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The magical Galapagos Islands

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Galapagos Islands

Our Galapagos adventure started from the easternmost island of San Cristobal. Divers had flown in from all over the world and met and chatted as we gathered on the quayside at Puerto Banquerizo Moreno. Whilst we waited we were entertained by the sea lions sleeping all over the sea wall and around the car parks and bus stop benches!

We joined the Humboldt Explorer via zodiacs and were shown to our cabins and briefed about our trip. During the afternoon we made a nearby check dive just to make sure our buoyancy was OK.

We travelled to the island of Santa Cruz overnight and made two morning dives at Punta Carrion where we saw our first hammerhead shark and lots of green turtles and southern stingrays, plus all the classic East Pacific reef fish and some large bumphead parrotfish.

We had an afternoon excursion to North Seymour island to see the blue-footed boobies and nesting frigate birds. The views across to the nearby small islands were beautiful and the photographers were busy capturing the large monitor lizards lumbering around. It was very hot, but it was a very worthwhile excursion.

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Wolf Island

19650183999_fd90464be7_oAfter an overnight crossing we arrived at Wolf Island. Along with Darwin, these remote tiny northern islands provide the signature Galapagos dives. We made several dives alternating between Landslide and Shark Bay sites where we saw lots of hammerhead and Galapagos sharks plus schools of large spotted eagle rays, yellowfin tunas, huge green turtles with steel pompano entourages and walls of Pacific creole fish, large trevallies, etc.

The stars here are the sharks and there was just never enough time during each dive spent around 28m to see the sharks meandering up the rock faces to visit the cleaning stations. The slightly-higher-than-normal temperatures kept conditions for the divers comfortable but meant that the sharks were a little deeper and we were eeking out our no-deco times, even on 32% nitrox.

Darwin Island

We moved onto Darwin island and were offered 10 dives there over 2 1/2 days. We had three whale sharks of various sizes visit the divers, including a small one which swam around the liveaboard several times and had us rushing around the deck to see it. We decided not to snorkel because there were a lot of frisky silky sharks around the boat which can really intimidate snorkelers! The scuba-diving encounters with the whale sharks were special. These were big sharks and it was hard to keep up with them as they swam around. There were both males and females sighted, which is unusual.

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Some lucky divers saw a tiger shark. There were also chunky black tip sharks, many turtles, a sea snake, wahoo, scorpionfish etc. You really can see just about anything at these amazing remote sites.

We spent another day at Wolf on our return journey with more shark action and accompanied on the zodiacs by a large pod of dolphins passing through.

Cabo Douglas and Cabo Marshall

19647734580_dd2885bbda_oAfter another overnight travel we arrived at Fernandina to visit Cabo Douglas and see the marine iguanas. A volcano on the nearby island of Isabela was erupting and the sight of the lava and the dust cloud in the early morning light was impressive. We managed to see the marine iguanas and the strange red-lipped batfish but the swell made diving conditions rather tricky.

A diving cormorant was a remarkable sight! Such a good swimmer, deeper than the divers watching the iguanas!

19810226466_435ea0776b_oWe travelled on to Cabo Marshall on the east side of Isabela. We were extremely lucky and saw several giant mantas plus small schools of mobulas (M. tarapacana), some large black tip sharks and an amazing school of barracudas which posed for photos. The visibility at this site was outstanding, and the steep wall was just amazing: you really felt that anything might pass by.

We made another dive at a site a little further along from Cabo Marshall where the wall was even more spectacular, but we were not so lucky with the creatures (although we did see white tip sharks and yellowfin tunas).

We had a memorable snorkel with penguins too – they move so fast! They are such good divers and were really curious of us poking our cameras at them and quickly came over to test our cameras out with their beaks. I promise we were back pedalling and they came after us. Just so endearing.

Bartholeme

19836444805_1cfed6ca48_oWe awoke next morning next to the famous rock formation (think Master and Commander) at Bartholeme. We made two dives and saw so many turtles, it was incredible. There was some really pretty areas of reef with beautiful seafans and corals, tantalising tropical reef fish like longnose and pixie hawkfish, cloud morays, scorpionfish, snake eels, etc.

Santa Cruz 

No visit to Galapagos is complete without a visit to see the giant tortoises and this was done back at Santa Cruz island during an afternoon/evening excursion which included a visit to Puerto Ayora for some shopping, lots of cocktails and dinner. We made our final journey back to San Cristobal and had a morning in the town before heading back to the airport and onward connections.

It was an incredible trip, with so many memories of so many creatures and lots of new friends made among the divers.

