Diving sites

Discover the Galápagos in a daily diving tour with a high-quality service designed for your comfort and safety.

We provide full diving gear, professional guides, and delicious snacks on board. On each diving tour, we take you to some of the most famous diving spots in the Galápagos, where you can explore vibrant marine life and experience the best underwater moments.

⭐Discovery Scuba Diving⭐

No Diving License?

If you’re curious but not ready for a certification course, Discovery Scuba Diving Experience lets you try scuba diving without a diving license and see if it’s right for you.

This experience can take place at iconic diving sites in the Galápagos, allowing you to explore its unique marine life and world-class underwater scenery—even without a diving certification.

While not a certification, you will learn how to use basic scuba equipment in shallow water and gain a safe, easy introduction to the underwater world.

Diving Itinerary

Get in touch and reserve your diving spot online. Limited to 12 divers per day.
2 Immersions per Daily Tour

Monday

Punta Cormorant & Champion Islet

🚩 Floreana Island
⭐ 290 USD

Ask for availability

Tuesday and Thursday

Gordon Rocks

🚩 Santa Cruz Island
⭐ 290 USD

❗Requires 25 logged dives or previous evaluation

See details & Calendar

Wednesday

Seymour Channel & Mosquera North

🚩 Baltra / Santa Cruz Island (North)
⭐ 290 USD

Ask for availability

Thursday

Bartolomé & Cousins Rocks

🚩 Bartolomé Island
⭐ 290 USD

Ask for availability

Friday

Mosquera South & Daphne

🚩 Baltra / Santa Cruz Island (North)
⭐ 290 USD

Ask for availability

Saturday

Seymour Channel & Seymour Point

🚩 Baltra / Santa Cruz Island (North)
⭐ 290 USD

Ask for availability

Sunday

Punta Carrión & Gordon Rocks

🚩 Santa Cruz Island
⭐ 290 USD

❗Requires 25 logged dives or previous evaluation
❗You can also book 2 dives only in Gordon Rocks

See details & Calendar

Timeline of the day

7:15

Our meeting point is at Scuba Iguana 🚩

We’ll start the morning with a short briefing over a warm cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate — just the boost you need before diving into adventure.
7:30

We start heading to the port

For northern dive sites, we’ll take a 45-minute taxi ride to the Itabaca Channel on the north side of Santa Cruz, followed by a 45- to 90-minute boat trip, depending on the location. For southern dive sites like Floreana Island, it’s just a short 10-minute taxi ride to the port of Puerto Ayora and then a 100-minute boat trip.
11:00

First Dive

Our guides must have completed the briefing upon arrival at the diving site. We gear up and check weights and equipment correctly, and then we start diving.
12:00

Break

We surface after about an hour underwater and warm up with hot drinks and snacks — a perfect energy boost before our second dive.
13:15

Second Dive

Dive time! At our second site, the team gives another briefing before we head back underwater for a one-hour dive.
14:15

Lunch Break

We surface for the last time, dry off, and enjoy a hot lunch on board while sharing stories from the dives as we cruise back to shore.
16:30

Return

We return to Scuba Iguana where we review your dive logs, go over photos, and answer any remaining questions before wrapping up an unforgettable day underwater.

What’s included in our daily diving tours?

Let us know in advance if you have special requirements

2 Dives per Day

2 x 12 L tanks with normal air. Divers require a PADI Open Water certification

Professional and Experienced Crew

Spanish/English speaking dive guides authorized by the National Park Galápagos, all PADI instructors with many years of experience in local waters. Attentive and service-oriented staff with many years of experience.

Complete Dive Gear

Wetsuit 5 or 7 mm, regulator (yoke) with pressure and depth gauge, BCD, mask, fins, boots, hood, cotton gloves, weight belt and 2 air tanks 12L.

Small Groups

Max. 5 divers/guide for a safe and great experience underwater.

Check dive

A short weight and gear check in shallow waters (Galapagos waters require more neoprene and weights than you may be used to). Quick skills refresher if it has been a while since your last dive.

Food and more

Hot lunch (delicious local/ international food, specialties such as vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free food are possible), snacks and fruits, table water, juice and tea. Towel service.

