Dive Review of Lori Price in
Galapagos Islands

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Lori Price: "Galapagos Islands on the Penguino Explorer", Jun, 2023, by Lori Price, OR, United States ( Reviewer 3 reports with 1 Helpful vote). Report 12470.
Photos Submitted with this Report Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	The Penguino Explorer-by Aqua June 2023 We booked through PADI and under the name “M/Y Galapagos Aqua.” So, it was a little confusing at the Baltra airport to find the correct boat representative. Oniric was the name on the sign and the boat was the Penuino Explorer. No one ever explained why we were on the boat we had seen photos of but the name and operator had been changed. We traveled 7 nights in a large loop around the Galapagos starting with six dives on Darwin Arches to see the scalloped hammerheads. And, we saw plenty of them. The waters in the area have a steady and constant chop with multiple guests struggling with sea sickness during the longer transits. It was a good/varied itinerary including Santiago, Darwin, Wolf, Isabela and Fernadina Islands with a wide variety of ocean life. The boat was adequate but not top of the line and some of the equipment could have been in better repair but all was safe, nitrox available for an upcharge. Personal Marine rescue GPS, storm whistle, diving beacon, and surface marker tube were all included. Staff was attentive and fixed anything brought to their attention. Divers were expected to attach gear and ready themselves. It was a little concerning that there was not a designated area for battery charging. I brought a power strip and charged in my cabin. The cabins were tight but well kept. The dive deck was very tight (but adequate and well organized) with all 16 divers suiting all at the same time and then loading into two pengas for launch to the dive sites. The ratio of dive master to diver was 8:1; it would have been nice to have smaller groups. Often by the time I came to what was being shown, the creature had been scared away or the water murky by churned up silt. The crew was generally attentive and the food was good. It was not fancy, reflected the native culture and options were not available. Beer, wine and soda were available for an upcharge. The provided snacks after diving were frequently prepackaged and sometimes freshly cooked. We had paid top dollar for this trip and I might have expected a higher end experience but it was certainly everything we needed. The underwater life was everything we expected from the Galapagos and more. Although the currents were a little strong while diving Darwin and Wolf Islands (not for the beginner divers), the rest of the trip was easier diving. There were abundant opportunities to view the scalloped hammerhead and other reef sharks. We saw one whale shark on Wolf Island. Several dives included the presence of playful sea lions. The penga drivers stopped a couple of times for the divers to play among the pods of dolphins (over 50 dolphins). The waters were nutrient rich with an abundance of turtles and schools of fish. Several times we were able to follow along with spotted eagle rays but we did not encounter any mantas or mola molas. A couple of times there were penguins and we did have an opportunity to see the marine iguana in their natural habitat. Our dives included almost all the sea life the area is known to flaunt. The advertised “land excursions” turned out to be one bus ride in Puerto Ayora to see the giant tortoises. The advertised “kayaking” was never offered. While it was not everything it was advertised to be, we had a nice time (we were the only Americans on board) there were a few disappointments. Generally, we had a great experience with a few minor inconveniences. COVID protocols-non existant.
Websites	Lori Price
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Sipidan, Maldives, Florida, Bonaire, La Paz, Indonesia, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Fiji, Barbados, St Thomas, Hawaii, Raja Ampat
Closest Airport	Baltra, Galapagos	Getting There	We flew into mainland Ecuador in Guayaquil for a week and then took domestic flights to Baltra where we were met by live aboard staff.
Dive Conditions
Weather	cloudy	Seas	choppy, currents
Water Temp	75-78°F / 24-26°C	Wetsuit Thickness	7
Water Visibility	20-60 Ft/ 6-18 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	No deco diving
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	1 or 2
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	Bring a power strip to charge your batteries for your camera and underwater strobes.

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Dive Review of Lori Price in Galapagos Islands

Lori Price: "Galapagos Islands on the Penguino Explorer", Jun, 2023,

Photos Submitted with this Report

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 Lori Price in
Galapagos Islands