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Photos: Matt Kitchen and Anne-Marie Kitchen-Wheeler

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Scuba Tours Worldwide LogoExperience Galapagos For Yourself

Here are the dates:

17 Jul – 24 Jul 2017 * 7 nights aboard Galapagos Master from £3,587pp

25 Jun – 02 Jul 2018 * 7 nights aboard Galapagos Master from £3,696pp

03 Sep – 10 Sep 2018 * 7 nights aboard Galapagos Master from £3,696pp

Prices include transfer between San Cristobal airport/local hotel and M/V Galapagos Master on days of embarkation and 7 nights aboard the Galapagos Master sharing a twin/double cabin, all meals, soft drinks, diving and land visits.

For more information or to book, contact the Scuba Tours Worldwide team now by calling +44 (0)1284 748010, email sales@scubascuba.com or visit www.scubascuba.com. 

For more specials and exclusive tours from Scuba Tours Worldwide, visit www.scubascuba.com/specials/exclusive-tours.

Matt Kitchen and Anne-Marie Kitchen Wheeler are both fully qualified PADI instructors and have a broad experience of liveaboard diving around the world, including in destinations such as the Galapagos, Socorro, Cocos, Philippines, Indonesia and the Maldives. Anne-Marie has a PhD in ‘Manta Behaviour & Ecology in the Maldives’. During her years of research she has built up an impressive database of hundreds of mantas and she can identify individual animals by the unique markings on their underside. She is often invited to give workshops to schools and dive centres in the Maldives where she can share her expert knowledge. Matt and Anne-Marie are both keen underwater photographers and Matt is an excellent underwater videographer too. They currently run the popular liveaboard MV Sea Spirit in the Maldives for UK-based tour operator Scuba Tours Worldwide.

Gear News

The DYNAMICNORD SE series of neoprene wetsuits in a beautiful camouflage blue

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wetsuits

A head-to-toe camouflage look that focuses on style and comfort

Designed to provide an unforgettable diving experience, the DYNAMICNORD SE series wetsuits offer everything you need. They feature a unique camouflage design and protect you while offering optimum freedom of movement and keeping you warm.

Sometimes, divers just want a special look. In this case, the camouflage wetsuits from DYNAMICNORD are the perfect choice. Made from extremely robust, abrasion-resistant limestone neoprene, the SE-C wetsuits are built to last. Nevertheless, the neoprene is also soft and stretchy to offer all divers a high degree of comfort.

The SE series suits are optimally sealed thanks to their back zipper with flap and their design allows you to easily close and open them by yourself. They also have reinforced shoulders and knees to protect high-wear areas and extend the life of your neoprene suit.

The SE camouflage series suits are available in neoprene thicknesses of 3 and 5mm.

To complete the camouflage look, DYNAMICNORD also offers matching essentials, such as the MC-15 two-lens mask and SC-10 snorkel. They both feature a blue camouflage design, as well as the AF-70 freediving fins, which are available in a matching shade of blue. A head-to-toe camouflage look that focuses on style and comfort.

The SE series suits in camouflage look are now available from DYNAMICNORD retailers and in the online shop.

SE-31-C/SE-32-C: 3mm Men/Women – recommended retail price: £183

SE-51-C/SE-52-C: 3mm Men/Women – recommended retail price: £238

Size Men: S-3XL incl. ML

Size Women: S-2XL

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Gear News

Divers in the U.S.A. to get a free octopus with selected regulator purchases

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free octopus

Mares in the U.S.A. has announced an exclusive limited-time offer designed to keep divers safe and well-equipped underwater this summer dive season.

From June 15 through August 1, 2025, customers who purchase select Mares regulators will receive a free octopus—no extra costs, just added value.

Whether you’re upgrading your setup or gearing up for your next dive adventure, this promotion is the perfect opportunity to get premium Mares performance at a reduced cost.

Eligible regulators include:

  • ATLAS 62X
  • EPIC ADJ 82X
  • ATLAS ADJ 62X TBP
  • SXS 62X
  • DUAL 15X
  • ULTRA ADJ 82X
  • DUAL ADJ 62X
  • DUAL ADJ 62X – 75th Anniversary Edition

Choose from one of the following octos—free with your eligible regulator purchase:

  • DUAL
  • DUAL ADJ
  • LOOP
  • SXS
  • ULTRA
  • ULTRA ADJ

This promotion is available only at participating Mares dealers and while supplies last. It is not valid for purchases made through Mares.com.

Don’t spend another summer with outdated gear. Visit your nearest Mares dive center and take advantage of this incredible offer today!

To find a participating dealer near you, click here – https://www.mares.com/en_US/partner-locator.

About Mares

Founded in 1949 by Ludovico Mares in Rapallo, Italy, Mares is a worldwide leader in manufacturing innovative, high-performance scuba diving, snorkeling, and freediving equipment. From recreational divers to advanced technical enthusiasts, Mares is dedicated to enhancing the underwater experience through cutting-edge technology, comfort, and safety. Mares is a member of the HEAD Sports Group.

Find out more about Mares products at www.mares.com.

 

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