HUMBOLDT EXPLORER

(4 customer reviews)

32m / 106ft MAX 16 NITROX PADI

PRICE PER DAY FROM USD 687

LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEE SPECIAL OFFERS APPLY

At a glance:

Cruises central Galapagos, Wolf & Darwin
Cabins have TV, DVD and en-suite facilities
Dive The World Gold Range product
Free local alcohol
Jacuzzi on the sun deck
Steel-hulled boat with diver safety devices

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TRIP REPORT

Humboldt Explorer is a steel mono-hulled motor yacht of over 105ft (32m) in length which runs Ecuador liveaboard tours of 7 nights in duration all around the best dive sites of the Galapagos archipelago.

Constructed in 2009, this purpose-built diving boat is very spacious and provides the comfortable environment necessary for those lucky enough to be diving the challenging but unforgettable waters of the Galapagos Islands. Up to 16 guests can be accommodated on these Galapagos liveaboard diving cruises in twin or double bed standard cabins, featuring air-conditioning, in-cabin audio-visual entertainment and hot water, en-suite facilities. All cabins have windows meaning plenty of natural light.

Common areas follow the roomy, high quality cruise theme with an elegant diving area and saloon which is air-conditioned and tastefully furnished. Guests tend to socialize here and enjoy the TV, DVD and music system and library of books. For added luxury you can even relax in the Jacuzzi on the sun deck. A spacious dive deck with large camera table, nitrox and multiple safety devices are all further evidence of how diver-friendly the Humboldt Explorer liveaboard truly is.

There are 8 Standard cabins on this Galapagos Islands tour boat. There are 2 cabins on the middle deck with twin beds that can be combined into a double bed. On the lower deck there are 6 cabins, 4 of which have twin beds that can be combined into a double bed and 2 are twin beds. All of the cabins have private en-suite bathrooms and their own private TV and DVD player.

All the cabins have:

Air-conditioning and fan cooling
Windows (large on upper deck, small on lower deck)
En-suite bathroom with toilet and hot water shower
Hand basin, toiletries and towels
TV & DVD player
Reading lights

Cabinet, shelves and mirror
Bedding and luggage space
US-style 3-pin 110V electricity
Life jackets
Fire extinguisher and alarm system

No. of bathrooms / showers - 13 / 13 - 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: Punta Carrion (Sta. Cruz), Darwin Island, Wolf Island, Cousin's Rock (Santiago), 2 wildlife land tours: North Seymour and Santa Cruz Islands

Day 1
Your vacation starts with a late morning transfer from Baltra airport to the Humboldt Explorer liveaboard. A boat briefing will introduce the cruise and the crew to you and the other guests while having lunch. Dinner will be served while the boat departs for its journey to the destination of your first full day of diving.

Days 2-7
The diving days start with the 1st dive at 06:30 hrs followed by breakfast (eggs, ham, cereals, toast and fresh fruits). The 2nd dive of the morning is at around 09:30 hrs. Expect to see marine life everywhere around you! Schools of pelagic fish will become a common subject of your underwater pictures, with big creature highlights such as manta rays, sea lions and hammerhead sharks. It is also not unusual to dive with dolphins and reef sharks. Your diving safari will surprise you dive after dive.
Tired from the morning dives? Relax and refresh over lunch at 12:00 hrs, with a selection of international cuisine and local dishes mainly cooked with fresh fish and lots of different salads. Chill out on the sundeck or in the Jacuzzi and look forward to the 3rd dive at 13:30 hrs and the 4th dive at 16:00 hrs. Whale sharks are often seen from June through November. Please note that on days with a long journey between islands, there may be only 2 or 3 dives a day. There will be plenty of excited talk about your cruise on the Humboldt Explorer during dinner at 19:00 hrs in the air-conditioned saloon.
During the trip there will also be time for 2 land tours: one to North Seymour Island on Tuesday and one to the tortoises in the highlands of Santa Cruz on Sunday.

Day 8
A continental breakfast is served before you say goodbye to the amazing Humboldt Explorer and its experienced crew. You are free to visit the beach, take a walk in town, or be transferred to the airport.

Western Galapagos, Wolf & Darwin (11 Days / 10 Nights - 32 Dives)

Trip highlights: shark action, dolphins, manta rays, seals/sea lions, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities, onboard experts on wildlife and natural history

Diving environment: advanced divers, drift diving, off the beaten track

Dive sites and activities: Baltra North, Cabo Douglas, Cabo Marshall, Cousin's Rock, Darwin Island, Wolf Island, 2 wildlife land tours: North Seymour and Santa Cruz Islands

Day 1
Your vacation starts with a late morning transfer from Baltra airport to the Humboldt Explorer liveaboard. A boat briefing will introduce the cruise and the crew to you and the other guests while having lunch. Dinner will be served while the boat departs for its journey to the destination of your first full day of diving.

