Diving
conditions at the Galapagos are considered medium to hard due to the currents,
depth and shape of the dive sites, temperatures and fauna.
CURRENTS
You will
probably dive in the Galapagos in medium to strong currents. We understand s
medium currents to be between one and three knots (between 1 and 4 miles/hour
or between 2 and 6 Km./hour),
and strong currents are more than three knots (more than 4 miles/hour or 6 Km./hour).
VISIBILITY
Visibility of 100 feet or 30 meters often is
present in the Galapagos waters. You shall expect a visibility from 50 to 80 feet or 15 to 25 meters in most of the
diving places. In some areas and in some seasons due to the richness of
phytoplankton, green waters are present. This planktonic algae is the first
step in the tropic chain and is necessary to sustain all marine life at the
islands.
SAFETY
You should take
all of the safety indications that your guide will explain very seriously in
the briefings. Conditions in the Galapagos are so variable that the guides can
only make an accurate assessment of the actual conditions upon arriving at the
diving site. Additionally, conditions
may very well change during the dive.
Before any
dive, the company will ask you to sign a waiver of responsibility.
We strongly
recommend that you have a valid D.A.N. membership card.
DIVING COURSES
You can
learn scuba diving in a school in Puerto Ayora. PADI Open Water Diver,
Advanced, Rescue and Dive master courses are available. There is a minimum of 2
students. For an Open Water Diver Course you need five days, which includes
equipment, boat transportation and the license
M/Y Sky Dancer is a Dive Liveboard. A twelve person crew includes your Captain, a Dive instructor/ Naturalist, a divemaster/ naturalist, an administrator, and seven crew members, on hand to ensure that your Galapagos voyage transcends into a treasured adventure.
