For experienced divers, the Galapagos delivers the kind of action that stays with you long after you surface. Schools of hammerhead shifting like a single creature. Whale sharks gliding out of the blue. Sea lions buzzing your mask for the fun of it. To get to the frontline, Darwin and Wolf, you need a liveaboard that matches the scale of the adventure. The Galaxy Diver 3 liveaboard is built for exactly that.
This Galaxy Diver 3 starts operations in October 2026, and it arrives with a clear brief: dive-first, no compromise. The steel hull handles the sometimes choppy crossings between the northern islands with reassuring stability. But the real news is what’s on board. Complimentary Starlink WiFi keeps you connected, a rarity in this remote corner of the Pacific. And if you hold a nitrox certification, you fill for free. That matters when you are chasing up to 4 dives a day in cool, current-rich water.
The capacity of Galaxy Diver 3 tops out at 16 guests. So, with a guest-to-guide ratio of 7 to 1, you get eyes on you at all times. Every dive launches from tenders, following PADI safety protocols. The guides know the sites intimately: Punta Carrion for a gentle check dive, then the big leagues at Wolf and Darwin. You will tuck into rocky ledges to watch hammerhead patrols, or hover over cleaning stations where mantas drift in for a scrub.
The Galaxy Diver 3 facilities strike a clean balance between comfort and practicality. Cabins are spread across 2 decks. Each comes with a private bathroom, a hot water shower, and individual air conditioning controls. You also get a lock box for valuables, a hair dryer, and biodegradable toiletries. Bedding configurations include twin, double, or matrimonial: specify your preference at booking. Storage is sensible: under-bed space for luggage and a small closet for clothes. Meals lean into Ecuadorian flavours - local fish, plantain, rice dishes - with plenty of genuine options for vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free. The chef runs a clean galley, and the 24/7 water and coffee station saves you hunting for a drink between dives. The social areas include an indoor lounge with a media setup, plus a shaded sundeck. That upper deck becomes the go-to spot for surface intervals or sunset beers.
What sets the Galaxy Diver 3 liveaboard apart is the honesty of the offer. It does not promise tame diving. It promises the real Galapagos: unpredictable, powerful, world-class. The crew does not oversell the visibility, it varies with plankton, which is exactly what brings the big animals in. If you have done the miles - the cold water, the drift, the thrill of a dark shape materialising out of the haze - you know what is at stake. The Galaxy Diver 3 gives you a clean, safe, and focused base to go after it. Book through Dive The World and we handle the logistics: flights, transfers. You just show up fit, weighted correctly, and ready for the current. The rest is between you and the hammerheads.
Galaxy Diver 3 has 8 guest cabins. On the upper deck, there are 4 twin bed cabins (15 sqm) that are convertible into a king-double bed, equipped with large windows that offer beautiful light and a spectacular panoramic view of the ocean. On the main deck there are 2 twin / queen-double bed convertible cabins (13 sqm) and 1 double bed cabins(12 sqm). On the lower deck there is a twin bed cabin (18 sqm). Each cabin is equipped with a private bathroom with a shower and hot/cold water. All are equipped with with ecofriendly amenities.
All the cabins have:
Individual control air-conditioning
Windows (upper & main deck), portholes (lower deck)
Bathroom with toilet, hot water shower, wash basin
Toiletries, hairdryer, and towels
Reading lights
Daily housekeeping
Personal safe box
Wardrobe, shelves, mirror
Bedside cabinet
2-flat pin US-style 220V electricity
Bedding and limted luggage space
Fire alarm, fire extinguisher, life jackets
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, Carron Point, Wolf: Landslide, Shark Bay, The Window, Banana; Darwin: Arenal, The Towers; Cape Douglas, Punta Vicente Roca, Cousin's Rock. Visit giant tortoises in Santa Cruz Highlands.
Day 1
The crew greets you at the dock. After lunch and a full safety briefing on the dive deck, you complete a check dive off Baltra Island's north-east coast. Rays, skates, and friendly Galápagos turtles set the tone. Dinner follows.
Core Days
The Galaxy Diver III liveaboard puts you in the water up to 4 times daily. Briefings before each dive cover currents, topography, and what to expect. At Wolf Island, you drop in on a different world. Schools of scalloped hammerheads patrol the rock faces. Galápagos sharks cruise the blue. Sites like The Landslide push you past cleaning stations where marble rays and green turtles hover. Silky sharks appear without warning. On a good day, the mola mola drifts out of the haze.
Then the Galaxy Diver III takes you to Darwin Island. Beneath Darwin's Arenal and The Towers, whale sharks pass through like shadows. June to November offers the best chance to see pregnant females, some longer than 12 metres. Schools of bigeye trevally move as one, weaving around sea lions and inquisitive Galápagos sharks. Ascend slowly and watch hammerheads silhouette against the surface.
Cape Douglas delivers something you will not see anywhere else: marine iguanas grazing on algae-covered rocks. They look like small dragons, sneezing saltwater between bites. At Punta Vicente Roca, drift with bottlenose dolphins or hunt the sandy bottom for red-lipped batfish. A dark cave holds white-tip reef sharks resting in quiet clusters. For a change of pace, you leave the water to visit giant tortoises in the Santa Cruz Highlands.
Day 8
Breakfast, then transfer to Baltra Airport for your departing flight.
[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].
The diving day on the Galaxy Diver III liveaboard begins early. By 6 am, the first soft light hits the water. Guests stir in their cabins, pulling on thermal layers and wetsuits. The dive deck hums with quiet preparation. By 6:15, the first skiff is loaded. The 6:30 am dive briefing takes place in the saloon. The first dive rolls in at 6:45 am.
