Galapagos Diving Safari on the M/Y Astrea

DAY 1 | MONDAY | Welcome to Ecuador!

Meet and greet service at either the Guayaquil or Quito airport or private transfer to the corresponding hotel for an overnight stay: In Quito, the Rincon de Puembo (located near the airport or best available) and in Guayaquil, Palace Hotel (or best available).

DAY 2 | TUESDAY | Mainland Ecuador / Galapagos Islands | B.L.D.

At the appropriate time, private transfer back to the airport for your flight to the Galapagos (airfare is included) Mid-morning arrival at Baltra airport. Our guide will welcome you, gather the group, and take you to the Astrea Motor Yacht to check in. Welcome Cocktail and an abundant lunch and after accommodating yourself in one of our comfortable cabins, we will give a short introduction with general information about the yacht and its installations. Afterwards you will have a first dive at the northeast area of Baltra to check equipment and weights where you will be joined by rays, white tip sharks, and sea lions.

DAY 3 | WEDNESDAY | Bartolome Island (1 dive) / Cousins Rock (2 dives) | B.L.D.

Morning: Bartolome Island. This is the perfect spot to start your adventure with moderate currents. At the depth of around 20 mts. (60 ft.) we might see white tip reef sharks, green marine turtles, and different types of rays, tropical fish, and the red lip batfish, which are endemic to the Islands. Occasionally even the first hammerhead sharks can be spotted swimming nearby. After this first dive our chef awaits with an amazing breakfast.

Mid-Morning and Afternoon: Cousins Rock. The second dive of the day will be approximately 15 minutes north of Bartolome by an islet, which is a perfect spot with moderate to stronger currents with excellent possibilities to spot sea horses, bloody frogfish, and schools of eagle rays, sea lions, fur seals, and sometimes giant manta rays. The topography forms a nicely populated slope full of volcanically formed holes that are the perfect refuge for moray eels, octopus, and lobster. We will be surrounded by black coral and many different types of sponges. A warm shower and little snacks wait for guests on board before lunch. After a well-deserved nap the third dive of the day will be at this same spot. Back on board, the M/Y Astrea Galapagos Diving Safari continues toward Wolf Island.

DAY 4 | THURSDAY | Diving in Wolf Island | B.L.D.

In this remote spot of the Galapagos today we will have two dives, the first one at El Derrumbe (Landslide). The topography is forming a slope where we descend up to 25 mts. (75 ft.). Large schools of hammerhead sharks are welcoming the divers to the first highlight of the trip. We also find Galapagos sharks and other open water species such as green and Carey turtles. With some luck even the large whale shark will make its first appearance, as well as the giant manta ray, and eagle rays. Amongst the rocks we can spot morays, scorpion fish, and many others.

For the second dive in Wolf Island we will go to La Cueva (The Cave). To dive this spot a flashlight is highly recommended. We will encounter an underwater tunnel to dive through with various caves to explore. Amongst the rocks we find moray eels, lobster, nudibranchia and more. Turtles are found all over with a large quantity of fish. At the entrance and exit of The Cave we might find Galapagos and Black Tip Sharks.

DAY 5 | FRIDAY | Darwin Island | B.L.D.

At this marvelous most northwest island we enjoy four dives today at the spot called The Arch. Arco de Darwin (Darwin’s Arch). To visit this unique spot is every divers dream. Here you see everything the marine life of Galapagos has to offer. Above the ocean uncountable groups of Blue and Red Footed Boobies along with many tropical birds welcome the visitors. Playful dolphins and occasionally whales around the Astrea are part of the excitement. Underwater we will observe a large quantity of species, immense amounts of fish, large schools of hammerhead sharks, turtles, large fish such as yellow tail tuna and albacore. Of course, the most important visitor of this remote spot and one of the main reasons to visit Darwin is the impressive Whale Shark, which is usually present from July to November.

DAY 6 | SATURDAY | Back to Wolf Island | B.L.D.

Back at Wolf Island we will have two dives at El Derrumbe and La Cueva. A new day brings a new adventure! While in the company of turtles and plenty of hammerheads, divers can search for some more whale sharks.

DAY 7 | SUNDAY | Isabela Island / Punta Vicente Roca / Cabo Marshall | B.L.D.

Punta Vicente Roca. The first dive starts very early. At the sandy bottom by the corals we will look for large sea horses which live as couples scattered over the dive spot. We also find the catfish, red lip bat fish and the highlight of the day, the Sunfish. This area is home of many marine turtles. All of the above stay in the area the whole year. After the dive we will do a panga ride to the shoreline to observe the penguins, flightless cormorants, and marine iguanas.

We will continue on to Cabo Marshall on a trip that will take us a few hours. We will travel along the coastline of Isabela and have an amazing view of the volcanoes that formed the Ecuador, Darwin, and Wolf Islands. We will cross the equator line south bound. At Cabo Marshall the main attraction are the giant manta rays with up to 6 mts. (18 ft.) wing span, swimming at low depth. Several small fish in large schools are to be seen here too.

DAY 8 | MONDAY | Pinzon Island / Santa Cruz Island | B.L.D.

At this small centrally located island we will enjoy the last dive of our M/Y Astrea Galapagos Diving Safari. We will see the red lip batfish, giant manta rays, marble rays, eagle rays, and a large quantity of marine turtles. In the afternoon we travel towards Santa Cruz and visit the Charles Darwin Research Station with its interaction center and the giant tortoises that live there. They are bred to set them into the wilderness.

DAY 9 | TUESDAY | Baltra Island Airport to Guayaquil or Quito | B.

At the appropriate time, our guide will take you back to the airport in Baltra to check-in for your onward flight (airfare is included) to either Quito or Guayaquil to connect with home-bound flight. We hope your M/Y Astrea Galapagos Diving Safari was a wonderful adventure and that you go home, full of beautiful memories.

