Enjoy an unforgettable 8-day cruise exploring the highlights of the North Central islands of the Galapagos. Indulge in this unique experience aboard the Calipso, a small ship cruise equipped with all the supplies needed for an extraordinary diving experience. Start your cruise by exploring the amazing wildlife at Cousin Rock for close encounters with white-tip reef sharks, Mola mola, sea horses, and several types of reef fish. Visit Wolf Island for a diving exploration of the eroded underwater caverns and tunnels.
Highlights
Explore Lobos Island, named for the large number of sea lions in the area
Discover the pristine flora and fauna of the uninhabited Manchena Islands
Watch for whale sharks, hammerheads and dolphins
Dive at Darwin's Arch, recognized as one of the best dive sites in the world
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
One of the many islets that pepper the archipelago, Lobos Island is named for the mass amounts of sea lions that invade the area. Often used as a check-out dive site, Lobos Island is a sweet dive filled with starfish, rays, various fish, turtles, eagle rays, and sometimes marine iguanas.
Highlights: Sea lions by the dozens!
Difficulty: Beginner
Visit Punta Carrion located on the island of Santa Cruz. Carrion Point creates a sheltered lagoon with beautiful, turquoise water. During this visit, you can snorkel and see a variety of fish, rays, and perhaps harmless white-tip reef sharks. The point is on the north coast of Santa Cruz Island at the Channel of Itabaca.
Highlights: Fish, rays, white-tip reef sharks
Possible Activities: Diving
Type of Landing: None
Difficulty: Easy
Afterward, explore Seymour, an island known for having great dives. Sightings include mobulas, white-tip reef sharks, Galapagos sharks, Hammerheads, and many fish species.
Day 3: La Ventana | Shark Bay Point | El Derrumbe, Wolf Island
Wolf Island is located in the far northern part of the archipelago. There are no land visits to this island, and it is only visited by liveaboard dive ships. This is a dive site only for experienced divers. The surge is heavy, currents can be quite strong, and visibility is often limited. Some very impressive and large animals such as whale sharks, hammerheads, and dolphins are spotted here.
Highlights: Whale sharks, hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, dolphins
Activities: Diving
Darwin´s Arch is an impressive 15 M (50 ft) lava arch. A fast descent in current, where you will then grab onto the rocks below and basically be a spectator to the stuff blowing past! This is the most famous dive site in the Galapagos Islands and is recognized as one of the best dive sites in the world! Whale sharks and schools of hammerheads and dolphins play in the waters. Accessible only by dive liveaboards, Darwin Island is an underwater Disneyland.
Highlights: Whale sharks, hammerhead cleaning station, turtles, pods of dolphins, countless schools of fish, Galapagos sharks, silky sharks
Difficulty: Advanced
Often coined “the best dive site in the world”, Isla Darwin is an underwater circus with stars like whale sharks, hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, pods of dolphins, and a few orca whales and tiger sharks making guest appearances! El Arenal is an underwater sloping sand “driveway” of Darwin's Arch teeming with amazing marine life. Stick with your expert guide who can show you the safest and best routes in the currents.
Highlights: hammerhead sharks and cleaning station, schools of big-eyed jacks, blacktip sharks, and whale sharks
Difficulty: Advanced
Wolf Island is located in the extreme northern part of the archipelago. There are no land visits to this island, and it is only visited by liveaboard dive ships. This is a dive site only for experienced divers. The surge is heavy, currents can be quite strong, and visibility is often limited. Some very impressive and large animals such as whale sharks, hammerheads, and dolphins are spotted here.
Highlights: Whale sharks, hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, dolphins
Activities: Diving
Highlights of Cape Douglas include fur sea lions and Galapagos sea lions mingling with the marine iguanas. If you're lucky you may even have a few Galapagos penguins zoom past you underwater.
Difficulty: Advanced
Highlighting an enormous amount of the “small stuff”, Punta Vicente Roca offers up a sweet home to octopi, sea horses, red-lipped batfish, frogfish, and nudibranchs. The mola mola or sunfish has been spotted here as well. This drift wall dive will bring you up close and personal with a long list of invertebrates including sponges and flatworms. Keep your eyes peeled for the endemic camotillo and the occasional Port Jackson shark!
Difficulty: Beginner
A near-vertical wall of volcanic rock that plummets to the bottom of the sea, the Cape Marshall dive site boasts the big stuff: manta rays, hammerheads, sunfish (Mola mola), and sometimes huge schools of the endemic salema.
Highlights: Not only is the topography of this site distinct and fascinating but so is the marine life! The “usual” sea turtles and sea lions swim along with you and the Chevron barracuda, yellow fin tuna, marbled rays, mobula rays, snappers, and more!
