First stop was Quito, Ecuador. We spent a day touring the city. This photo of our group was taken at a tourist stop situated on the equator.
On the second day we boarded a two hour flight to San Cristóbal, one of the two islands in the Galapagos with a major airport. There we were met by our boat, the 100 foot long Humboldt Explorer.
On our first afternoon we did a check out dive in a secluded cove not far from port, then we headed north to Punta Carrion, at the northeast corner of Santa Cruz Island. Diving there was relatively easy and was an introduction to the underwater life that we would see throughout the trip. Here are some King Angels devouring a chain jelly.
From there we did a long 14 hour overnight trip northwards to the remote islands of Wolf and Darwin.
Wolf was our first introduction to high current diving. The main attraction of this area is large schools of Hammerheads. These sharks gather in large schools in these currents, so the typical dive profile was to quickly drop to the bottom and then hang on and, if possible, get yourself wedged into some rocks. Then you wait for the sharks to show up.
This was where my large camera with dual strobes proved to be a handicap. My DSLR was very difficult to operate in the high current, even if I could manage to get the camera into a shooting position it was impossible in most cases to make any adjustments as the current didn't allow for me to release both hands. Those with point and shoot cameras had a definite advantage here, their small size made them much more usable.
Still, I did get lucky with a few shots where the strobes came in handy, like this school of barracuda.
Our next stop was nearby Darwin Island. This was the most remote, wildest spot you can possibly imagine. Huge schools of sharks, hundreds of dolphins, huge flocks of seabirds. And of course, Whale Sharks.
Just to the south of the Island is Darwin's Arch. On one side there is a terraced area that baorders a much deeper area. This is where the Whale Sharks are found.
Just as in Wolf there was a very high current, so the typical dive profile was to quickly drop, hang on to the bottom and wait. After we used most of our air we then launched ourselves into the blue in the hope of running into a whale shark. Whale sharks are filter feeders, so their movements were predictable as they made large loops that took them fairly close to the ledges. With a bit of luck you find yourself right in their path as they head upcurrent.
This is a 30 foot female that we saw on several dives.
All you can do is try to position yourself in front of the shark and get as close as possible. You simply cannot keep up, much less chase down one of these giants. Just watch out for the tail as it comes by!
This was the hardest diving I've ever done. Deception Pass is a picnic compared to the currents of Darwin and Wolf. Still, it was one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had on a dive trip, one that I don't think can ever be surpassed.
Here are some suggestions if you go
Those of us with drysuits all got at least one puncture. (fortunately we brought some aquaseal!) Folks with wetsuits didn't have these issues, plus they were more streamlined overall so had an advantage with the current. Some divers brought 5mm, others 7. At least one diver with a 7mm suit said that he was too warm (the temps were in the low 70s most of the time, with a few dips to 68 in specific areas). Bring the toughest gloves you can find, some used leather tropical gloves, kevlar would help as well. My neoprene gloves had no fingertips the last couple of days.
Prepare to be challenged in ways you've never been, but you'll be rewarded with the adventure of a liftetime.
Dan
