AM: Arrival, Baltra Island
Upon arrival Baltra, travellers pass through an airport inspection point to make sure that no foreign plants or animals are introduced to the islands, and to pay the park entrance fee of $200 (unless it has been prepaid). A guide will meet you, help you collect your luggage and escort you on a short bus ride to the harbour.

AM: North Seymour Island
Today you will have an equipment check and 2 dives.

At North Seymour Island, one of the most popular in the archipelago, you will be able to engage in a few interesting dives where you can see Eels, Starfish, cleaning stations with visiting Sharks, like Hammerheads, and an variety of rays, including Spotted Eagle, Manta and (rarely) Golden Cownose Rays. Pufferfish are also sighted regularly at this location. The currents at this dive site are known to be fairly strong, so it is recommended to have experience diving with currents before taking part in this dive.

PM: North Seymour Island Hiking
After your dives, you will walk the islet. North Seymour is teeming with birdlife. An easy circular path takes you through the archipelago’s most extensive colonies of blue-footed boobies and frigate birds. At the beginning of the breeding season, adult frigatebird-males blow up their vivid red pouches (gulas) to impressive football-sized balloons. This is one of the few spots where you can compare the magnificent and the great frigatebird breeding next to each other.

You are likely to come across several land iguanas on North Seymour and the coast can be a good place to spot Galapagos sealions.

In the evening, the ship will begin its long transit to Wolf Island for the next stages of the itinerary.

You will have 3 daytime dives at various dive sites around Wolf Island and a possible night dive. The dive sites at Wolf Island are listed below though you may not visit all of these over the week.

Anchorage, Wolf Island (Night Dive)
Anchorage is the only dive site located on the west coast of Wolf Island. Here, the strange walking Red-Lipped Batfish can be seen 20 m (70 ft) deep on the seabed. Though this animal is mainly active at night and is attracted by your diving lights, this probably won’t be your only time seeing it.

La Banana, Wolf Island
La Banana, also known as North Islet, has a sheer wall whose shape resembles that of a banana and is dotted with caverns, tunnels and other interesting rock formations. This dive site normally has great visibility and equally good marine life, with highlights including Galapagos Sharks, Hammerheads, Manta Rays and Green Turtles.

La Ventana Islets, Wolf Island
At La Ventana Islet (Window Islet in English), there is diverse marine life. One of the biggest highlights here is the Red-Lipped Batfish, which walk around on the sea floor. Hiding in and swimming around the complex rock formations are many other sea creatures, such as Moray Eels, Barracuda, Dolphins, White-Tip Sharks and Hammerheads. Whale Sharks can even be seen here between May and November.

Shark Bay, Wolf Island
Shark Bay is on the east side of Wolf Island and is shallower than most other sites around it but one of the most memorable due to high Whale Shark traffic which gave the site its name. There are also local cleaning stations here where you can see visiting Hawksbill & Pacific Green Turtles.

The Landslide, Wolf Island
This is one of the best dive sites of Wolf Island, with hundreds of Hammerhead Sharks circling around or heading against the current in some seasons. This drift diving site follows a boulder slope underneath the partly collapsed east cliffs of the islet leading to a hangout between the boulders where you can see Requiem Sharks, pelagic schools. In hotter seasons, Pacific Green Turtles, Spotted Eagle Rays and, sometimes, Mobula Devil Rays and Giant Oceanic Mantas can be seen here too.

The Pinnacle & the Caves, Wolf Island
At this site are some of the archipelago’s most interesting caves. Located north of Wolf Island, there are 4 main caves which penetrate the pinnacle, normally easily accessible with cave entrances at 15-21 m (50-70 ft). A sandy ledge runs along the wall beneath the entrances to each cave, where it is possible to see Hawksbill and Green Turtles gathering, schools of Soldierfish, Guineafowl Puffers, Moray Eels, Whitetop Reef Sharks, Marble Rays, Cardinalfish and Lobsters. If you have time, the cave with the largest opening can be interesting to explore. The dive here ends in the northeast corner of Wolf at a large underwater pinnacle ending just below the water’s surface. If the currents allow, you can hold on to the pinnacle and watch the marine life visible from it.

The Secret Cave, Wolf Island (Night Dive)
This dive site was formed by the collapse of large gas chambers dating back to the formation of Wolf. Along the walls which are sometimes surrounded by Hammerheads, there is an entrance to a cave with several nocturnal species like Cardinalfish, Spiny Lobsters, Shrimp, Sea Urchins, hunting Moral Eels, Pacific Green Turtles and Sea Lions.

