Dive Review of Humboldt Explorer in
Galapagos Islands

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Humboldt Explorer: "Humboldt Explorer trip Jan. 13-20, 2020", Jan, 2020, by Richard J Lunsford Jr, KY, US ( Contributor 14 reports with 12 Helpful votes). Report 11412.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	The Humboldt Explorer was well-regarded in reviews as a mid.-range value option for a week-long Galapagos trip focusing heavily on diving Wolf and Darwin (technically nearby Darwin's Arch) Islands. The boat layout will be familiar with people who've dove a number of other live-aboards; main deck has dive deck at rear, in front of that salon/dining area, most rooms below deck, and the top deck has loungers and hot tub. Crew were friendly and helpful; they do the operation proud. There was a limited wireless network; I could use WhatsApp, my iPhone's Apple messenger app., and get 'Notifications' (which let me know a fraudulent transaction was put on my credit card; texted my wife to take action) - but no e-mail, web browsing or other connected ap.s (e.g.: my credit card app. couldn't access my account). This even worked when out at Wolf and Darwin. No added charge! Diving was back rolling off pangas, aiming for negative entries. Weights on boats looked to be 2 or 4-lbs. Took a lot more weight than I anticipated; I ended up wearing a weight belt in addition to using my integrated and trim weight pockets. Bottom often a 'boulder wall' terrain, with barnacles covering part of some rocks. There were some corals but not a lot of diversity. At times we finned along, at times we held onto rocks (you need gloves and a full wetsuit). I used SeaSoft Ti Pro kevlar gloves) and watched 'the show.' Lots of 'bait fish,' saw 1 manta but dozens of hammerheads and a bunch of bottle nose dolphins, plenty of Galapagos sharks, somebody saw silky sharks, had fun with sea lions at Cousins Rock, and the 2 land excursions were fun. A bunch of starfish, various kinds, quite colorful. Plenty of moray eels, too. Smaller to medium creatures were an unexpected bonus - parrotfish, goatfish, a big trigger fish and couple of very large 'snapper' type fish. Viz. tended to run around 20-30 feet plus, mainly around 30, but this did okay though with all the big action, I'd have loved great viz. for better hammerhead photos. Wrong season for whale sharks and we saw none, but enjoyed warmer water than whale shark season. Plenty of green sea turtles, one hawksbill; plenty of eagle rays, some mobulas and other species. Current could be negligible to strong, but we didn't have to swim against strong current. Didn't use or see reef hooks used. Panga diving adds some work to the dive day, though crew helpful and get your stuff back onboard (fins kept on panga). At dive's end, hand up your weights, then BCD-tank unit, then fins and climb up a little ladder. 4 Dives/day is PLENTY. The 2 groups each had their own panga, and the 2 guides alternated groups daily. Crew had passable English; that was my experience of topside Ecuador, too. I only speak English and that was okay; don't let it hold you back. Friendly, helpful crew, food generally good. 100-cf AL tanks (fills don't usually hit rated 3,300 PSI from what I saw, but still gave an advantage) were $100 extra for the week. When you get to San Cristobal, you have to pay a $100 nature fee in cash. If you use a credit card to pay at trip's end (e.g.: tips, onboard purchases), there's a bank fee and VAT that add a big %. On Santa Cruz the last afternoon, there was a bank with an ATM; max. $200/transaction with $3 fee, max. $600/day withdrawal. Topside, not all vendors accept credit cards. For a Galapagos trip, better bring cash. This is a fine op. for Galapagos diving, and the Galapagos is a fine big animal destination - though limited viz., holding onto rocks in currents, and the work of getting gear off and handed up may frustrate. For more info., check out [scubaboard.com link]
Websites	Humboldt Explorer
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	Bonaire (> 150 dives), Cozumel (28 dives), Key Largo (20 dives), Jupiter, Fl (17 dives), Belize via live-aboard (26 dives), Caymans via live-aboard (25 dives), Turks & Caicos via live-aboard (27 dive), St. Croix (17 dives), North Carolina (9 dives), California Channel Islands (24 dives), a few more.
Closest Airport	San Cristobal	Getting There	Flew from Nashville, TN to Miami, to Guayaquil (Ecuador), did nearby Holiday Inn Guayaquil one night, to San Cristobal, spent night at Casa Opuntia near waterfront, boarded boat next day
Dive Conditions
Weather	rainy	Seas
Water Temp	69-77°F / 21-25°C	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	20-30 Ft/ 6-9 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	No solo, most dives aimed for 50-min. max, 30 meter depth limit, buddy required (not rigidly enforced; in practice, we dove as a guide-led group). Some dives planned shorter due to schedule constraints. We didn't do any night dives this trip.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		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	N/A
UW Photo Comments	There was a decent-sized camera table; no one was using big SLR rigs on our trip. Crew took cameras from panga and put in dedicated rinse tank after dives.

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Dive Review of Humboldt Explorer in Galapagos Islands

Humboldt Explorer: "Humboldt Explorer trip Jan. 13-20, 2020", Jan, 2020,

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):

Dive Review of Humboldt Explorer in
Galapagos Islands