Where Are The Galapagos Islands?

The Galapagos Islands enjoy a warm climate year round but offers two distinct seasons. The “Summer Season” is known for Hammerheads and Mantas and runs December through April and offers warmer water temperatures. The “Winter Season” runs from May to November but offers relatively cooler water 65f (18.3) to 75f (23.8c) and the seas can also be rougher. However, it is during this colder season that divers have experienced the most frequent whale shark sightings at the remote islands of Wolf and Darwin. Of course, "seasons" in Galapagos are a bit confusing to us in the Northern Hemisphere, as the seasons are exactly reverse of ours. Their summer is our winter, and vice versa.

We asked a guest of ours who has visited the Galapagos five times about the seasons and he replied “Looking back, my trips in the Summer’s have been better than my Whale Shark ones, featuring warmer water and more overall marine life than my Whale Shark trips (which please don't get me wrong, were also fantastic in their own right). I think you'll just have to go twice, and find it's worth it each time.”

Sky Dancer will cruise the Galapagos Islands in search of sea lions, penguins, schooling hammerhead sharks, turtles, stingrays, the magnificent manta rays and the occasional whale shark. Included in planned itineraries are visits to the very remote islands of Wolf and Darwin. Sky Dancer's 7 night itinerary offers approximately 19 dives with 2 night dives. It also offers approx. 4 land excursions and covers 565.5 nautical miles of ocean. The first day is spent in Bartolome, near Baltra, where there is an airport that delayed passengers or luggage can be flown into. The first day and last two days will be a combination of shore excursions with 2-3 dives per day. Then there is a long navigation (15 hours) out to Wolf and Darwin where the next few days will be spent. At Wolf and Darwin there will be up to four dives per day including night dives. Then the return navigation back to Cape Marshall and Puerto Egas on Friday. Saturday finishes the diving portion at Gordon Rocks in the morning then we enter Puerto Ayora in the afternoon to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. The trip concludes Sunday morning in San Cristobal and may include a visit to the Interpretation Center before heading to the airport.

The Galapagos is known for its great variety of marine life and pristine eco conditions. The diving is considered advanced and takes place in moderate to strong currents. Because the Galapagos islands are at the intersection of five ocean currents do not expect crystal clear visibility. On average visibility runs 80 feet, and can be as low as 45 feet.

Transfers to/from the boat at San Cristobal airport in the Galapagos Islands are provided if you arrive and depart on the charter schedule. All bellman and porter fees at the airport are included. Your stateroom aboard for seven nights or ten nights (depending on your scheduled itinerary) has a private head and shower with a picture window (Lido Deck staterooms) or porthole view (Dolphin Deck staterooms).

Breakfast cooked to order, buffet lunch and dinner served to your table is included daily, in addition to freshly prepared mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks, beverages (only National or well brands of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks) while on board, linens, stateroom and deck towels, shampoo, lotion, hairdryers and bathrobes are provided.

Several land excursions will be offered as well and include services of naturalist guides. Diving includes up to four dives daily (but the number will vary depending on the itinerary), use of tanks, weights, weight belts and compressed air fills. The seven night itinerary includes 5.5 dive days and the ten night itinerary includes 8.5 dive days.

On September 15, 1835, Captain Robert Fitz Roy arrived to the Galapagos on the "Beagle" as part of a trip around the world with the young naturalist Charles Darwin. They first visited Chatham Island (San Cristobal), and later Charles Island (Floreana). They sailed between Narborough and disembarked on Santiago. While the officials on board the Beagle drew a map of the islands, Charles Darwin studied and collected samples of the flora and fauna. His observation of the diversity of species on the islands would be the basis for the later elaboration of the Theory of Evolution. Ever since its publication, the Galapagos Islands would be seen under a different light, a virtual laboratory of evolution.

The incredible wonders of the Galapagos make this one of the most precious places in the world. In 1959, the Ecuadorian government set aside 1,714,000 acres (693,700 ha), 90% of the Galapagos Islands as a National Park. All the lands not already included in the settlement areas were designated and incorporated into the park. In 1967 a park service was set up on the islands and 5 years later the first park superintendent arrived. In 1992 a management plan was created for the Galapagos Marine Reserve, but due to lack of organization and involvement it went basically ignored. In 1997 renewed effort brought about dramatic changes to the preservation of the marine environment. All of the local sectors (fishing, tourism and conservation) have been brought together to negotiate protecting these resources. Finally in 1998 The Galapagos Marine Reserve was created. By design, its goal is to protect the waters surrounding the Galapagos Islands and the resources they contain.

The Galapagos National Park Service works hand in hand with the Charles Darwin Research Station implementing their common goals of conservation and preservations of the natural resources with the Galapagos National Park and Galapagos Marine Reserve. The park service approves all itineraries of boats visiting the islands making sure that tourism is distributed evenly throughout the islands. They also work as the licensing board for guides in the islands.