Aquatics International × GoPro Escapes · Mexico
GALAPAGOS
8-Night / 9-Day — In The Crucible of Evolution: A Diver’s Dream
Seven nights aboard Galaxy Diver III running north to Wolf and Darwin, plus a night in Guayaquil and return flights to the islands included. Nitrox on every dive.
Dates
Jan 5–13, 2027
Dates
Jan 5–13, 2027
From
$7,000 USD
Vessel
Galaxy Diver III
Level
Advanced Open Water
Exposure
5–7mm
Nitrox
On all dives
Dives
11–12
Certifications
2 PADI specialties
Current
Strong
Crossing
14 hrs to Wolf
The Diving
This is not a relaxed reef holiday, and we would rather say so now than on the boat. Currents, thermoclines, surge and open-ocean conditions are all part of it. The crossing north to Wolf takes fourteen hours through the Pacific.
When it works, nothing else compares. Schooling hammerheads at Wolf and Darwin, Galapagos sharks, eagle rays, dolphins, sea lions, manta rays, and marine iguanas feeding underwater at Cape Douglas — one of the only places on earth you can dive with them. Whale sharks are seasonal. Nitrox is included on every dive, and the boat runs Starlink so you can actually upload what you shoot.
The hardest diving we run, and the one nobody stops talking about.
Wolf Island – Shark Bay
Wolf Island – La Banana
Darwin – El Arenal
Darwin’s Arch
Vicente Roca Point
Cape Douglas
Cousins Rock
Punta Carrion
Sites we may dive
What you’ll come away with
GoPro PADI® Distinctive Specialty
A full certification in underwater capture, taught onboard across the week.
GoPro QUIK Editing Specialty
A second PADI certification — mobile editing, storytelling and export workflow.
Nightly sessions
Editing workshops, footage critiques, recap screenings and guest ambassador presentations.
Professional coverage
A dedicated photographer onboard, plus a professionally edited expedition recap.
Day by day
How the week runs
Day 1 · Tue
Arrive Guayaquil
Fly into mainland Ecuador and overnight in Guayaquil. Buy your INGALA migration card at the airport before the Galapagos flight.
Day 2 · Wed
Baltra & boarding
Included flight to Baltra (GPS). Meet the naturalist guide and Galaxy Diver III crew, transfer across the Itabaca Channel, board and set up. GoPro orientation, then a check dive at Baltra Northeast. Welcome dinner onboard.
Day 3 · Thu
Punta Carrion & the crossing
Morning dive at Punta Carrion — hammerheads, rays, sea lions. Then the 14-hour navigation north to Wolf. Evening: GoPro Quik editing course begins.
Day 4 · Fri
Wolf Island
Shark Bay and La Banana in the morning; La Ventana Islet and El Derrumbe in the afternoon. Hammerhead schools, Galapagos sharks, turtles, big schooling fish. Evening workshops and footage critiques.
Day 5 · Sat
Darwin Island
El Arenal in the morning, then Darwin’s Tower and Arch. Legendary pelagic action and strong-current drift diving. Evening: cinematic storytelling and advanced editing.
Day 6 · Sun
Darwin to Wolf
Final Darwin dives at El Arenal, then navigation back to Wolf for the afternoon and evening dive zones. Awards submissions and community sessions.
Day 7 · Mon
Isabela & Fernandina
Vicente Roca Point — penguins, flightless cormorants, turtles. Cape Douglas in the afternoon for the marine iguana feeding dive. Cold, strange, and unlike anywhere else.
Day 8 · Tue
Cousins Rock & the highlands
Morning dive at Cousins Rock — seahorses, nudibranchs, eagle rays, white-tips. Afternoon land excursion to the Santa Cruz Highlands: giant tortoise reserves, lava tunnels, scenic hikes. Farewell dinner and final recap screening.
Day 9 · Wed
Departure
Breakfast onboard, transfer to Baltra Airport, return flights to mainland Ecuador.
Included
Roundtrip flight Guayaquil to Baltra (GPS)
1 night stay in Guayaquil
7 nights aboard Galaxy Diver III (Wednesday to Wednesday)
All meals onboard, plus snacks between dives
Dedicated naturalist and dive guides
Full rental gear if needed
Nitrox on all dives
GoPro PADI® Distinctive Specialty Certification
GoPro QUIK Editing PADI® Distinctive Specialty Certification
Nightly editing and storytelling sessions
Dedicated photographer onboard
Starlink / Wi-Fi connectivity onboard
Air-conditioned cabin with en-suite bathroom
Baltra airport transfers, both directions
Santa Cruz Highlands land excursion
Not included
Airfare to/from Baltra Airport (GPS)
Galapagos National Park entrance fee (~$100, cash on arrival)
INGALA migration card
Dive and travel insurance — mandatory, DAN recommended
Nitrox certification (available as an add-on)
Alcohol and soft drinks (available onboard)
Gratuities for crew and dive guides
Rental dive gear (add-on)
Optional Puerto Ayora extended stay (add-on)
Requirements
Advanced Open Water certification — required
Nitrox certification — required (add-on available)
Strong buoyancy control
Comfortable in currents
Previous liveaboard experience preferred
Passport valid 6+ months beyond travel
GoPro HERO13 or newer
Dive log — we recommend the Buddy app
Questions
BEFORE YOU BOOK
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Harder than most people expect. Currents at Wolf and Darwin can run several knots, there are thermoclines and surge, and this is open-ocean diving. Advanced Open Water is the requirement, but comfort in moving water matters more than the card does.
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Yes — it is required, and Nitrox is then included on every dive. If you are not certified you can add the course when you book.
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A 5mm or 7mm wetsuit is recommended. The western sites around Isabela and Fernandina are noticeably colder than Wolf and Darwin, so bring more exposure protection than you think you need.
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Whale sharks in Galapagos are seasonal, with the reliable window running mid-year at Darwin. A January departure is outside that window, so we would not book this trip expecting them. What January does give you is calmer crossings and better conditions. If whale sharks are the whole reason you are going, tell us and we will flag a mid-year departure instead.
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The crossing north to Wolf is 14 hours of open Pacific and it can be rough. Bring medication and start it before you board, not after you start feeling it.
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Passport valid six months beyond travel, the INGALA migration card bought at Quito or Guayaquil airport before your Galapagos flight, and cash for the National Park entrance fee (~$100) on arrival.
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Yes. Galaxy Diver III runs Starlink, so messaging, light uploads and daily recaps all work. It varies with navigation zone and weather.
Train for It, Then Go.
Rooms & Rates
Pick how you want to stay
Shared Twin · 1 of 2 beds
Shared cabin · 2 twin beds · reserving 1 bed
$7,000 USD
Shared Triple · 1 of 3 beds
Shared cabin · 3 twin beds · reserving 1 bed
$7,000 USD
Private Cabin for 1
Private cabin · 1 queen bed · solo occupancy
$10,500 USD
Private Cabin for 2
Private cabin · 1 queen bed · 2 divers sharing
$14,000 USD