 PRICES PER PERSON IN US$ – NO MINIMUM GUESTS REQUIRED

AVAILABLE FOR MONDAY ARRIVALS IN QUITO OR GUAYAQUIL UNTIL DEC 26, 2016

            

In Guayaquil: Palace Hotel. Check into Hotel Palace Guayaquil to find the elegance and sophistication of a world-class hotel blended with the comfort and warmth of home. At this luxurious destination perfectly situated in the bustling Guayaquil Ecuadorcity center, our gracious staff awaits to cater to your every need.

Enjoy all of the amenities and services you‘d expect from a 5-star hotel at 4-star prices. Relax in newly remodeled rooms and suites, exceptionally appointed for business or leisure travelers. Dine in our refined Palace Restaurant, which fuses international specialties with the enticing flavors and textures of authentic Ecuador.

            

In Quito: Rincon del Puembo: Welcome to Hosteria Rincon de Puembo, the perfect place for your next stay in Quito. The hotel is located conveniently near the Quito airport in the beautiful village of Puembo. Upon arriving to this charming place rest, relax, and taste the most exquisite local and international food with the company of your family and friends. Regardless of what brings you to Quito, rest assured that your stay will be successful. Enjoy the excellence of service and the friendly treatment that Rincon de Puembo is known for.

            

In Galapagos Islands: M/Y Astrea: The M/Y Astrea is a unique Galapagos yacht featuring a Diving Safari, with wonderful scuba diving locations and a Naturalist Safari, with amazing snorkeling opportunities.

Guided by sustainable tourism principles, the Astrea will take you to the most remote locations in the Galapagos and the best diving sites disturbing the environment in the least possible way.

This midrange Galapagos cruise has an air-conditioned dining room with self-serve bar, air-conditioned salon with TV, video player, music system, computer, movie library, games, books, magazines, small sun deck and shaded area with sun chairs and towels.

• Prices are subject to change without previous notice.
• The itinerary is subject to change due to weather conditions, safety, and local regulations.
• Deposit: A $900.00 per person deposit is required to activate the booking process. Due to the popularity of the destination and the high demand for space, early reservations are strongly encouraged. Additional deposits may be required by suppliers, if so you will be notified.
• None of the services have been requested nor confirmed at this time (unless otherwise indicated). If the selected hotels are not available, we will make our best effort to obtain the next best available hotel in the same city/region. We should have confirmation of the suggested services and facilities and/or suitable alternatives within 48 hours after receiving your deposit, which will be applied to the final payment.
• Final Payment: The balance is due 90 days prior to the start of your tour. If full final payment has not been received by the due date, EcoAmerica Tours reserves the right to cancel the reservation without notice.
• Method of Payment: For your convenience, we accept major credit cards and checks.
• The price does not include: personal expenses, additional activities, international and local airfares as well as airports departure taxes (unless otherwise indicated), gratuities to guides, drivers, porters, bell and wait staff, and any other service not listed. The Galapagos National Park Fee ($100.00 per person) and the Galapagos Immigration Card ($20.00 per person), as well as Fuel Surcharges (if any) are not included.
• Airfares, if any, booked through EcoAmerica Tours may require immediate ticketing, if so, you will be notified accordingly. In most cases, the airfare charge(s) will appear on your credit card statement as processed by the airline(s) used for your travel arrangements.
• Meal Codes: B = Breakfast. L = Lunch. D = Dinner.
• All tour services are SIB shared basis (unless otherwise indicated).
• Please refer to the attached terms and conditions as presented in the credit card authorization form and in our website: Terms of Travel. These terms apply in full to this travel program.
• Travel Protection Plan: For your peace of mind, we strongly suggest you to purchase travel insurance. We recommend Travel Guard, which offers great coverage for a very reasonable price. If you are interested in the travel insurance, please click the link, which will redirect you to the travel insurance company.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OUR FULL SERVICE PLATFORM:

One of the main advantages of booking your trip through your Travel Consultant and the destination specialists at EcoAmerica Tours is that you do not have to spend countless frustrating hours looking on-line for hotels, point-to-point transportation, attractions, entrance fees, excursions, and much more. The second is that when traveling with us, you can be certain that we will be with you throughout your trip to continue assisting you and making sure that each one of the services included in your reservation are flawlessly delivered. When traveling with us, you will be talking to a real person who will demystify the travel components and will provide you with information that makes you knowledgeable and informed. When traveling with us you will get real value, just like countless travelers before you (we encourage you to visit the testimonials section in our website Testimonials)

Working with your Travel Consultant and EcoAmerica Tours means being involved in a different way of doing tourism and comes with the following benefits:

• Almost three decades leading the tourism industry in Latin America.
• Regional coverage and exclusive tailor-made programs.
• Fast, friendly and efficient response to your requirements.
• Always available: emergency line and operational offices 24H/7D.
• We care about our guests: EcoAmerica Assistance Network.
• Top guides and the best transportation quality.
• Quality Control Department: care to passengers’ voice.
• Top Producer and great relationship with key suppliers.
• Positive impact of our operations at all levels.

LIABILITIES

EcoAmerica Tours, LLC. and/or any of its agents will not claim any responsibility for injury, damage, loss, additional expenses, accidental delay or other irregularities which may be caused either through willful or negligent acts or omissions on the part of companies or individuals providing or engaged in transportation, accommodations or other services related to the execution of the tour, or through natural calamities and other factors beyond its control. Prices are subject to adjustment in the event of any change, without notice. EcoAmerica Tours, LLC reserves the right to change any tour if considered necessary in order to render better service to its clients.