Experience a true adventure in Galapagos. Fly to Quito and enjoy the city with privatevehicle and expert guide. Explore the Galapagos with two solid weeks of whale shark diving on Wolf, Darwin, Isabella and Fernandina Islands. On this wildlife photographic expedition to the Galapagos, you will spend two weeks on board the luxurious Galapagos Sky. You’ll dive with whale sharks, giant mantas, schooling hammerhead sharks, and enormous ocean sunfish. Sperm whales are possible, as are orcas. Millions of feeding sea birds guide us to where the action is down below, as thousands of yellowtail tuna, silky and Galapagos sharks help themselves to the sardine bait ball feast. Watch marine iguanas feed underwater, explore a hidden cove with an unusual tropical reef ecosystem. One year, the expedition team met a pod of 500 melon head whales. Another year, over 300 bottlenose dolphins swam with the group for half a day. And this is just a sample of what you can see on this trip. It’s also why the same guests sign up for the Galapagos expedition year after year, and why every year, this expedition sells out.

Available Cruise Departure Dates:
Aug 11, 2012

Quito is Ecuador’s capital and has a setting of great natural beauty, overshadowed by the volcano Pichincha with its twin peaks of Ruco and Guagua. Quito is located at 2850m (9348 ft) above sea level, so some visitors may suffer from altitude sickness during the first hours after arrival. The city has preserved much of its Spanish colonial character, the cathedral in the Plaza de la Independencia (the oldest church in South America) and the many old churches and monasteries being among the most notable instances. Also in the plaza are the Municipal Palace, the Archbishop’s Palace and the Palacio Presidencial. Many of the city’s famous churches and monasteries contain priceless examples of Spanish art and sculpture, particularly the Monasterio de San Francisco and the Jesuit church of La Compañía. Most of Quito’s colonial churches are located in the Old Town, parts of which have been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Enjoy a private airport transfer with a professional driver.

The Hotel Patio Andaluz Quito, located in the heart of historic “Quito Antiguo” and surrounded by churches, museums and national monuments, was declared Cultural Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO in 1978. The Hotel is an official National Treasure and holds centuries of history within its walls. It was part of the original Solaris (original building sites) that constituted the City of San Francisco of Quito at the time of its foundation. The hotel has a maximum capacity of a 63 guests with only 32 suites, and has fully equipped amenities throughout the hotel without sacrificing  its traditional colonial style.

Overnight at Patio Andaluz.

Explore the bustling streets and squares of the largest historical centre in the Americas; visit some of its most important churches such as the majestic La Compañía and iconic San Francisco, guardians of a stunning multi-ethnic artistic and cultural heritage. Drive through the traditional neighborhood of San Juan. Finish the morning at the "Panecillo" hillside with its breathtaking views of the old and modern city. At a distance of approximately 11miles (18 km) north of Quito is the "Middle of the World City" complex. Visit the monument of the equatorial line or parallel 0, latitude 0° 0’0”. Afterwards enjoy a delicious lunch (Included) in a typical restaurant where flavors from across the country can be savoured.

Overnight at Patio Andaluz.

Enjoy a private airport transfer with a professional driver.

Depart early (around 6:00am) for the airport and catch the first flight to Galapagos. A representative will be on site to assist with your check-in.

Upon arrival at Baltra Airport, you pass through an airport inspection point to insure that no foreign plants or animals are introduced to the islands. After this, a guide will meet you, help you collect your luggage, and escort you on a short bus ride to the harbor and then on board your cruise ship.

Welcome to Galapagos!

Upon arrival, the crew of the Galapagos Sky (the expedition vessel) will meet you at the airport, secure your luggage, and transfer you and the rest of the expedition team to the vessel, waiting at the port. Once on board, the Galapagos Sky will depart.

Based in San Francisco, California, Amos Nachoum operates the cutting-edge adventure-travel program Big Animals Expeditions. His voyages take him and his guests all over the world to observe, photograph, and revere the most magnificent creatures on the planet. Amos is a world-famous photographer and explorer, having shot just about everything there is to shoot, specializing in wildlife photography- especially if it’s in the water. He has lead multiple high-profile National Geographic expedition teams, including National Geographic’s Red Sea, Great White Shark, and Killer Whale photo expeditions. Amos’s photos and essays have appeared in hundreds of publications around the globe, including National Geographic, Time, Life, The New York Times, and many more.

Your vessel will bring you to a test dive set where everyone will fine-tune their setup: body weights, buoyancy, camera, dive gear.

