is a world-renowned diving Mecca. Each day is packed with up to 4 dives, taking you to the most legendary sites in the archipelago. At Wolf and Darwin Islands, the epicenter of large animal action, you'll be surrounded by massive schools of hundreds of hammerhead sharks. Silky sharks patrol the blue, and you can often find majestic whale sharks gliding effortlessly in the currents.
Dive Cabo Marshall, known as the 'City of the Mantas', where giant oceanic mantas perform graceful ballets in the cleaning stations. Explore the nutrient-rich waters of Punta Vicente Roca for a chance to encounter the bizarre and wonderful ocean sunfish and fascinating marine life in its underwater canyons. Discover the volcanic walls of Cape Douglas, a dive site famous for its encounters with the rare and cryptic red-lipped batfish. At Cousin's Rock, be mesmerized by sheer walls covered in colorful invertebrate life, large schools of barracuda, and hunting eagle rays.
Your adventure isn't confined to the water. The cruise includes fascinating land visits to see giant tortoises in their natural habitat and a stop at Puerto Ayora to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station.
Day 8
After a final hearty breakfast on board, we say farewell to the sea for a visit to the Santa Cruz highlands. Here, you will walk among ancient giant tortoises in the misty lush greenery - a wnderful conclusion to your wildlife expedition. You will then be transferred to Baltra Airport in time for your flight home, filled with unforgettable memories of the giants both above and below the waves at Galapagos.
[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].
Typically the Galapagos Aqua liveaboard schedules 4 dives per day. This may be reduced on days with longer navigation periods between islands.
• 1st dive: 7:30 am (after breakfast)
• 2nd dive: ~10:30 am (followed by lunch)
• 3rd dive: 1:30 pm (followed by snacks)
• 4th dive: 4:30 pm (followed by dinner)
Meals are served menu-style in the air-conditioned saloon on the main deck. The galley prepares a mix of Ecuadorian and international cuisine, using the freshest available ingredients. Sample dishes:
• Fish soup, rice, cabbage salad with carrots, chicken a la passion fruit, apple dessert.
• Tuna salad, spaghetti with shrimp, cucumber salad, corn cake.
• Avocado salad, boiled potatoes with cheese sauce, roast beef, vegetables, chocolate cake.
• A selection of free snacks is available throughout the day, including: Chocolate, fried plantain, cheese, popcorn, cookies, tuna mousse.
* Meals included: Pre-breakfast / Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner / Snacks.
* Included beverages: Coffee, tea, juice, and drinking water are provided free of charge.
* Other beverages: Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages are available for purchase.
* Special Diets: All dietary requirements can be catered for with advanced notice.
* Service begins: Lunch on the first day of the cruise. Service ends: The final dinner is held at a restaurant on shore.
