Nortada Private Diving Charter

- FRIDAY – DAY 1: ARRIVAL, SANTA CRUZ AREA

Meeting point at Puerto Ayora passenger’s pier at 12:30. Lunch onboard. Check dive. The objective of the check dive is to sort out weight requirements and test equipment. A welcome cocktail and dinner will be served on board. Nortada will depart at midnight with destination Punta Carrión.

- SATURDAY – DAY 2: PUNTA CARRIÓN / BALTRA

Usually starting at 6 am, one morning dive is done at Punta Carrión or the north-eastern portion of Baltra Island. First dive is followed by breakfast while Nortada refuels in Baltra. After refueling.

Punta Carrión and Baltra N/E are considered “warm up” dives where dive procedures and equipment are tested and enforced or adapted. Depending on the conditions, encounters with white-tip reef sharks, Mola-Mola, sea horses and several types of reef fish are possible.

- SUNDAY – DAY 3: WOLF ISLAND

Up to 4 dives during the day at Punta Shark Bay, El Derrumbe, Islote La Ventana y La Banana. Wolf Island is located at North West of the Archipelago. Up to 4 dives are done on this day.
Wolf is known as “The Meca of sharks”. Divers are usually able to swim alongside several species of sharks, dolphins, turtles, eagle rays and colorful schools of fishes. Wolf also offers an opportunity to explore the erosion underwater caverns and tunnels. Although 40 meter deep, the Anchorage is a great place to watch the Galapagos red-lipped batfish and a popular site for night diving. Meals are scheduled around diving, usually with one dive before breakfast and one dive after lunch. The better part of the night is spent in the anchorage and transit to Darwin starts in the early AM of day 4.

- MONDAY – DAY 4: DARWIN ISLAND

Up to 4 dives during the day; it is located at North West of the Archipelago. Up to 4 dives are done on this day.
Darwin is considered as one of the best places to dive over the world. Divers are usually able to see several species of sharks, dolphins, turtles, eagle rays and colorful schools of fishes. Schooling hammer head sharks and whale sharks are the highlights of dives at Darwin’s Arch. Meals are scheduled around diving, usually with one dive before breakfast and one dive after lunch. Transit back to Wolf and dinner. Navigation is roughly 20 nautical miles / 2 hours.

- TUESDAY – DAY 5: WOLF ISLAND

Up to 4 dives during the day at Punta Shark Bay, El Derrumbe, Islote La Ventana y La Banana. Up to 4 dives are done on this day.
Navigation to Cape Douglas will be 100 nautical miles and can be rough at times.

- WEDNESDAY – DAY 6: PUNTA VICENTE ROCA / CAPE DOUGLAS

One or two dives are done in Punta Vicente Roca followed by a short transit of about 90 minutes to Cape Douglas for one or two dives. Up to 4 dives are done on this day. Isabela and Fernandina dive sites are where Flightless Cormorants, Galapagos Penguins, Marine Iguanas and several other endemic species can be seen consistently. The highlight in Cape Douglas are the marine iguanas feeding underwater but red lipped batfish, horn sharks and Mola-Mola plus different types of Baleen Whales, are usually sighted during this day.

- THURSDAY – DAY 7: CAPE MARSHALL / AND MANTA RAY CITY OR ROCA BLANCA

Located in the northeast coast of Isabela, these volcanic walls are sparsely covered with black coral bushes. During January to May, divers usually enjoy encounters with Giant Mantas; schools of fish, including the endemic black-stripped Salema, white-tip reef sharks, Galapagos sharks and some hammerheads. Up to 4 dives are done on this day.

- FRIDAY – DAY 8: PUERTO AYORA / TRANSFER OUT

Breakfast and check out from Nortada followed by a land visit to Fausto Llerena Breeding Center and Charles Darwin Research Station. Passengers transfer to the airport by their own.

The breeding center land visit will provide with an opportunity to learn about the breeding programs for giant tortoises and land iguanas.

**Private transfer to the airport can be arranged for an additional fee.