Scuba 'Dive & Stay' Certification Package - Galapagos Islands

Contact for pricing

  • Duration

    7 Days

  • Bookable From

    Year-round

  • Trip Style

    Self-Guided

  • Country

    The Galapagos Islands

  • Physical Rating

    Mildly Strenuous

Overview

This 'Dive & Stay' package in the Galapagos Islands is for beginners seeking scuba diving open water PADI certification.

When not visiting beautiful dive sites, you'll experience several iconic land-based excursions around the Galapagos Islands or have free time to relax, all while basing your stay in a cozy guest house nearby.

This Dive & Stay package is at a PADI 5-star dive resort on Santa Cruz Island. Airport transfers from Baltra and dive equipment are included!

Highlights

  • 1 scuba diving pool session and 4 open water scuba dives
  • Be on the lookout for: reef fish, sharks, turtles, sea lions, rays, barracudas, eels, invertebrates, and more
  • Highland tour
  • North Seymour land excursion
  • 1 free day (relax or add on an additional excursion)
For the Dive & Stay scuba certification package, an underwater shot at the Galapagos Islands is shown with a rocky ocean bottom and a large school of small fish, with blue water above.
For the Dive & Stay scuba certification package, an underwater shot at the Galapagos Islands is shown with a hammerhead shark facing the frame at Gordon Rocks.
For the Dive & Stay scuba certification package, an underwater shot at the Galapagos Islands is shown with sea lions playing at the Floreana site.
A room is shown at the accommodation I the Galapagos Islands for the Scuba Dive & Stay Certification Package. It's a double bed with light sheets and a brown headboard, with a window and greenery to the left.
For the Dive & Stay scuba certification package, an underwater shot at the Galapagos Islands is shown with an octopus in a colorful orange and red cave.
For the Dive & Stay scuba certification package, the scuba dive boat is show from the water.
The outside of the accommodations is shown on the Galapagos Islands for the Scuba Dive & Stay Certification Package. It's a stone path with trees and room entrances to the right.
A room is shown at the accommodation I the Galapagos Islands for the Scuba Dive & Stay Certification Package. It's a triple room with 3 beds, with a window and greenery to the right.

Dive sites depend on the day of the week.

  • Monday: Floreana
  • Tuesday: Gordon Rocks (only for divers with 25+ dives)
  • Wednesday: North Mosquera / Seymour Channel
  • Thursday: Bartolome / Cousins Rock
  • Friday: South Mosquera / Daphne
  • Saturday: Seymour Northeast / Seymour Channel
  • Sunday: Punta Carrion / Gordon Rocks (only for divers with 25+ dives)

Here is what to expect at each dive site:

FLOREANA

  • Location: South of Santa Cruz Island, 3 possible dive sites: Punta Cormorant, Champion, and Enderby; it is 1 hour and a half away from our base.
  • Site Conditions: Depth of 18m. Normally the sites do not present strong currents. Reef dives where corals and sponges can be found.
  • Activity: Cleaning station, sea lions, Galapagos sharks, white tip reef sharks, red-lipped batfish, turtles, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, barracudas, and various invertebrates.

GORDON ROCKS

(Min. experience to participate: 25 logged dives or the previous evaluation of our dive guides at another site.)

  • Location: North of Santa Cruz Island, 2 dive sites located 30 minutes from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz Island).
  • Site Conditions: This rock formation is a world-renowned site. It is only for intermediate and advanced divers due to the strong currents and surges.
  • Activity: Hammerhead shark, cleaning station, Galapagos sharks, white tip reef shark, mobulas (devil rays), turtles, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, Galapagos eel, barracudas, and various invertebrates.

NORTH MOSQUERA

  • Location: North of Santa Cruz Island between North Seymour Island and Baltra Island. This is an islet that emerges from the sea (sand bar), one dive site located 25 minutes from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz island).
  • Site Conditions: Normally there are no strong currents and a sandy bottom around 10 meters with garden eels and pelagic species. North Mosquera presents a sandy rock area that connects with Seymour Channel, where reef fishes and sharks rest.
  • Activity: Hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks, black tip reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, sea lions, turtles, barracudas, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, mobulas (devil rays), Galápagos eels, and various invertebrates.