Days 2-10
This is an unusual route in the western archipelago. The diving days start with the 1st dive at 06:30 hrs followed by breakfast (eggs, ham, cereals, toast and fresh fruits). The 2nd dive of the morning is at around 09:30 hrs. Expect to see marine life everywhere around you! Schools of pelagic fish will become a common subject of your underwater pictures, with big creature highlights such as manta rays, sea lions and hammerhead sharks. It is also not unusual to dive with dolphins and reef sharks. Your diving safari will surprise you dive after dive.
Tired from the morning dives? Relax and refresh over lunch at 12:00 hrs, with a selection of international cuisine and local dishes mainly cooked with fresh fish and lots of different salads. Chill out on the sundeck or in the Jacuzzi and look forward to the 3rd dive at 13:30 hrs and the 4th dive at 16:00 hrs. Dive with marine iguanas at Cabo Douglas, and visit Punta Vicente Roca to see mola mola, red-lipped batfish and seahorses. Whale sharks are often seen from June through November. Please note that on days with a long journey between islands, there may be only 2 or 3 dives a day. There will be plenty of excited talk about your cruise on the Humboldt Explorer during dinner at 19:00 hrs in the air-conditioned saloon.
During the trip there will also be time for a few land tours: one to North Seymour Island on Tuesday and one to the tortoises in the highlands of Santa Cruz on Sunday.

Day 11
A continental breakfast takes place before you say goodbye to the amazing Humboldt Explorer and its experienced crew. You are free to visit the beach, take a walk in town, or be transferred to the airport.

Western Galapagos, Wolf & Darwin (11 Days / 10 Nights - 32 Dives)

Trip highlights: shark action, dolphins, manta rays, seals/sea lions, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities, onboard experts on wildlife and natural history

Diving environment: advanced divers, drift diving, off the beaten track

Dive sites and activities: Baltra North, Cabo Douglas, Cabo Marshall, Punta Vincente Roca, Cousin's Rock, Darwin Island, Wolf Island, 2 wildlife land tours: North Seymour and Santa Cruz Islands

Day 1
Your vacation starts with a late morning transfer from Baltra airport to the Humboldt Explorer liveaboard. A boat briefing will introduce the cruise and the crew to you and the other guests while having lunch. Dinner will be served while the boat departs for its journey to the destination of your first full day of diving.

Days 2-10
This is an unusual route in the western archipelago. The diving days start with the 1st dive at 06:30 hrs followed by breakfast (eggs, ham, cereals, toast and fresh fruits). The 2nd dive of the morning is at around 09:30 hrs. Expect to see marine life everywhere around you! Schools of pelagic fish will become a common subject of your underwater pictures, with big creature highlights such as manta rays, sea lions and hammerhead sharks. It is also not unusual to dive with dolphins and reef sharks. Your diving safari will surprise you dive after dive.
Tired from the morning dives? Relax and refresh over lunch at 12:00 hrs, with a selection of international cuisine and local dishes mainly cooked with fresh fish and lots of different salads. Chill out on the sundeck or in the Jacuzzi and look forward to the 3rd dive at 13:30 hrs and the 4th dive at 16:00 hrs. Dive with marine iguanas at Cabo Douglas, and visit Punta Vicente Roca to see mola mola, red-lipped batfish and seahorses. Whale sharks are often seen from June through November. Please note that on days with a long journey between islands, there may be only 2 or 3 dives a day. There will be plenty of excited talk about your cruise on the Humboldt Explorer during dinner at 19:00 hrs in the air-conditioned saloon.
During the trip there will also be time for a few land tours: one to North Seymour Island on Tuesday and one to the tortoises in the highlands of Santa Cruz on Sunday.

Day 11
A continental breakfast takes place before you say goodbye to the amazing Humboldt Explorer and its experienced crew. You are free to visit the beach, take a walk in town, or be transferred to the airport.

[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 Humboldt Explorer crew of 9 comprise:

Dive Instructor
Divemaster
Captain
Cook

2 Engineers
Stewardess
2 Deck Hands

2 Motorized dive dinghies - Dive platform and kit up area with hot water showers and toilet - Camera charging station with separate rinse tank - Main deck air-conditioned saloon and dining area with bar, TV, DVD, music system, fish ID books, general interest books - Satellite telephone - Sundeck and shaded area with jacuzzi and chairs - Water dispenser

The dining experience on Galapagos liveaboard safaris with the Humboldt Explorer begins with lunch on the first day which, as with all main meals, is a mix of American and Ecuadorian dishes featuring fish, beef, pork or chicken, salads, rice or potatoes.

A selection of local Ecuadorian cuisine and international dishes.
Air-conditioned dining area with buffet meals.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are provided.
Snacks include cookies and fruit.
Beer, spirits, wine, coffee, tea, fruit juice, soft drinks and drinking water are all provided free of charge.
All dietary requirements can be catered for - please send advanced notice.
Cruise dining service begins with lunch at boarding.

Some examples: Ceviche, breaded shrimp, roast turkey, quinoa vegetable curry, Mexican burritos...

