Academy Bay Diving, Galapagos Islands

At the meeting point of several oceanic currents, the Galapagos Islands boast a unique mix of both tropical and temperate species which thrive among nutrient-rich upwellings from the deep surrounding ocean. In fact, when it comes to biodiversity, this region has few rivals - particularly if you’re looking for big fish. Incredibly, some 30 species of shark call these waters home, along with mantas, devil rays, and eagle rays. Plus, you can find yellow-bellied sea snakes, sea lions, dolphins, huge sea turtles, and unique marine iguanas. But the conditions that support such biodiversity comes with a price, as the majority of sites are best suited to advanced divers who are comfortable in deep - and often cold - water, with strong, ripping currents.

Scuba diving San Cristobal

The most easterly of the main islands, San Cristobal is where a lot of liveaboard dive trips begin. Day trips can also be done to many of the island’s dive sites, including Lobos Island, Santa Fe, Five Fingers, Whale Rock, and more. Tijeretas Hill is a great site for beginners, offering superb visibility and plenty of photo opportunities, while Kicker Rock is ideal for those with a little more experience. You can expect to see rays, sharks and sea lions, which congregate around a thin channel carved through the towering rock wall.

Scuba diving Santa Cruz and Santiago

Heading northwest, the next two main islands are Santa Cruz and Santiago. Santa Cruz’s Gordon Rocks dive site is undoubtedly among the best in the central islands, featuring strong surge, ripping current, and impressive schools of hammerheads. Cousin’s Rock, on Santiago Island, is also a favourite for its wealth of smaller creatures. The walls, slopes and steps here are covered in black coral bushes, sea fans, red sponges, and small hard corals which shelter hawkfish, nudibranchs, frogfish, and Galapagos sea horses.

Diving Isabela Island

The majority of Isabela’s diving is located around its northern coast, including Punta Albemarle and Cape Marshall - often dubbed the ray capital of the Galapagos. Punta Vicente Roca, on the northeastern tip, is an incredible cold-water site renowned for encounters with mola mola, penguins and sea lions, as well as marine iguanas and red-lipped batfish. Further north you’ll find Roca Redonda - famous for its streams of natural gas bubbles. Descend quickly and pull yourself along the rocks in search of Galapagos sharks, silky sharks and schools of hammerheads, as well as an abundance of nudibranchs.

Darwin and Wolf Islands diving

It can take up to 14 hours of sailing to reach Darwin and Wolf Islands, but it’s worth every minute, as these remote islands deliver some of the best scuba diving in Galapagos. From the boulder-strewn site known as Landslide to the many swim-throughs found at The Caves, Wolf Island is nothing short of spectacular. But it’s Shark Bay that many divers come to see. You’ll likely be ambushed by playful sea lions as you descend in search of yellowfin tuna, pelican barracuda, and jacks, as well as Galapagos sharks, silky sharks, and schools of hammerheads.

Remote Darwin Island is located in the far northwest of the Galapagos Island chain. Surface conditions can be rough and currents challenging, but the cool touch of the Humboldt current is less prevalent, making this site feel more like a tropical dive than most others. In a sense, there’s really only one dive site here, known as Darwin Arch, but it can be explored in a variety of ways. Only, one thing is sure to stay the same - a high probability of hammerhead sharks that gather in their hundreds.