SEYMOUR (CHANNEL)

  • Location: North of Santa Cruz Island, 2 dive sites located 25 minutes from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz Island).
  • Site Conditions: For all levels of divers, although sometimes there can be strong currents, platform reefs with a diversity of fish species, sandy bottom with a 10m reef where there are a lot of reef sharks, and a fish cleaning station.
  • Activity: Cleaning station, sea lions, Galapagos sharks, white/ black tip reef sharks, hammerhead sharks, mobulas (devil rays), turtles, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, Galapagos eel, barracudas, and various invertebrates.

BARTOLOME

  • Location: Located east of Santiago Island, a small Island with the famous Bartholomew pinnacle, dive sites are located 1.5 hours from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz Island).
  • Site Conditions: No strong currents to expect. A platform is found at approximately 10 meters of depth where a variety of reef fishes rest. On the edge of this platform, there are underwater cliffs that start at a depth of about 15 meters with good probabilities to observe pelagic species.
  • Activity: White tip reef sharks, reef fishes, barracudas, turtles, mantas, mobulas (devil rays), sting rays, and various invertebrates.

COUSINS ROCK

  • Location: North-east of Santiago island near Bartholomew island. Dive sites are located 1.5 hours from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz Island).
  • Site Conditions: Normally there are no strong currents at this site; this is partly a reef dive, partly a wall dive where the endemic black coral is found.
  • Activity: Cleaning station, sea horses, barracudas, sea lions, Galapagos sharks, white tip reef sharks, turtles, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, various invertebrates. At surface intervals, penguins can be observed.

SOUTH MOSQUERA

  • Location: North of Santa Cruz Island between North Seymour Island and Baltra Island, this is an islet that emerges from the sea (sand bar), one dive site located 25 minutes from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz Island).
  • Site Conditions: There are no strong currents; a big reef of 5 meters with an inclination ravine of m with black coral and mollusks invertebrates; there is also a submarine rift from 18 meters with pelagic species.
  • Activity: Hammerhead sharks, black tip reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, sea lions, turtles, barracuda, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, mobulas (devil rays), Galápagos eels, and various invertebrates.

DAPHNE

  • Location: North of Santa Cruz Island, an exposed rock, one dive site located 30 minutes from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz Island).
  • Site Conditions: Moderate currents, rocky and sandy bottom. Here we find a small cave (this is NOT a cave dive) where white-tip reef sharks rest. Additionally, there is a pinnacle where we can find a diversity of rays, Galápagos sharks, turtles, coral reef fishes, barracudas, black coral walls, and various invertebrates.
  • Activity: Cleaning station, barracudas, sea lions, Galapagos sharks, white tip reef sharks, turtles, reef fishes, mantas, sting rays, eagle rays, and various invertebrates.

SEYMOUR (POINT)

  • Location: North of Santa Cruz Island, located 30 minutes from Itabaca Channel (North side of
  • Santa Cruz Island). Site Conditions: A bit more difficult in relation to Seymour Channel. Rocky bottom with small caves at 12m where you can find turtles or reef sharks resting; currents are possible (not too strong). The dive starts on the coast and then goes into the blue to watch bigger pelagics, at the end of the dive there is a platform where sea lions play with the flow, and a cleaning station.
  • Activity: Cleaning station, sea lions, Galapagos sharks, white tip reef sharks, hammerhead sharks, mobulas (devil rays), turtles, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, Galapagos eel, barracudas, and various invertebrates.

SEYMOUR (CHANNEL)

  • Location: North of Santa Cruz Island, 2 dive sites located 25 minutes from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz Island).
  • Site Conditions: For all levels of divers, although sometimes there can be strong currents, platform reefs with a diversity of fish species, sandy bottom with 10m reef where there a lot of reef sharks, and a fish cleaning station.
  • Activity: Cleaning station, sea lions, Galapagos sharks, white/ black tip reef sharks, hammerhead sharks, mobulas (devil rays), turtles, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, Galapagos eel, barracudas, and various invertebrates.