Built in year 2009
Size - 105 ft x 21 ft (32.3m x 6.5m)
Weight - 169 tonnes
Top speed - 10 knots
Cruising speed - 8 knots
2 x 350 HP Detroit Diesel engines
2 x 73 KW Perkins generators

2 x Bauer scuba tank compressors
Enriched air nitrox
9.5, 12 & 15 liter aluminum dive tanks with Int. valves; DIN adapters available
Electricity - 110 & 220V 24 hours per day
Water capacity - 4,500 liters
Fresh watermaker - 5,700 liters per day
Fuel capacity - 20,000 liters

2 x Life rafts
2 x 25 HP Yamaha dinghies
ICOM, VHF, Marine 1C & M504 radios
Furuno and SART radar
Furuno Navnet GPS
Furuno echo sounder
Searchlight, life rings and horn
Bilge pump alarms
Emergency position indicating system & flares

Satellite, mobile phones, & email
Oxygen - 24,000 liters
Medic first aid box & trained staff
Fire alarm & detectors
Fire extinguishers & hoses throughout
Life jackets in each cabin & pilot house

"Boat service and crew was good but diving what not as good as we expected and very low compared to Cocos Island for example. The bad visibility is one of the reasons but not the only one. First of all, we did only 18 dives although we were supposed to do 20. A lot of time is lost on the first day as we board the boat at noon and do not do anything before the next day.
There is always a lot of choice in the trips proposed by Dive The World and very good reactivity in answering questions." - Francine Royer Cailleaux, France, 23 March 2025 ...

"Boat was ok but nothing special, staff was very very nice, diving guide not so good, in fact very unprofessional and sometimes borderline rude (but didn't cross that line). Very good experience with Dive The World, from start in communication with Sheldon, with lot of details and patience, following with Vic and other members, especially in payment process. Very helpful, keep it up!" - Goran Butajla, Hrvatska, 16 November 2022 ...

"Staff were excellent. Facilities were very good (although the boat was a bit older than I expected (I knew beforehand that this liveaboard operator was not a luxury outfit). Overall a fantastic experience." - Steven Moore, USA, 8 August 2013 ...

"The dives, food and other services provided by the staff at the Humboldt Explorer were excellent. We were very happy with each and every member of the crew at the boat. Therefore, we would rate the on-sea services as a 5 (Excellent).
However, we were not pleased with how Explorer Ventures handled the booking phase of the trip. The delays in them booking the local flights as well as the other smaller issues were not handled in a manner that we would expect from a first class service provider. Therefore, we rate the entire services as 4 (Very Good)." - Mikko Huimala, Finland, 2 February 2012 ...

DEPARTURE SCHEDULE & PRICES

MORE TRIP DETAILS

Notes: Galapagos is a popular destination with limited liveaboard spaces. We recommend you book well in advance to avoid disappointment.

Dive experience: A minimum of 100 logged dives is recommended.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, soft drinks, hot drinks, local brands of alcohol, land tours, transfers to the boat from the local airport, dives (as detailed in the trips above), experienced English-speaking divemaster(s) (4-5 divers per DM), tanks, weights and weightbelts, DiveAlert, a surface signaling device, and an electronic beacon, all taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Dinner on the final evening, scuba equipment (7 nights USD 250), dive computer (7 nights USD 100), diving insurance, Galapagos park and reserve entrance fees (USD 200). A fuel surcharge will apply to all cruises (7 nights USD 150, 10 nights USD 215). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash or credit card + 14% tax).

Optional extras: Alcoholic drinks, nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers (7 nights USD 150), chamber fee (USD 35), 15 liter tank (7 nights USD 130). 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: The Humboldt Explorer liveaboard departs from Baltra every Monday at 12 noon. Guests fly into Ecuador and take a connecting flight, through Guayaquil or Quito, to San Cristobal/Baltra in Galapagos. Guayaquil is recommended with cheaper prices and better-timed connections. You will need to overnight in Guayaquil or Quito before flying on to the Galapagos. To ensure easy flight connections, a 2 night stop-over is recommended.
The last dive of the trip will be at around 11 am on the second last day of the trip. Disembarkation is at 8:30-9 am on Monday. On the return leg to the Ecuador mainland you will probably need to overnight in Guayaquil or Quito since most international flights depart too early to make the connection possible - the flight from Galapagos arrives in Guayaquil (and then Quito) in the afternoon. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving.
We will place your domestic flight requirements with the liveaboard operator who are responsible for booking the flights. We request your patience with this process since there are often waiting lists and slow confirmations of availability. You must inform us whether you are flying into Guayaquil or Quito before domestic flights can be considered. If you wish to extend your stay in Galapagos to enjoy land tours please decide that early in the booking process to ensure flight availability.
For more details, including airlines, see 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 80% of the published price.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 5 guests and 1 extra person can join the cruise free of charge (total 6 guests).

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 14 guests and 2 extra persons can join free of charge, except December-May season: pay for 13 guests and 3 extra persons can join free of charge.

Add-on package: Galapagos is a once-in-a-lifetime destination and the above water creatures and environments are just as impressive as below. You can extend your time in this nature-lovers paradise by adding a 3, 4 or 7 night wildlife safari. These are non-diving liveaboard nature tours around some of the finest locations in Galapagos with naturalist guides, literature and presentations. Don't just leave after a week of diving! Get the full picture of this incredible archipelago.

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