Santa Cruz Diving

Upon arrival at Baltra Airport, you will be met by staff and transferred across the Itabaca Channel on a short ferry ride onto Santa Cruz island.

Once on Santa Cruz, we journey across the island’s Highlands, experiencing the diverse natural wildlife and landscapes. We’ll make a stop at a local ranch to meet with the archipelago’s famous Giant Tortoises.

Afterwards, we head for Charles Darwin Station, in which we learn of natural habitats of the animals of the islands, as well as the breeding and conservation efforts of scientists at the Station, especially shown through a tour of the iconic Tortoise Breeding Centre, which showcases the famous Giant Tortoises as both young hatchlings and fully grown adults.

Choose from a selection of diving sites across the island, dependent on the day of the week. The list is on the page below:

Choose from a selection of diving sites across the island, dependent on the day of the week. The list is on the page below:

After breakfast, transfer back to the Baltra Airport for your flight back to the mainland.

End of Services.

This island, located on the south of Santa Cruz, offers three main diving spots: Champion, Enderby, and Punta Cormorant. The average depth here is 18 meters (59 ft). The dive features a reef with a massive array of Coral and Marine Sponge species, frequented by the marine wildlife, including sea lions, eagle rays, white-tipped reef sharks, barracudas, sea turtles, and other tropical fish.

Located on the north of Santa Cruz Island, this location has two main diving spots. It is an extinct volcanic crater with a deep sand floor of 32 meters. This is the most famous diving spot in the Galapagos islands, but with its stronger currents, it requires intermediate to advanced divers. You may encounter hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, reef fish, rays, barracudas, mobulas, mollusks, and with luck, whale sharks.

Please note that, to dive here, the diver must have at least 25 dives registered, and the last dive must be no later than 18 months before. Otherwise, an evaluation can be requested by the diver guide at an additional cost.

Located on the north side of Santa Cruz, this site is ideal for divers of all levels, despite the occasional stronger currents. At a depth of 10 meters (33 ft), the sandy soil houses a colourful reef rich with marine life such as white and black-tipped reef sharks, sea turtles, brown garden eels, sea lions, and an array of tropical fish.

Located on the north side of Santa Cruz, this diving spot houses stronger currents in comparison to Seymour Canal. It has a rocky bottom at a depth of 12 meters (39 ft), teething with wildlife who thrive out of the rocky caves at the seafloor. You can spot sea lions, white and black-tipped reef sharks, sea turtles, brown garden eels and tropical fish all swimming around in this unique marine environment.

Located on the east side of Santiago Island, Bartolome island is famous for its pinnacle rock; yet is a key location for scuba diving in the archipelago. There is an underwater platform at a depth of 10 meters (33 ft), with a good variety of reef fish. The platform ends with an underwater cliff with a drop of 15 meters (49 ft), where it is possible to spot Pelagic fish. You can also spot reef sharks, barracudas and sea turtles along your dive.

Located on the northeastern side of Santiago Island, close to Bartolome, this isle sits on an underwater cliff, rich with black coral reefs, and endemic species to the archipelago. In normal conditions, this site doesn’t have strong currents. The site offers diving alongside creatures such as white-tipped reef and Galapagos sharks, seahorses, sea lions, eagle rays, and Galapagos penguins, alongside other native marine life.

Daphne is an exposed rock, located on the north side of Santa Cruz island, situated upon a rocky and sandy bottom. Here, there is a cavern home to resting white-tipped reef sharks, as well as a great place to observe the area’s diverse marine life. Some other species you may encounter are Galapagos sharks, reef fish, cleaner, fish, barracudas, eagle rays, black corals, and more.

An isle located on the north side of Santa Cruz Island between North Seymour and Baltra, this locating rarely has strong currents. It has a sandy bottom at about 10 meters (33 ft), rich with marine wildlife. Some of this wildlife includes Brown garden eels, Galapagos, Hammerhead, and white-tipped reef sharks. This spot is also frequented by eagle rays, black corals and even more tropical fish.

Located between North Seymour and Baltra, it doesn’t have strong currents, with a depth of 5 meters (16 ft), with a deep reef and cliff with a drop of 18 meters (59 ft), covered by black coral and pelagic fish. This area is also frequented by hammerhead and Galapagos sharks, eagle rays, black corals and much more.

North and South Plazas islands are some of the oldest islands in the archipelago at more than 3 million years old. Currently, it is not allowed to disembark on North Plazas, yet diving at this site is permitted. This site offers a pleasant, easy and relaxing dive, beginning at the north coast with a sandy bottom at a depth of 24 meters (80 ft). The major diving area first takes place at a depth of 14 meters (45 ft). Practicing diving in the warm season between January and May is ideal because of the mixed currents. You may encounter white-tipped reef sharks, eagle rays, sea lions, hammerhead and Galapagos sharks, brown garden eels, and mollusks here, among other marine life.