Like most divers, I’ve always wanted to visit the Galapagos Islands. When I finally had the opportunity to do so, I was torn between a land-based trip and a liveaboard. Then, I discovered a little-known third option: a small-ship expedition cruise with a diving add-on. While researching the best way to visit these Enchanted Isles, I learned about its fascinating history.

Accidental Discovery

The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago in the eastern Pacific Ocean located 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador. The 19 main volcanic islands and 107 islets sit within a degree and a half of the equator and were accidentally discovered by the Bishop of Panama, Tomás de Berlanga, in 1535 when his ship was blown off course on his way to Peru. Upon his return, he reported to Charles V, King of Spain, “God did not make this place for humans and offered neither mineral wealth nor exploitable humans”. After that damning report, Spanish rulers ignored it for the next two centuries.

Darwin’s Voyage

Aside from buccaneers and whalers leveraging its strategic position and natural resources, the Galapagos Islands were largely avoided. In 1835, Naturalist Charles Darwin spent 34 days aboard the HMS Beagle, collecting species and making observations on the islands of San Cristobal, Floreana, Isabela, and Santiago that would ultimately change the world’s view of evolution, preservation and the Galapagos Islands' value. Today, the islands are valued for their ecologically naive wildlife, geological diversity, and endemic plant and animal life, which are not found elsewhere.

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What Makes The Galapagos Islands So Special?

The Galapagos Islands became Ecuador’s first national park in 1959. In 1986, the Galapagos Marine Reserve was created and it eventually expanded to encompass 51,352 square miles of water. Because of its geographic location at the confluence of five ocean currents: Cromwell, Humboldt, Panama, South Equatorial, and North Equatorial Countercurrent, the islands make up one of the richest marine ecosystems on the planet, which also makes it one of the world’s most popular diving destinations.

Land-Based vs. Liveaboard

Only four of the main islands offer tourist accommodations, so if I chose a land-based trip, I would be limited to how far the dive boat could reach during day tours. If I opted for a liveaboard, I could log more than 20 dives during a weeklong trip, but I would sacrifice some topside tours to see the famous flora and fauna. Because all of the islands that make up the Galapagos are part of a national park, all land tours require permits and accompaniment with a certified naturalist.

Small-Ship Expedition Cruise

During my trip research, I learned that National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions offers year-round 10-day small-ship expedition cruises around the Galapagos with the option to add two days of diving during the voyage. The add-on is only available on alternating trips for certified divers and requires travelers to make arrangements during the booking process. This option suited me and my partner perfectly because we wanted to mix land tours and diving rather than just doing a diving-centric trip.

We agreed that taking this voyage was the best way to take full advantage of our visit to the Galapagos. We were able to explore several of the main islands to see the giant tortoises, marine and land iguanas, blue-footed boobies, flamingoes, flightless cormorants, lava lizards, Galapagos hawks, Galapagos mockingbirds, Darwin’s finches and frigate birds. We could also hike, walk, paddleboard, kayak and go on the many snorkeling excursions included in the regular expedition package. We were even lucky enough to see a Galapagos penguin while snorkeling!

Related Reading: Penguins 101: Nature's Fanciest Seabirds

Floreana Diving

On the first day, our dives were near Floreana Island at Champion, Enderby and Cormorant Point. The partnering dive operator, Scuba Iguana, required us to have open-water certifications and a minimum of 15 logged dives. The dive depths ranged from 60 to 90 feet and featured lots of playtime with friendly sea lions and sightings of black coral, cup corals and other sessile invertebrates, large schools of tropical fish like angelfish, surgeonfish, Moorish idols, snappers and jacks. Floreana was also an excellent place to spot whitetip reef sharks, Galapagos sharks, green sea turtles and spotted eagle rays.

Santa Cruz Diving

On the second day, we went diving near Santa Cruz Island at Gordon Rocks, a dive site known as a haven for hammerhead sharks. Because of the challenging conditions, divers must have either advanced open water certification with a minimum of 25 logged dives or hire an additional private divemaster. The water temperature ranged from 68 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit, so we wore 7mm wetsuits with hoods on both days.

The Galapagos Islands lie at an oceanic crossroads where tropical and subtropical waters converge, influenced by powerful cold-water currents that can occasionally reduce visibility. The dives began inside a volcanic crater and reached depths of about 100 feet. The powerful currents made the dives more challenging—I can confirm the rumors are true.

We saw many pelagic fish, Galapagos and white-tipped reef sharks, rays, ocean sunfish (Mola mola), turtles, sea lions, and schools of tropical fish, but the real stars of the show were the hammerhead sharks. Witnessing a few dozen of these elusive apex predators cruise by us was exactly what we hoped for.

Related Reading: Getting Up Close With Sea Lions

What We Missed

While diving, the other ship passengers snorkeled and visited the Darwin Research Station. We also missed a visit to the tortoise captive breeding center and a tour of the sugar cane mill. Nonetheless, we were happy with our choices and could meet up with the rest of the ship passengers at the giant tortoise sanctuary in the lush green highlands on Santa Cruz Island after we had finished diving.

The ship crew, seamless logistics, lectures, sustainability-mindedness, and other factors, like great onboard meals and other unique opportunities, made this voyage one of our favorites. We hope to return someday.

How to Book

If you’re interested in taking a similar trip to the Galapagos Islands, National-Geographic Lindblad Expeditions offers diving excursions on every other sailing, so you must request this option when booking your trip, as arrangements must be made in advance. The Endeavor II has 52 cabins, can accommodate 96 guests, and has an entirely Ecuadorian crew.