As always, its cold and raining in the UK and a trip to warmer climes is just the ticket but to have taken the plunge (no pun) and booked every diver’s dream destination was by FAR the best choice I’ve ever made.
Painless booking through Marcelina and everyone at Ultimate Diving and I had my information pack with all flights and hotels to Baltra in the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador.
Tasik Ria was chosen for this workshop because of the excellent mix of diving. From the stunning walls and pristine coral of Bunaken National Park to the more local critter rich reefs just a short boat ride from the jetty, there really was something to suit everybody.
Flew with KLM who are amazing and it’s a long trip via Amsterdam but well worth it. The Hotel Sonesta in Guayaquil was minutes from the airport and great staff there made me feel welcome and there is a huge mall directly next door with food and a cinema so booked an extra day to get over jet lag……..this turned out to be a wise choice and had a full day there before flying to Baltra the next morning.
Aggressor staff sent a note to my hotel and was met at the airport the next morning and I was finally on my way!
NOTHING can prepare you for what you are about to experience! Even the airport had Iguanas lounging in the sunshine!
Met by the boat staff and taken by dinghy to the Galapagos Aggressor 3 and what an amazing vessel and staff and captain welcomed us. Well we had a short briefing and there was no hanging about we started kitting up and were doing our check dives in a channel were the boat was moored…..thats what I’m talking about! : O )
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Then the next morning we were off and it was early January and I was diving in a 3mm with hood, bib and gloves if you get cold for sure a 5mm.
Then the whole show turned up on every dive : Hammerhead, Silky, Galapagos, Black and White tip sharks on EVERY dive, green sea turtles, sun-fish, marine-iguanas, dolphins, Manta Rays, Marbled Rays, Eagle Rays, Bullhead sharks, Sea Horses, Red Lipped Bat Fish, Barracudas, Moray Eels etc! Not just a few but hundreds and on two occasions thousands of hammerheads!!!!!! Wow Wow Wow!
I literally felt humbled by the amount of aquatic life and numbers involved…I’ve NEVER seen anything like this!
Coupled with an amazing afternoon trip to the giant tortoises and a lava tunnel on the final day I can honestly say it was the most perfect trip I’ve ever been lucky enough to be a part of.
Captain Rufino made our travels smooth and Nelson our guide was amazing and always had time to explain everything succinctly so that safe diving was practised and everything you saw was identified….which is no mean feat in the Galapagos.
In the words of a certain Mt Schwarzenegger ……………”I’ll Be Back!”
Steve Sidelnyk (Aged 55 years and 2 months) : O )
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