OUR MAIN DIVE SITES
Selected, safe and sheltered locations close to our dive centre and the town
Our Novice and Refresher diver training sessions are mostly conducted in Academy Bay, so named by the California Academy of Sciences during an expedition conducted in 1905. Academia Bay lays aside Puerto Ayora, the largest town in the Galapagos, and is adjacent to the Charles Darwin Research Station. This was founded in 1959 to preserve and study the fauna and flora of the Galapagos Islands.
The bay has four dive sites that are ideal for training and refresher purposes, all accessible within a 10-to-20-minute boat ride from the town’s main harbour.
We offer daily trips to the bay at 08:00, 13.00, and 18.00 hrs, for 1 and 2 tank adventures. As required, we offer buoys with ropes, to assist with ascent and descent.
Set out below is a brief description of each site.
PUNTA ESTRADA
Travel duration: Approx. 10 mins from Puerto Ayora.
Dive Difficulty: Ideal for novice & reactivate students. Also, with much to offer divers with advanced qualifications.
Location: To the southwest side of the bay.
Description: This site provides our best training location, with a depth of between just 6m and 15m and a flat sandy bottom.
Whilst undertaking dive exercises it’s not unusual for our clients to see reef fish, various rays, sea turtles, white-tip sharks, octopus, lobsters, and other local creatures such as sea cucumbers and sea stars.
We cannot recommend a better place to train in the Galapagos than Punta Estrada, it will provide a natural boost to your learning and enhance the enjoyment of your course!
LOBERIA (Caamaño Islet)
Travel duration: Approx. 15 - 20 mins from Puerto Ayora.
Dive Difficulty: Ideal for novice & reactivate students. Also, with much to offer divers with advanced qualifications.
Location: To the south side of the bay.
Description: This site provides ideal conditions for training dives 3 and 4 of the Open Water course. At this site it’s common to see reef fish, sea lions, various rays and other local creatures.
Loberia is also a site much loved by Free Divers and is an excellent choice for those undertaking the Apnea 2 qualification.
If you are interested in Free Diving, please bear in mind that we have an in-house expert, PADI Free-Diving Instructor, Alan Jacome.
EL BAJO
Travel duration: Approx. 15 mins from Puerto Ayora.
Dive Difficulty: Ideal for ‘advanced’ students & clients taking a re-activate course. This site also has much to offer divers who already hold advanced qualifications.
Location: To the south-west side of the bay.
Description: A seamount rising from 40 m to approx. 10 m, this is an ideal location to practice when taking the Advanced course. Our clients can experience current and depth in controlled conditions and will likely see pelagic species such as hammerhead and reef sharks, eagle rays, sea turtles, and schooling fish.
Sometimes, El Bajo even provides divers with the chance to watch canoodling octopuses!
El BARRANCO
Travel duration: Approx. 15 - 20 mins from Puerto Ayora.
Dive Difficulty: Ideal for those finishing the Open Water course and practising for the Advanced course. This site also has much to offer divers who already hold advanced qualifications.
Location: To the south-east side of the bay.
Description: An underwater cliff face where it is common to find sea turtles, large schools of Salema (small striped fish), rays, black tip and white tip sharks, and various reef fishes.
There is the chance to enter a small cavern at this location, in which it is common to find lobster.
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