PUNTA CARRIÓN

  • Location: Punta Carrion is located northeast of Santa Cruz Island.
  • Site conditions: Punta Carrión is a site with high ecological value due to the mangrove ecosystems that harbor an extensive variety of marine species and marine-coastal birds. This dive site offers ideal conditions for beginners and advanced divers as it has a protected area at the beginning of the dive with calm sea, and no currents at the sandy/rocky bottom full of marine life before reaching the gorge exposed to the currents. This outer side with its swell and currents ranging from moderate to strong offers favorable conditions for pelagic species.
  • Activity: The mangrove areas that offer protection to small fish allow this place to have a great variety of reef fish such as angelfish, butterfly fish, surgeonfish, grunts, snappers, damselfish, cod, scorpion fish, parrotfish, old Mexican, stonefish, hedgehog fish, trumpet fish, cornet fish, moray eels, tiger eels. Also, sea turtles can be spotted, as well as different species of rays such as skates, marbled rays, eagle rays, giltheads, mobulas (devil rays), and different species of sharks such as white tips, Galapagos sharks, hammerhead sharks, black tip sharks.

Seasonal Notes

The climate of the Galapagos Islands is subtropical.

  • December to May: Warm season. Low 80°F/26°C – High 90°F/32°C, strong sun and rain alternately; warmer and calmer seas.
  • June to September: Cool season. Low 60°F/15°C – High 70°F/20°C, mornings are often misty; the drizzle ‘garua’ is common.
  • October to December: Dry season. Low 70°F/20°C – High 80°F/26°C, it's a good time to visit for mild weather conditions.

Below are specifics about the dive conditions:

  • January to June: 70°F/20°C – 80°F/26°C water temperature; southeast trade winds become weaker, and water coming from the Panama Basin brings warmer, calmer seas; sailing to any island/dive spot is easier.
  • July to December: 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 Humboldt Current, like the upwelling of the Cromwell Deep Current off the Galapagos Islands, makes the waters quite cold for divers. Thermoclines even colder than 65°F/18°C are possible. We provide 5 or 7mm wetsuits and have accessories such as hoods. If you are not used to cold seas, or if you feel cold easily, please feel free to bring an extra base layer.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival Day

Arrive at Baltra Airport, where your transfer agent will pick you up and accompany you to the guest house.

Private vehicles are not permitted on the island of Baltra, which is why the transfer agent will accompany you briefly on the bus to the Itabaca Channel, which you then cross together. Once you arrive on Santa Cruz Island, you'll go the rest of the way in your driver’s private car.

Between 3-6 PM, please come to our dive center for the gear fitting and briefing.

Accommodation: Guest House

Day 2 - Highland Tour & Pool Session

Enjoy a private half-day land excursion to the Highlands of Santa Cruz in the morning with your bilingual naturalist guide of the Galapagos National Park. The tour takes 4-5 hours and includes transportation from your accommodation, the ranch entrance fee, and a hot lunch.

The first stop of the Santa Cruz Highland Tour tour is at “Los Gemelos”. These collapsed twin craters were formed when the island was still an active volcano. This area is one of the few where the endemic Salesia forest (different species and varieties) is almost intact. Some Finch species and the Galapagos Dove (Zenaida galapagoensis) are here. With a lot of luck, you’ll see the bright red Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus nanus).

After, you continue to one of the two ranches bordering the National Park Tortoise Reserve to visit the massive and impressive Giant Tortoises of Galapagos (Chelonoidis porteri) in their natural habitat. An unforgettable moment! Observe them wandering around or relaxing in the mud. The tortoises do not live there in a fenced area, but are instead lured into the meadows with simple puddles of mud and water so that visitors can get a good look at them. A pleasure for people and for animals that can leave the enclosure at any time to continue on their way.

Another highlight of this excursion is the lava tunnels that are part of the ranch land.

On a beautiful wooden terrace, you can enjoy a delicious lunch, snacks, coffee, and shelter (in case of downpours).

In the afternoon, have a pool session to practice exercises for the PADI Open Water Dive course. This includes transportation, a bilingual dive instructor from the Galapagos National Park, full dive gear, and pool entry.