Difficulty: Advanced
Coka Port (Jan-May) or Cape Douglas (Jun-Dec) / Cape Marshall (Jan-May) or Vicente Roca Point (Jun-Dec)
Day 7: Cousin's Rock | El Chato Tortoise Reserve | Charles Darwin Station | Fausto Llerena Breeding Center
Just one of the many islets that help form the archipelago, this dive has a great deal to offer the advanced diver. With sloping rock plate formations and a wall that drops farther than the eye can see, divers will come across hidden sea horses and octopi, Galapagos black coral, frogfish, hammerheads, and Galapagos sharks!
Highlights: Green sea turtles and sea lions accompany the diver on the lookout for hammerheads and Galapagos sharks.
Difficulty: Intermediate to advanced
The El Chato reserve is divided into two areas: Caseta and Chato. The trail begins at Santa Rosa (13.7 miles / 22 km) from Puerto Ayora, with the Caseta route being the more challenging. The reserve allows visitors to observe giant tortoises in the wild during the dry season and is also a good place to spot short-eared owls, Darwin’s finches, yellow warblers, Galapagos rails, and paint-billed crakes.
Highlights: Giant tortoises, finches, Galapagos rails
Possible Activities: Walking, bird watching
Type of Landing: Dry landing
Difficulty: Easy/medium
The Charles Darwin Research Station is home to turtles ranging from 3 inches (new hatchlings) to 4 feet long. Subspecies of turtles interact with one another and many of the older turtles are accustomed to humans stretching out their heads for a photo opportunity. The babies are kept until they are about four years old and strong enough to survive on their own.
Highlights: Giant tortoises in captivity
Possible Activities: Walking
Type of Landing: Dry landing
Difficulty: Easy
Day 8: San Cristobal Airport
1 Breakfast
Disembark after breakfast and transfer to the San Cristobal Airport.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$7,0832-3 travelers
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Stateroom
6 upper deck cabins and 2 main deck cabins (120 ft²/11.2 m²-140 ft²/13.5 m²), twin beds with the option of a matrimonial bed. Each cabin has a private bathroom, panoramic windows, a safety box, a hair dryer, bathrobes, and a TV.
Child Discount
10% discount for children under 12 years at time of Galapagos cruise traveling with two adults. Child discounts are conditional and may not apply on certain departures. Please contact us for more information.
Children under 12 may receive discounts on Galapagos flight fares and entrance fees. Contact us for details.
For full cancellation policy details, please contact us for a quote.
Included
7 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches, 7 Dinners
7 Nights Accommodations
Accommodations as listed
Ground transportation as listed
Activities as listed
Meals as listed
Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
Bilingual Naturalist Guide
Adventure Life Pre-departure Services and In-Country Assistance (Quito Representative)
Shore Excursions, Swimming and Snorkeling
Transfers and Baggage Handling in the Galapagos
Snorkeling equipment (mask, fins), wetsuits, kayaks, underwater cameras, and walking sticks are all included in the cruise cost and are available for your use onboard.
Excluded
Gratuities
Travel Insurance
Personal Expenses
Flight costs (please request a quote)
Additional excursions during free time
Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
Galapagos Park Entrance Fee: $200 per adult, $100 per child under 12 (fees of $100 per adult and $50 per child valid on arrivals throughAug 1, 2024). Payable upon arrival to the Galapagos, only in cash dollars. Subject to increase by Galapagos Park Service.
We are so glad that we chose Adventure Life. The service is top-notch. Everything is well taken care of and we just have to print the documents and go. Franny even gave us timely updates on possible airport strike.
KC Chan
TrustScore 4.8 | 176 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
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1 week ago
I spoke with at least a half dozen other travel companies, looking for a Galapagos cruise that fit our schedule and budget. Some companies could manage one or the other, but Erin was the only one who could do both. She found us the perfect cruise, at a fantastic price! And she has been quick and patient with responses to my many questions. So far, Adventure Life has been a fantastic company to work with!
Sandi T
3 weeks ago
Erin was patient, thorough, responsive, knowledgeable.
Karen Bukolt
4 weeks ago
Erin was responsive, knowledgeable, helpful, and ran through a few different choices with us. She got us a fabulous price on a trip, and made everything easy to do. And QUICK!!
Tina
1 month ago
From the initial meeting and planning process with our trip planner Jess, through to the finalizing of our itinerary, trip details and questions, I was very impressed with the professionalism, thoroughness, organization and attention to details. I would highly recommend Adventure Life to anyone looking to plan a unique travelling experience, knowing that the expertise and experience provided will result in a seamless trip of a lifetime.
Lynn Farquharson
1 month ago
Excellent suggestions I line with my desires on a Galapagos very last minute cruise.
Swift and professional guidance and assistance in booking the trip. Helped me realising a substantial saving.