This is the bay of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island with 5 dive sites all within 20 minutes from our base by boat. Three of the sites are generally calm with little current; ideal for students or novices. At the other two sties, the dives could be a little more complicated if there is a current so they are suitable for intermediate or expert divers. Frolic with sea lions or listen as the damselfish munches away at its algae farm. You may also see marine iguanas, rays, and even sharks all just outside your hotel's door!

Trip duration: 4-5 hour.

This island is a solid structure of basaltic lava rocks about an hour away from our base. The 4 dive sites here generally have excellent visibility and mild currents, making these sites ideal for novices. At the same time, the animals and topography (including a spectacular arch) make them interesting for intermediates and experts. We can see stingrays, eagle rays, garden eels, turtles, sea lion colonies, morays, pelagic fish, and maybe white tip reef sharks and/or hammerhead sharks.

Trip duration: 7-8 hours.

These are 3 exposed rocks located south of Santiago Island, about 1h30’s cruise from Itabaca channel. This beginner/intermediate dive site starts on a 12 meters deep platform and leads to a wall, covered with black coral and sea fans, that drops to more than 60 meters. Pelagic species that can be observed include hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, mantas during the hot season, small rays, turtles and sea lions.

The small island of Pinzon is located on the west side of Santa Cruz Island, about 1h30's cruise away from our base. This beginner/intermediate dive site is on the east side where 2 tower-shaped rocks emerge. A wall covered in black coral drops to 10 meters and from there it's a sandy slope that drops to more than 50 meters. Species commonly observed include the red lipped bat fish, sea horses, sting rays, turtles and white tip reef sharks.

Trip duration: 8-9 hours.

An islet with a wall dropping from the surface into the deepest depths, Cousins Rock is home to a big area of sloping rock plates known as a "Planchonal" about two hours from our base. There can be strong currents here that separate the productive and unproductive sides of the dive site. Cousins is full of spectacular endemic young black corals and other sightings may include frogfish, fur seals, sea turtles, sea horses, and usually, hammerhead sharks.

Trip duration 8-9 hours.

North Seymour is an uplifted island of lava flow about 90 minutes north of our dive base. There are 5 dive sites suitable for all levels of divers, although sometimes the currents can be strong. These sites have the most different species per square foot of sandy bottom. We can see cleaning behavior, a large garden eel colony, sea turtles, sea lions, fur seals, eagle rays, yellow-tailed grunts, big-eyed jack, and frequently white tip reef sharks and hammerheads. Occasionally, Galapagos sharks can also be seen here.

Trip duration: 8-9 hours.

The island of Floreana is about 90 minutes south from our dive base. There are 9 dive sites here with generally calm waters. On the occasion that we do find strong currents, we can quickly move to another site, which makes Floreana ideal for all levels of divers. This site is one of the best in the central islands to see significant coral colonies, such as pebble coral and endemic black coral. You might encounter baby birds as they make unsuccessful attempts learning to fly. You may look on as barberfish clean sea turtles of parasites. Floreana is also one of the best sites to dive with sea lions. If if that isn't enough there is the enticing gauntlet of sea horses, stingrays, eagle rays, turtles, long nose hawkfish, barracudas, pelagic fish, white tip reef sharks, Galapagos sharks, and hammerhead sharks.

Trip duration: 8-9 hours.

This is an isolated offshore tuff cone with vertical walls all around it about one hour from our dive base. The main dive site is a shelf of boulders at about 60 feet and the diving can be difficult depending on the currents and surge. We usually see many Galapagos sharks here, some schools of pelagic fish, and multicolored sponges on the rock wall.

These 4 islets are located on the northwest side of Santa Cruz Island, about 1h15's cruise from Itabaca channel. In general the ocean bottom descends in slopes, some almost vertical. The walls of the islets are eroded, full of cavities in some parts, and big rocks covered in black coral in others. At this intermediate site divers can observe pelagic species such as Galapagos sharks, white tip reef sharks, turtles, and a wide variety of reef fish and sea lions.

This tuff cone formation is a world famous dive site about one hour from our base. There are 4 dive sites in the area, but only two are for novices. The other two sites are for intermediates and experts because there can be strong currents and surge. The Gordon Rocks dive sites are mostly walls with a deep bottom. Blend in and blow few bubbles and you may be blessed with a hammerhead sighting! Hammerhead sharks are the main attraction of Gordon Rocks, where they often conglomerate in large schools. You won't be able to stop looking at this aquarium as you're likely to also see reef fish, large pelagic fish, golden rays, stingrays, eagle rays, turtles, morays.

Trip Duration: 7-8 hours.