Meals: Breakfast, Snack, Lunch

Accommodation: Guest House

Day 3 - North Seymour (Land Excursion)

Enjoy a land excursion to North Seymour with a small group of max 16 guests. You'll be picked up from your accommodation around 7 or 8 AM and take a boat out to North Seymour with a bilingual naturalist guide from the Galapagos National park, and snorkel equipment, towels, snacks, beverages, and lunch are included.

Lying just to the north of Baltra is Seymour, the so-called bird island. It's a low island consisting of uplifted submarine lava. The dry landing on black basaltic lava can be slippery. The landing is already rich in wildlife: Sea Lions (Zalophus wollebaeki), Swallow-tailed Gulls (Creagrus furcatus), Lava Gulls (Leucophaeus fuliginosus), Tropicbirds, Brown Noddy Terns (Anous stolidus) and Pelicans.

After a short climb over the “pillow lavas”, the rest of the trail is flat and easy to walk. The trail is a large loop and the guide decides in which direction the group starts. If you walk the path clockwise, you walk first along the coast and pass through a wide expanse of sand crisscrossed by trails of Marine Iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) and Land Iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus). These reptiles nest here, so it is very important to respect the trail markings.

Some of the best waves on the islands hit a rocky beach to your left; Young Sea Lions often surf here with both islands, Daphne major and minor, in the background. To the right of the path, there are groups of Saltbush where the Magnificent Frigate Birds nest. Males and females nest in trees which is unusual for Galapagos seabirds. A side trail goes inland to the breeding area and another branch turns the other way to a flatter area where Blue-Footed Boobies (Sula nebouxii) nest on the ground in a ring of white guano. The Incense Trees (Bursera graveolens subsp. malacophylla) here are an endemic species. During the dry season they look dead, but after the rains in February, they turn green almost overnight.

Other endemic plants include Opuntia cactus (different species and varieties), Croton (Croton scouleri), Castela (Casetla galapageia), and Galápagos Carpetweed (Sesuvium portulacastrum).

You'll return from the tour around 4 PM.

Meals: Breakfast, Snack, Lunch

Accommodation: Guest House

Day 4 - Open Water Dives 1 & 2

Be picked up from the guest house at 7:45 AM and taken to the dive sites. Your dive sites will depend on the day of the week you are diving. The dive day schedule will be:

09h30 / 10h30: Arrival at dive site. Dive and weight check (30 minutes)

10h30 / 11h30: First Dive (Depth 18-25mts/ 59-82ft. Max time 1 hour)

11h30 / 12h30: Surface Interval (1.5 hour); Snack

12h45 / 13h45: Second Dive (depth 18-20mts / 59-65ft. Max Time 1 hour)

13h45 / 14h45: Lunch & head back

15h15 / 16h30: Arrive back at dive center

Meals: Breakfast, Snack, Lunch

Accommodation: Guest House

Day 5 - Open Water Dives 3 & 4

Be picked up from the guest house at 7:45 AM and taken to the dive sites. Your dive sites will depend on the day of the week you are diving. The dive day schedule will be:

09h30 / 10h30: Arrival at dive site. Dive and weight check (30 minutes)

10h30 / 11h30: First Dive (Depth 18-25mts/ 59-82ft. Max time 1 hour)

11h30 / 12h30: Surface Interval (1.5 hour); Snack

12h45 / 13h45: Second Dive (depth 18-20mts / 59-65ft. Max Time 1 hour)

13h45 / 14h45: Lunch & head back

15h15 / 16h30: Arrive back at dive center

Meals: Breakfast, Snack, Lunch

Accommodation: Guest House

Day 6 - Free Day

Enjoy a day relaxing, or talk to us on-site about joining another excursion!

For relaxing... Get familiar with the beautiful sights near Puerto Ayora and visit the majestic sandy beach “Tortuga Bay” to observe seabirds and marine iguanas, and to swim, snorkel and relax. Or, head to the small water-filled rift “Las Grietas” to snorkel and explore the dry zone of Santa Cruz Island (no pre-booked guided tour required).

For an excursion... We recommend going to the Santa Cruz Highlands to observe the Galapagos giant tortoises, or visiting a neighboring island. Talk to us about your interests and we'll advise you!

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Guest House

Day 7 - Departure Day

Your private transfer will take you from the guest house to Baltra Airport for your onward journey.

