darwin & wolf islands

numptydiver

Omg wow these are just a few words fitting to describe Darwin island, I visited on a live aboard dive boat, and to say it was 36 hours of the best time ever, would be an understatement, to think Charles Darwin came here and changed life as we now live in, the wild life under the water is stunning, we saw hammerheads white & black top, silky Galapagos sharks turtles huge tuna, Dolphins by the hundreds, my dive boat was blue O2 and they showed us some amazing sites, and to rise to the surface to see the sun setting thru the arch was breath taking.

7GTAM7

Hardened travelers only go to Hood. It's a rock in the middle of a lot of Pacific! BUT, stepping in the footsteps of Darwin and experiencing his revelations due to the adaptation of the many different endemic Finches is very special. Remember to do your research. If you manage to get onto Hood Island, well done!

scherny

The best dive site in the world! tons of animal life!!! you will feel as if you work for National geographic! Tons of hammerheads and sharks everywhere! its a must for all divers!

246liamt

I Have dived here in March and Also September... could be different places. I found March had better Viz in the sea, temperature was nicer too but thje Whale Sharks come through in the Autumn months... but all year round you will see huge schools of Hammerheads, Eagle and Marble rays, turtles, silky sharks white tips and Galapagos sharks... evening entertainment consisted of throwing some bread onto the sea in the boat deck lights... watching the bids go to eat the bread, then watching the sharks eat the birds... You cant get on either Island and its a real touigh place to get to but if you are a VERY experienced dive its the best place in the worls... I think these dives at Wolf and Darwin should be restricted to people of at least 200+ dives... its technical, Can get very cold and the currents are ridiculous.. so enjoy but be careful

kimbo1010

While you can't visit the islands since they're sheer cliffs jutting out of the water you can visit the underwater world and it is unbelievable. Seriously. Drop to 50 or 60 feet, grab on to a rock and watch the parade. Scores of hammerheads cruise by, huge green turtles, Galapagos sharks, Silkies, Blacktips, Whitetips, and of course Whale Sharks, the gentle giants glide by with no apparent concern for your presence. Angelfish the size of dinner plates, eels in every nook and cranny of the rocky reef (green morays, spotted, zebra, whitemouth, jewel, etc.). Colorful large parrot fish, thick schools of wrasse, snappers and grunts. Mantas, Eaglerays and stingrays... your head is on a swivel trying to take it all in. Diving here is not for beginners (strong currents and cold!)This is world class diving at its best.

Yaron_Nakim

I would like to tell you about the best tour of my life.Everything on the tour was perfect. the crew did an amazing job taking care of all our needs and the dive guides were excellent. they have a lot of knowledge about the Galapagos and very experienced divers.The tour was on a boat named humbolt explorer. it included everything, from transportation from and to the airport up to a chef on board and great meals.About the dives: the equipment was excellent. Not a single problem through all the dives, and we saw all the animals we intended. Many fish in all shapes and sizes. five different types of sharks and specially the huge whale shark we swam with!!!! and there were also dolphins and killer whales swimming around.In the end, i would like to thank ISHAI ESHED from MontaniTours, Montanita, Ecuador. I was able to make my dream come true thanks to him. he helped me alot and for an entire month he made calls and mails and everything he could to get me and my friend on that Cruz. furthermore, Ishai also has information and attractions about Montanita and its surroundings and i recommend him greatly.

mm244

these little islands are all worth the travel to, the best is santa cruz within it a little beach called turtle beach. by far i would say the most beautiful and tranquil beach in all of Ecuador. You can only stay the day but all worth it. all travellers should get your soulvenier stamp in their passports which you can get when going into the darwing research areas. the food is great and the weather was terrific. a tour is not needed if you just want to take it eassy. if you are into a fast and hurried adventure then do so but the most expensive tours do not gurantee the best. everything on the islands costs more so thing a relative in price. a must see destination for all travellers. Ecuador has a jem in its islands

DocRenee

If you ever wanted to see and snorkel with all the species of the Galapagos Islands, then you are in the right place. Within these uninhabited regions, the wildlife is not afraid of "us humans", and they simply want to play. Be sure to bring an underwater camera so you can record the Sea Lions doing flips around you and the Boobies diving for fish. We visited with the Galapagos Legend cruise ship, and the naturalist guides were phenominal.