Then, to get started, take a dive and a hike on nearby Seymour North Island to meet some of the local heros: land and marine iguanas, blue & red-footed boobies, frigatebirds, and seals.

The 100' M/V Galapagos Sky (formerly known as the Sky Dancer) is one of the few boats that offers live-aboard diving in the Galapagos. Divers appreciate the large dive platform with fresh water showers and rinses, dive-deck assistance and photo and dive equipment rental. Zodiacs will ferry you between exquisite dive sites and the anchored yacht. Most dives are drift dives. The Galapagos Sky offers up to four dives per day on a pre-planned, yet flexible itinerary. The Galapagos Sky is fully air-conditioned. Its interior features teak paneling and furnishings, a spacious dining room, a fully stocked bar, and a main salon with an audio/video entertainment center. On deck, plenty of space is allocated for personal dive gear storage, a photo and video film lab, light tables, daily E-6 processing, and a space for sunbathing.

Overnight at M/V Galapagos Sky.

Visit a Galapagos icon; Bahía Sullivan at Isla Bartolomé. The group is split into two teams of eight people; one team hikes the island moonscaped hills to stunning views while the other team dives with Magellanic Penguins as they hunt anchovies. After three hours, the teams switch. In the evening the vessel sails north to Darwin and Wolf islands.

Overnight at M/V Galapagos Sky.

Arrive Wolf Island by noon, weather permitting. For the next four days, the team will conduct four dives per day and, depending on the weather, will either stay at anchor or find better diving between Wolf Island and Darwin Island. The search for the majestic whale shark begins!

Overnight at M/V Galapagos Sky.

Today on your four diving sessions you'll have plenty of opportunities to spot some amazing marine life. Watch as large tuna come in for a feeding frenzy on bait balls.

Overnight at M/V Galapagos Sky.

Enjoy more dive time today. If you're lucky you may be able to spot a passing school of mantas.

Overnight at M/V Galapagos Sky.

If there are swarms of sea birds nearby, you know you're in good company to find lots of activity in the water. You never know who will be feeding on the bait fish.

After dinner the vessel must bring the crew back to home port, according to Galapagos National Park regulations, before returning out for more diving.

Overnight at M/V Galapagos Sky.

Arrive at Santa Cruz Island by midday for port clearance and park registration. You'll have a day for relaxing and strolling in town. After dinner you will depart on the vessel again and head north.

Overnight at M/V Galapagos Sky.

Arrive back at Wolf Island in the early afternoon, weather permitting. There will be time to make one or two dives before packing it in for the day. There are schools of giant ocean sunfish, unlike the ones you may be accustomed to.

Overnight at M/V Galapagos Sky.

For the next 5 days the team will dive around Darwin and Wolf Island looking for whale sharks, schooling hammerheads, eagle ray squadrons, as well as Galapagos and silky sharks. Depending on weather, you may head for the western islands of Isabella and Fernandina to dive with orcas and marine iguanas.

Overnight at M/V Galapagos Sky.

Here's the real gem of what everyone came for. A whale shark! Be one of the lucky few who ever get the opportunity to swim alongside one of these majestic fish.

Overnight at M/V Galapagos Sky.

Coast along with friendly sea turtles as they pass on by on their search for food. What a sight!

Overnight at M/V Galapagos Sky.

Watch as curious bottlenose dolphins make their way through your diving zone. Often they scare off resident sharks while they are cruising through.

Overnight at M/V Galapagos Sky.

One thing you may not realize is that whale sharks eat only tiny fish, which means they need to eat a lot of them! Watch as they gulp down mouthfulls of these tiny schools of fish to fuel keep their hunger at bay.

At the end of today's full day of diving you will depart for Punta Marshall.

Overnight at M/V Galapagos Sky.

Make two dives at Punta Marshal for seals and manta rays, then move on toward Gordon Rock for one more dive before we proceed back to the Galapagos Sky’s home port.

Overnight at M/V Galapagos Sky.

Depart vessel after breakfast for a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station and its Natural History Interpretation Centre.

Afterward, depart around noon for a transfer to the airport for your scheduled flight out of Galapagos to Quito, as you bid farewell to your expedition crew.

Enjoy a private airport transfer with a professional driver.

Overnight at Patio Andaluz.

Enjoy a private airport transfer with a professional driver.

A departure tax must be paid upon departing Ecuador through the Quito airport. The payment must be made in cash and the cost is of USD$44.30 per person. Subject to change without notice.

Depart from International Airport. End of itinerary.

Overnight at Depart (Int`l Airport).