Meals: Breakfast

Customization for Certified Divers

If you are a certified diver, consider one of the below options, or contact us for further customization.

  1. 7 days/6 nights: Dive & Stay Package. The itinerary is similar to the above, with the following schedule:
  2. Day 1 - Arrival
    Day 2 - Open Water Dives 1 & 2
    Day 3 - Open Water Dives 3 & 4
    Day 4 - Free Day
    Day 5 - Open Water Dives 5 & 6
    Day 6 - Open Water Dives 7 & 8
    Day 7 - Departure
  3. 7 days/6 nights: Best of Santa Cruz. Enjoy 3 dive days (6 dives, for certified divers only), 2 land or snorkeling excursions with (equipment and) a naturalist guide, and a Santa Cruz Highlands visit.
  4. 9 days/8 nights: Island Hopping + Scuba Diving. Enjoy 5 dive days (9 dives, for certified divers only), snorkeling tours with equipment and a naturalist guide, and a visit to Española Island.

Route Map

The location of Puerto Ayora, where the Galapagos Dive & Stay Certification package trip takes place.

Inclusions & Exclusions

  • 6 nights' accommodation in a guest house

  • 6 breakfasts

  • Snacks, lunches, & non-alcoholic beverages as mentioned in the itinerary

  • Transfers to/from Baltra Airport with an English-speaking guide

  • Either 1 pool session + 4 open water dives

  • All dive equipment, including towels

  • All transfers to/from dive sites

  • Private, bilingual (EN/ES) divemaster guide

  • International airfare to/from Baltra

  • National Park Entrance Fee

  • TCT(transit card, to be paid on-site)

  • Meals not mentioned in the itinerary

  • Tips

  • Visas

  • Travel Insurance

Pricing

Prices exclude flights to/from the destination.

Prices are for double room occupancy unless indicated otherwise.

Contact for pricing.

  • Deposit per person

    50% of trip price

Sustainability

Carbon removals are included with your booking.

The dive company is locally-owned, and cooperates with the National Park and the Charles Darwin Research Station to support their projects to protect the islands.


The accommodation is a locally-owned guest house implementing the following sustainability measures:

  • Everything used in the bathroom is biodegradable: liquid soap, shampoo, and bamboo bags for garbage cans.
  • There is a big hot water heater (instead of an instantaneous water heater).
  • All garbage is thrown away according to the recycling rules.

Health & Safety

Be sure you have traveler's insurance.

FAQs

What does the Physical Rating of "Mildly Strenuous" mean?

You should have generally good physical fitness for scuba diving. If you have a medical condition or anxiety, please consult with your doctor to see if a dive trip is suitable for you.

What are the accommodations like?

You will be staying at a well-established accommodation run by an older local lady. She'll serve you a delicious and healthy breakfast. The accommodations are not fancy, but nice, tidy, clean, and safe.

How should I prepare for scuba dive certification?

We provide the e-learning papers through PADI. The theory should be studied at home. It is not necessary to take the exam before coming to the islands, but it is recommended to study the theory of diving before doing the practical part here.

You will learn how to dive from the ground up:

  • How to use the equipment above and below the water 
  • Physics of diving 
  • Safety

What is the diving visibility like?

The average visibility in the Galapagos is approximately 25 to 35ft (8 to 10m), with it increasing to 60ft (18m) on good days. A unique aspect of the Galapagos is that the wildlife is abundant and offers you a chance to get close to the animals. Please do not touch the marine life and try to keep a respectful distance.

What should I bring?

A few key items to remember:

  • Reef-safe sunscreen
  • Refillable water bottle
  • Windbreaker jacket or sweatshirt

Reviews

For the Dive & Stay scuba certification package, an underwater shot at the Galapagos Islands is shown with a rocky ocean bottom and a large school of small fish, with blue water above.

Caity Z.

Sep 9, 2024

Amazing experience...and sustainable!

We had an amazing experience working with Yugen Earthside! From start to finish, we were supported in organizing our trip and answering any and all questions that came our way. We had an incredible experience in the Galapagos and fell in love with the local staff and the unique landscape! Very happy to know that such an amazing trip was also a sustainable choice!

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