Vind63

We did a 3 night/4 days Galapagos Island cruise on the S/S Mary Anne sailboat. We were originally scheduled on a yacht, but 2 weeks before our cruise the yacht was pulled out of the water for repairs. We were given the option of another yacht or the Mary Anne sailboat. We are glad we choose the Mary Anne. The boat was visually stunning with more space than we anticipated, such as an outdoor dining area as well as indoor dining with all meals served at the table. There was a spacious lounge area with a small library. The cabins were small, but had plenty of storage space and the bathroom was a good size with a shower big enough for two. There were a total of 16 guests and a crew of 8 and one tour guide. The crew did a wonderful job, maintaining the boat, and tending us off and on the boat. There were always refreshments for us when we returned from our excursions. Overall this was an experience which made our trip more memorable and wished we had at least one more day on board. The boat definitely rocked and I am glad we had our motion patches.

Brisbanite65

This was the trip of a lifetime for our party of five and we agreed that the Isabela II enhanced our experience. We would have enjoyed the wildlife and scenery of the Galapagos if we'd been stuck in an old tug but the crew, facilities and ambience of the Isabela II made the tour all the more enjoyable. The cabins were far bigger than we expected. The sun deck (with plenty of shade) was a perfect spot for relaxing after a day's sightseeing. The meals were all superb. And the guides all seemed to have graduated from the David Attenborough College of wildlife knowledge and charm. We will always remember snorkelling at the foot of cliffs in a sea populated by torpedoing penguins, inquisitive, performing sea lions and unflappable giant turtles.

seuss212

This by far was the best thing I did in Ecuador. It's more expensive for non-Ecuadorians to get there, and the park fees are more expensive, but it is worth it.You can easily arrange a flight from Quito via Tame airlines, again more expensive for non-Ecuadorians.Bring lots of film or batteries for your cameras. Be mindful of the natural habitats, you will be in pristine areas. Do you best to not disturb anything. (as a side note, on a tour a group of Italian tourists were horrible, stealing items from the park, stepping off the trail and damaging bones and other things. The tour guide was wary to say anything because he relied on tips. So do your best to preserve the habitat and not be a rude touristThere is lots of walking, so bring your good walking / climbing shoes. On our tour, we were able to swim in the ocean at one of the beaches. It was great, there were sea lions all over the place that would just swim up to you and say hello. Binoculars are also useful for all of the various wildlife that you will see. If given the chance, spend as much time here as you can!

smb6448

January, 2009, found my hubby and I in Quito where we caught a plane to Puerto Moreno, San Cristobal, and boarded the Evolution, a Quasar ship, for a delightful week of touring the Galapagos Islands. Our accommodations couldn't have been better, the food excellent (though too plentiful) and the naturalists superb (Dora and Boli). It was a memorable week of island hopping, wildlife viewing and snorkeling with the rays, sharks, seals, and penguins. Visting the Darwin Station was almost as great as reading The Beak of the Finch! Any way you can do it from budget through luxury, these islands are worth the visit!

BeckyGrandCayman

We went for 5 days on a 16 passenger tour boat, the Gautanamara. Luckily we had paid for a room at deck level. The ones below deck stank of diesel fuel from the engine, didn't have windows and were hot most of the time. The passengers there ended up sleeping on the lounge chairs on deck. The food was great, the rooms okay, but small, but the days were too regimented and time off the ship was limited. In the Galapagos you can only walk on the trails, not touch anything and are never alone. The seals and other wild life was interesting, but It felt like a big zoo. There were many groups coming and going besides our own. I was glad our group wasn't bigger though. I was glad to do it, but I wouldn't do it again and really can't recommend it. The expense outweighs the awesome factor. If I had to do it again, I'd try staying in a hotel and taking day trips, and not going in the high season - Dec through February, although they say the water is rough at other times.

NeyFilho

Quem diria, um sonho mergulhar com tubarões martelo, galapaguenhos, tubarão baleia(3 fêmeas prenhas), raias, muita vida, pena que ofuscada pela má manutenção e ambição dos proprietários do Deep Blue, um barco antigo que não tem a manutenção devida...o cheiro insuportável na cabine inferior, o bolor insuportável quando o ar condicionado quebrava(pelo menso 5 vexes) e o banheiro sem descarga( coitado do Paulo, meu dupla)Um dos melhores mergulhos foram abortados pois só navegamos com 1 motor ao invés dos 2 originais), o preço que paguei dava pra comprar o motor que falta!O lugar é incrível, imperdivel, mas infelizmente sugiro outro braco para o buddy divers que não quiserem o stress que passamos

1365764

Это самые северные из Галапагосских островов и находятся в северном полушарии. Начало ноября. Были там три дня и три раза в день погружались. Всегда!!! видели китовую акулу! Некоторые видели даже с яхты сверху, проплывала рядом. Акулы-молотовы ходят целыми стаями.