Dive Review of Andean Travel Co. Boat: Aqua (aka Pinguino Explore in
Galapagos Islands/Darwin Wolf other islands

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Andean Travel Co. Boat: Aqua (aka Pinguino Explore: "Megamart of marine life lives up to the hype and challenging diving", Dec, 2021, by Dani, CA, USA ( 1 report with 1 Helpful vote). Report 11859 has 1 Helpful vote.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Boat: https://andeantc.com/yacht-aqua Boat is also known as Pinguino Explorer and that is its name on the Galapagos traffic control website, and likely it's Marine call sign too. Good value for money. Adequate, no frills. The good: Once on the boat: --------------------------------------- Efficient and effective service by staff. They do their job, work hard. Don't expect ooh-ahh s and fawning over customers. The vessel and dive infrastructure shows age, but we did not notice anything that was not functioning. And we did not look too closely; scared to find something after reading this report https://www.undercurrent.org/UCnow/dive_magazine/2021/DivingComputer202109.html Very detailed safety briefing by very experienced guide Jimmy. Diver alert air horn, SMB, Nautilus Marine GPS rescue included for every diver. Food was reasonable, dominantly Western/European, limited choice for vegetarians or pescaterians. 14 divers (out of 16 capacity) with 2 guides Jimmy and Liandro. The guides switched between groups day to day. Liandro had a GoPro and shared the clips at the end of the trip. Jimmy was more attentive in keeping an eye on the group. Both are highly experienced and capable considering one dive they led with 10ft breakers and churning waters. Several of us skipped that dive. It is also arguable whether they should have done that dive or not, but well everyone lived to tell the tale so... Jimmy is also an excellent overland guide. The Santa Cruz highland tour (for Giant Tortoises) that was included was guided by him. He answered every question about birds, vegetation, geological formations, identified trees and vegetation and he is a great storyteller and cares for the place. The bad: ----------- Getting to the boat: PADI seems to have no ways to communicate with the operator or customers except by email in this age and time of cell phones, satellite phones. None of the 3 phones provided as contact and emergency contact for the operator worked because they were wrong or no one picked up! By the time someone from the operator contacted us, we already had lost connectivity ... Subscribe to get the full story. Active subscribers continue reading here
Websites	Andean Travel Co. Boat: Aqua (aka Pinguino Ex...
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	101-250 dives
Where else diving	Bali Komodo Florida-Keys Philippines Belize Mexico-Cozumel-PlayaDelCarmen Mexico-CaboPulmo-LaPaz California-Monterey
Closest Airport	GPS	Getting There	Seems no direct routes from San Francisco. American Airlines SFO-MIA-UIO then Avianca UIO-GPS. Need buffer in Quito for COVID tests + any other delays.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, rainy	Seas	choppy, surge, currents, no currents
Water Temp	59-78°F / 15-26°C	Wetsuit Thickness	7
Water Visibility	5-100 Ft/ 2-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	?
Enforced diving restrictions	SMB, Dive alert horn, Nautilus Marine Rescue GPS. Regimental dive start times. Encouraged but not enforced - stay together in the group.
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	Squadrons
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	> 2
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals	N/A	Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	The table usually meant for cameras and similar gear was packed with other stuff with not a whole lot of room. I would not leave anything on t ... Subscribe to get the full story. Active subscribers continue reading here

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

Subscriber's Comments

By report author: Dani in CA, USA at Feb 05, 2022 04:14 EST

Forgot to add - no common restroom near dive area. You have to use one in your cabin. Dive area rather congested even with 14 divers (2 less than capacity 16)

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Dive Review of Andean Travel Co. Boat: Aqua (aka Pinguino Explore in Galapagos Islands/Darwin Wolf other islands

Andean Travel Co. Boat: Aqua (aka Pinguino Explore: "Megamart of marine life lives up to the hype and challenging diving", Dec, 2021,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subscriber's Comments

Dive Review of Andean Travel Co. Boat: Aqua (aka Pinguino Explore in
Galapagos Islands/Darwin Wolf other islands