Back on board by 7:30, you peel off neoprene and head to the dining room. Breakfast is a small buffet spread: eggs any style, pancakes or French toast, local cheeses and cold cuts, fresh tropical fruit (papaya, pineapple, the sweet little bananas), freshly baked bread, coffee and juices. The warm dishes shift daily: one morning might bring Ecuadorian bolón de verde (green plantain dumplings with cheese), another a savoury chickpea stew.
Second dive briefing is at 8:45 am for a 9 am drop. These morning dives are often the highlights: deep cleaning stations, schooling hammerheads, curious sea lions.
Lunch is served at 12:30 pm. This is a set meal, plated rather than buffet, and the chef knows what they're doing. Expect daily variety across international and local Ecuadorian cooking. One lunch might offer shrimp ceviche followed by fish encocado: white fish in a rich coconut sauce, served with plantains. Another day brings locro de papa (Andean potato soup), pork fritada and chicken cariucho. Vegetarian? Pescatarian? Vegan? Gluten-free? The kitchen adapts, but give advance notice as some specialty ingredients are hard to source in the islands.
Dive 3 departs at 2 pm. By mid-afternoon, you've logged 3 dives. The 4:30 pm dive is optional: a shorter, shallower affair. Some take it. Others nap on the sun deck or nurse a coffee from the 24/7 water and coffee station. After the last dive, the crew clean gear while guests shower. Briefing for the next day's schedule happens around 6 pm. Then dinner at 7 pm.
Dinner is the main event. Plated, proper, often themed. Sushi night draws applause: salmon sashimi, tuna rolls, octopus rolls, nigiri, teppanyaki vegetables. Italian nights bring a choice of sauces: seafood pomodoro, carbonara, mushroom and cherry tomato. The farewell BBQ on the final evening features grilled seafood skewers, pork ribs, premium beef cuts, salads and a celebratory cake.
Between meals, the snack table stays stocked. Complimentary. Expect seasonal fruit, pizza slices, chicken wings, turnovers, cookies and pastries. Purified water and soft drinks are included throughout. For those who want more, the bar sells local and international wines, cocktails and beers.
The chef onboard the Galaxy Diver III blends international technique with Ecuadorian tradition. Fresh local seafood appears regularly, whatever the Galapagos waters provide. Premium meats, poultry and organic salads round things out. Desserts lean tropical: mango, passion fruit, naranjilla (a tart Andean fruit).
A sample vegetarian menu shows the kitchen's range: palm heart ceviche one lunch, panko-crusted cauliflower fillet another; pumpkin cream soup, quinoa burgers, eggplant in coconut sauce with saffron rice. Vegan chocolate flan and coconut mousse appear on the sweets roster.
Omnivores eat well too. Think grilled beef and fish surf-and-turf, chicken wings as snacks, pork ribs at the BBQ, fresh fish encocado. The Ecuadorian highlands lunch is a standout: locro de papa, pork fritada, local grains and regional desserts. The coastal lunch brings shrimp ceviche and seco de pollo.
DEPARTURE SCHEDULE & PRICES
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MORE TRIP DETAILS
Notes: Child policy: The minimum age for divers is 15 years old. There is no child discount for Galaxy Diver III.
Galapagos is a popular destination with limited liveaboard spaces. We recommend you book well in advance to avoid disappointment.
Dive experience: Divers must be at least 50 logged dives, be advanced certified, and have experience with strong currents and cool water, prior to boarding.
Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, hot drinks, soft drinks with meals, land tours, roundtrip transfers to the boat from Baltra Airport, domestic flight assistance, dives (as detailed in the trips above), nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers, 2 experienced English/Spanish-speaking divemasters, snorkelling gear, SMB, Nautilus Lifeline, 11 litre/80 cuft aluminium tanks, weights and weightbelt, sales tax.
Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (USD275 per week, payable in advance), diving insurance, park fees (USD200), chamber fee (USD35), domestic flight handling fee (USD60, payable in advance, waived when booking with us). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash USD or credit card).
Optional extras: Dive computer (USD70 per week), 15 litre tank (USD100 per week), alcoholic drinks. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival. Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.
How to get there: Galaxy Diver 3 liveaboard safaris start from Baltra, Santa Cruz. Guests fly into Ecuador, then take a same-day connecting flight via Guayaquil or Quito to Baltra Airport (GPS). Upon arrival, a guide will meet you and escort you directly to the yacht. If you arrive in the Galapagos before your cruise departure, you can board at Baltra’s main passenger dock at 12 noon on the start day.
The final dive takes place at 8 am on the second-to-last day. Disembarkation is at 9 am, followed by a transfer to the airport. Remember to allow at least 18 hours after your last dive before flying.
The operator holds IATA accreditation and can arrange your flights. Each traveler’s ticket includes 2 checked bags (23 kg each) plus 10 kg for carry-on luggage. Current round-trip flight costs approx. USD500. For more details, including airlines, please refer to our Galapagos travel information section.
Non-diver rate: None.
Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional. Single travelers may choose to share a cabin or pay a supplement of 50% of the published price for their own cabin.
Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 7 guests and 1 extra person can join the cruise free of charge (total 8+ guests).
Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 14 guests and 2 extra persons can join for free (total 16 guests).
Add-on package: A diving trip to the Galapagos offers only half of the region’s extraordinary story. To truly appreciate the full narrative of evolution, adding a land-focused experience is highly recommended. We suggest complementing your Galaxy Diver adventure with a 3, 4, or 7-night wildlife cruise aboard a liveaboard vessel. This extension seamlessly introduces you to the islands' terrestrial marvels, focusing on easily reachable yet spectacular sites. Expert naturalist guides will help you discover the unique plants and animals, while onboard talks and curated reading materials enrich the journey. Together with your Galaxy Diver III expedition, this package creates a well-rounded natural history getaway.
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