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ACADEMY BAY at Santa Cruz Island.
This is the bay of Puerto Ayora at Santa Cruz Island, offering 5 dive sites within 10 or 20 minutes by boat from our Dive Center . Three of the sites are generally calm with little current; ideal for students or novices. At the other two sites the dives could be a little more complicated if there is current, so they are suitable for intermediate or expert divers. It is possible to see reef fish, sea lions, sting rays, golden rays, eagle rays, invertebrates, morays, garden eels, turtles, marine iguanas, and even white tip reef sharks all just outside your hotel's door !
SANTA FE ISLAND
This island is a solid structure of basaltic lava rocks about an hour away from our Dive Center, and offers 4 dive sites. Generally the waters are clear and the currents mild, so they are ideal for novices. At the same time, the animals and topography (including a spectacular arch) make them interesting for intermediates and experts. We can see reef fish; sting and eagle rays, garden eels, turtles, sea lion colony, invertebrates, morays, pelagic fish, maybe white tip reef sharks and/or hammerheads.
FLOREANA ISLAND
Floreana is about 90 minutes south from our Dive Center. The 9 dive sites usually have calm water but when we find strong current at one we can quickly move to another. This makes Floreana ideal for all levels of divers. This site is one of the best in the central islands to see significant coral colonies, such as pebble coral and endemic black coral. Floreana is also one of the best sites to dive with sea lions. You may see reef fish; sting and eagle rays, turtles, sea lion colony, barracudas, pelagic fish, white tip reef sharks, galápagos sharks, hammerhead sharks, sea horses, morays, garden eels, invertebrates.s.
NORTH SEYMOUR ISLAND
This island is an uplifted island of lava flow about 90 minutes north of our Dive Center. There are 5 dive sites suitable for all levels of divers, although sometimes the currents can be strong. These sites have the most different species per square foot of sandy bottom. We can see reef fish; sting and eagle rays, a large garden eel colony, turtles, invertebrates, sea lion colony, morays, pelagic fish, and usually white tip reef sharks and hammerheads. Occasionally the galápagos shark.
INAMELESS ISLAND
This is an isolated offshore "sugarloaf" with vertical walls all around. The distance from our Dive Center is about one hour. The main dive site is a shelf of boulders at about 60 feet. We usually see many galápagos sharks here, some schools of pelagic fish, and multicolored sponges on the rock wall. Currents and surge are the controlling factors at Nameless Island.
ICOUSINS ROCK
An islet with a wall dropping from the surface into the deepest depths, Cousins Rock is home to a big area of sloping rock plates known as a "Planchonal" about two hours from our base. There can be strong currents here that separate the productive and unproductive sides of the dive site. Cousins’ is full of spectacular endemic young black corals and other sightings may include frogfish, fur seals, sea turtles, sea horses, and usually, hammerhead sharks
GORDON ROCKS
This rock formation is a world famous dive site close to Plazas Islands, about one hour from our Dive Center. There are 5 dive sites in the area, but only the three at Plazas are for novices. The other two sites are for intermediates and experts because there can be strong currents and surge. The Gordon Rocks dive sites are mostly walls with a deep bottom. Hammerhead sharks are the main attraction of Gordon Rocks, where they often conglomerate in large schools. You will also see reef fish, large pelagic fish; golden, sting and eagle rays, turtles, sea lion colony, endemic galapágos fur seals, morays, invertebrates; white tip and galápagos sharks