Extras

Contact us in advance to check the availability of instruments

  • DIN Adapter $5 each
  • NITROX Tank $15 each (with certification)
  • 15 L Tank normal air $10 each
  • Dive Computer $15 per day
  • Private Dive Guide $210

Conditions and Special Considerations

Get familiar with some especial cases

For the safety and satisfaction of all our divers, we strive to keep our dive groups together.

This is often challenging, as each group is made up of divers with different skill levels, experience, and expectations. Basic safety procedures do not allow unaccompanied ascents or solo diving. Although these are standard regulations, divers naturally prefer not to sacrifice their valuable underwater time due to another diver’s personal limitations.

Our goal is to accommodate everyone who wishes to dive safely in the Galápagos. If you have any special limitations or requirements, please let us know as early as possible so we can make appropriate arrangements that do not affect the safety or success of the entire dive group.

⭐Physical limitations or difficulties⭐

If you have any difficulty or limitation that may prevent you from diving at a level similar to the rest of the group, you are required to hire an additional Divemaster. This assistance must be provided at all times, including during transportation and throughout the dive.


⭐High air consumption⭐

If you consume air more quickly than average, this may require the entire group to ascend earlier than planned. Please inform us at the dive shop when making your arrangements. We can provide a 15-liter cylinder or arrange for a personal Divemaster to assist you individually.


⭐Descent or equalization issues⭐

If you experience problems with pressure equalization or any other difficulty that may delay your descent for more than 8 minutes, preventing you from descending with the guide and group, a personal Divemaster must be contracted to accompany you for the duration of the dive.


⭐Underwater photography or extended dive time⭐

If your main objective is underwater photography and you prefer not to move with a group, or if your skill level and air consumption allow you to extend your dive up to the maximum permitted time of one hour, a personal Divemaster is required.


⭐Health considerations⭐

If you have experienced episodic diarrhea, vomiting, or any condition that may cause dehydration in the days prior to your scheduled dive, please inform us, as this can increase the risk of decompression-related issues. Likewise, please let us know if you have ever experienced decompression sickness.

⭐Underage divers⭐

Children aged 10–11 years, even if Junior Open Water certified, must be accompanied by a private guide due to depth limitations (certified to 12 m / 40 ft, while group dives reach 18 m / 60 ft). For certified children aged 12–14 years, hiring a private guide is strongly recommended. If a private guide is not contracted, an adult family member who is a certified diver must accompany the child during the dive.

Please note that special regulations may apply for advanced dive sites such as Gordon Rocks.

F.A.Q.

Chat with us using the WhatsApp button if you have additional questions

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What is the best time of the year to dive in the Galapagos?

Diving in the Galapagos is always great, no matter when you come. Most emblematic animals such as hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks, sea lions, sea turtles, rays, are here all year round.

In the cold season (June-November) the chances of encountering special animals such as a manta ray or a sunfish on a day dive are better. With a lot of luck a whale shark will swim by. However, the waters are more difficult to dive during the cold season. The warm season (December-May) offers more relaxed diving and better visibility.

👉Check Ocean Currents and Climate🌊

What diving conditions can I expect?

Despite its location on the equator, Galapagos has marked seasons due to the influence of different winds and ocean currents. December - May: 70°F/20°C - 80°F/26°C water temperature; the southeast trade winds weaken and the water from the Panama Basin brings warmer and calmer seas; sailing to the dive sites is easier; average visibility is better, around 12m. June - November: 65°F/18°C - 75°F/23°C water temperature; the Humboldt Current typically brings choppy seas and strong surges making sailing times longer; the average visibility drops to about 7m.

How much dive experience should I have for diving in the Galapagos?

An Open Water certification (PADI, SSI, NAUI, BASC, …) is sufficient to participate in our daily diving tours. For the dive site Gordon Rocks we require an additional 25 dives of experience. Some experience in cool and current-rich waters is an advantage (but not mandatory) since water temperatures here are quite low and all dives are drift dives. Divers without Open Water certification can do a Discovery Dive with private guidance at all dive sites except Gordon Rocks.

Can I dive in your sites with no Diving Certification?

Yes. If you do not have a diving certification (such as PADI Open Water), you can still join our daily diving tours by participating in a Discover Scuba Diving experience. This introductory dive allows you to safely experience breathing underwater under the close supervision of a professional instructor.