AM: Wolf Island
You will have 2 morning dives at Wolf Island before beginning the transit to Darwin Island.

PM: Darwin Island
There will be 2 dives in the afternoon at Darwin Island on day 4. There are many locations here for diving, listed below, but you may not visit all of these over the week.

Arco de Darwin
Darwin’s Arch, now a pillar formation since the arch collapsed in 2021, is one of the Galapagos’ most iconic locations. The shallow reef platforms around the landmark make this a great diving spot for seeing schools of Scalloped Hammerheads. Whale Sharks can also be seen here, mostly between June and November, with females making a stop-off during their solitary migrations.

Darwin’s Theatre
This dive site is where two forked ridges pointing northeast and southeast from the reef foundation of Darwin’s Arch. Curved shelves bending around the northern branch give the appearance of a grandstand with panoramic hangouts at around 18 m / 60 ft, giving the dive site its name. There is often swarming marine life here, with Hammerhead, Requiem and Silky Sharks, Yellow-Fin Tuna, Wahoos, Bonitos, Amberjacks and large schools of fish often being common sights here.

El Arenal
This dive site brings you close to the cleaning stations of Darwin Island, where Sharks, Turtles and Jacks regularly visit to be freed from parasites by the resident Barber Fish and King Angelfish. The busiest area here is the sandy slope in front of El Arenal portal. When the surge isn’t too strong, being dropped off here allows you to come face-to-face with Scalloped Hammerheads and resting Pacific Green and Hawksbill Turtles. As you swim further out, you can see the sloping shelves of rubble dropping into a deep gully, with the upper edges offering hideouts for Hammerheads. Other highlights here, depending on the season, include Whale Sharks, Bottlenose Dolphins, Mobula and Devil Rays and Giant Oceanic Mantas.

There will be a further 4 dives at sites around Darwin Island today – 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon.

You will get a further 3 dives at Wolf Island, all in the morning, before beginning the 20+ hour transit to Cousins Rock. During this time, you can make use of the relaxation spaces and entertainment facilities onboard, such as looking out for wildlife on the sundeck as you move through the archipelago.

AM: Cousins Rock, Santiago Island
You will have 1 or 2 dives at Cousin’s Rock on your 7^th day of the liveaboard depending on when you arrive from your long transit. Cousin’s Rock dive site is characterised by its sloping rock formation which is home to many reef-dwelling marine animals such as Seahorses, Octopus, Sharks, Sea Lions and Green Turtles.

PM: Highlands, Puerto Ayora & Charles Darwin Research Station, Santa Cruz Island
Lunch will be served as you transit to Santa Cruz where you will visit the Highlands by bus. The road to the highlands leaves from Bellavista, a small village located a 15-minute drive from Santa Cruz’ main town of Puerto Ayora. The road passes through the Galapagos’ most productive agricultural zone, up to the National Park boundary. We find Miconia vegetation at this altitude, changing to the Fern and Sedge zone as we ascend further. With clear weather, we can enjoy beautiful scenes of rolling hills and extinct volcanic cones covered with grass and lush greenery all year round. In the Highlands, you will be able to see Galapagos Giant Tortoises as they graze in freshwater ponds and there will be a diversity of birdlife rarely found in the lowlands.

After the Highlands visit, you will go to Puerto Ayora and Charles Darwin Research Station. Puerto Ayora is the largest and most developed town in the Galapagos Archipelago. There are countless opportunities for food and gift shopping here and the town is even home to the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Park. Tortuga Bay is easily accessible from the town where you can see Marine Iguanas, Galapagos Crabs, White-Tip Reef Sharks and the Galapagos Tortoise.

Although the great majority of Galapagos visitors come to the Charles Darwin Research Station to observe and appreciate natural wonders, it is also interesting to learn how the protection and conservation of the islands are carried out. The main attractions are the National Park information centre, the Van Staelen Exhibition Hall, the Breeding and Rearing Centre for young tortoises, and adult Galapagos tortoises in captivity.

You will have your own dinner in the town in the evening before returning to the boat at 8:30 pm.

AM: Departure, Baltra Island
Your guide & some crew members will go with you to Baltra where you will board the airport shuttle. Your guide will remain with you through the check-in counters & departure hall.