Through this experience, you can dive at some of the iconic diving sites of the Galápagos and discover its extraordinary marine life, even without a certification.

Is it possible to dive at Gordon Rocks with less than 25 dives of experience?

Yes, if you have at least 18 dives experience, you can have your diving skills evaluated for Gordon Rocks by our guides on a previous dive.

Do I need to pay during the online booking process?

No payment is required when booking online through our website. We will send you a payment link once we confirm the availability of a diving spot for your chosen date.

How far in advance should I book day diving tours?

We recommend booking day tours at least 2 days in advance, as availability may be severely limited a few days or weeks before the planned trip. Boats for day diving tours in the archipelago have a maximum capacity of 12 guests. If you intend to come during the high season (Easter, July/August, Christmas/New Year) or as a group it makes sense to contact us up to 1 year in advance, otherwise 6-3 months is sufficient to find flexible availability.

Can I cancel my online booking?

Yes, you can cancel before any payment is made. If you pay and then you wish to cancel, then the cancellation policy applies.

Check Terms and Conditions

How long do I have to wait after diving before I can fly? Can I dive the day before departure?

On each day diving tour, the last dive ends around 01:00 PM. PADI recommends 18 hours between diving and flying. As the first flights depart quite late in the morning, it is usually no problem to fly the day after diving. Night dives are not possible the day before a flight.

Is there a discount for bringing my private dive gear?

Yes, we give a discount of USD 20/ day diving tour for bringing complete private equipment (wetsuit, BCD, regulator, mask, and fins (boodies)). Please note that our tanks have YOKE connections; if you have a DIN regulator, you should also bring an adapter. The use of reef hooks is prohibited at all dive sites.

Are photos and videos included in the diving tours? Can I use my own camera?

No, photos are not necessarily included. We want our guides to be able to concentrate fully on safe and good diving without the pressure of documenting the dive. However, the guides have private cameras which they are free to use as they think fit. Whether the photos are made available for free afterwards or can be purchased for a few extra dollars is also at the discretion of the respective dive guide. We allow our guests to take their own small camera on the tour. However, they must stay with the dive guide and follow the pace of the group. Guests who wish to concentrate on photography and may bring their (professional) camera equipment will require a private dive guide.

What is the ratio of divers to dive guides? How are the groups put together for diving?

Our groups have a maximum of 5 divers/guide. Every day, we try to divide the groups as much as possible into more experienced divers and less experienced divers. However, depending on the participants, it is difficult to do this very strictly, i.e., there can be quite a difference in diving experience within the group. If you, for example, have a lot of experience (200+ dives) and want to ensure an uninterrupted dive, there is the option of hiring a private guide. Likewise, if you are a beginner who is not confident enough in his/her diving skills, a private guide or an assistant can be hired.

May I hire a private guide?

Yes, you can book private guidance. We differentiate between an assistant/divemaster who helps you with diving in the group (for example, in case of difficulties with pressure equalization or buoyancy control) and a private dive guide/instructor who helps you if necessary, but above all with whom you can dive independently of the group. An assistant costs USD 180/ day diving tour, and a private guide costs USD 210/ day diving tour.

I will be on a naturalist cruise and would like to dive as well. What is the best way to do this?

There are basically two possibilities: One is to add a couple of day diving tours before or after the cruise, which in most cases is the easier and more affordable option. The other is to include a diving day during the cruise, which means we pick you up from the cruise ship and drop you off there after diving. Whether and how this is possible depends on various factors, especially the itinerary of the cruise. This boat-to-boat option is almost exclusively possible as a charter booking.

Can the islands of Darwin and Wolf be reached on a day diving tour?

No, these dive sites are too far away from any inhabited island to be reached on a day diving tour. Darwin and Wolf can only be visited on an 8-day / 7-night dive liveaboard cruise.

Are there day diving tours to/from Isable Island?

There are no day diving tours from Santa Cruz to Isabela Island. It is possible to dive from Puerto Villamil/ Isabela Island, but we cannot recommend it and do not sell it.

How much should I tip?

Our team is happy to receive recognition for their work, of course. We recommend between 5-20 USD/tour as a tip. The money in the box is shared by all crew members. If you would like to thank a specific person, please put the money directly in their hand. However, it should be noted that no one has to live off the tips.