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Scuba Diving Cruises - Galapagos Islands
Diving on Motor Yacht Sky Dancer - 8 Day Cruise
General Description:
Motor Yacht Sky Dancer is a Dive Live board. The nine-person crew includes your captain, 2 dive instructors or divemaster / naturalist, and 6 crewmembers on hand to ensure that your Galapagos voyage transcends into a treasured adventure.
Radiant fish and bizarre animals emblazon the waters around the Galapagos and exhilarate divers and snorkelers. Seventeen percent of the fish and 35% of the marine invertebrates in the Galapagos are found only in this isolated archipelago. The abundance of otherworldly underwater animals evokes a sense of exploration and mystery.
Swept by both the cold waters of Antarctica and warm currents from the tropical Pacific, the Galapagos' colourful marine life embodies an unusual mixture of species. Here, penguins swim with tropical fish and iguanas feed underwater. The marine animals exhibit the same bold curiosity and lack of fear characteristic of terrestrial wildlife.
To conserve this wealth of sea-life, the Galapagos Marine Resources Reserve (GMRR), with waters totalling 27,000 square miles, was signed into law in 1986. The law protects marine life 15 nautical miles offshore. In 1998, the Special Law for Galapagos extended the off-limits restrictions for industrial fishing to 40 miles offshore.
Excellent diving in the Galapagos includes the renowned northern Islands of Wolf and Darwin, famous for their schools of hammerhead sharks, giant manta rays and whale sharks. In between dives, walk the shores and marvel at volcanic rocks dotted with rare plants, seabirds, and reptiles.
"At times, the schooling fish were so thick that you couldn't see through them …and they seemed to stretch from one end of your mask to the other. We had schools of skipjack tuna surround us, almost blocking out the sun. Hammerheads were our constant companions on nearly all of our many dives. The Galapagos is loaded with big marine life: golden rays, eagle rays, giant mantas and enough white-tipped and Galapagos sharks to fill a logbook!" -Peter Hughes, Peter Hughes Diving, Inc. 2000.
| Sky Dancer - Specifications | |
| Type | Type Luxury Motor Yacht |
| Length | 100 Feet |
| Beam | 24 Feet |
| Speed | 12 Knots |
| Navigation & Safety Equipment | VHF and HF-SSB radios GMDSS color radar echo sounder, Furuno GPS EPIRB (emergency position indicator radio becon) 2 Compressor |
| Crew | 7 Plus 2 Dive Master or Instructors & Naturalist Multilingual guide |
| Accommodation | 16 Passengers in 8 cabins, each with a double bed or two twin beds and private Facilities |
The dazzling realm beneath the sea captivates curiosity as much as the islands themselves. Discover both onboard the M/Y SKY DANCER, a 16-passenger, 100-foot first class dive live-aboard. Custom-designed in 2000, the M/Y SKY DANCER offers the newest and best-equipped vessel for scuba diving in the Galapagos.
The Sky Dancer's accommodations include eight comfortable staterooms located on two decks. Each cabin features two twin beds, private head/ shower, mirrored cabinet, wardrobe, full-length mirror, window or port light view, bathrobes, hairdryer, toiletries and fresh towels every day.
The Sky Dancer is fully air-conditioned. Its interior features teak panelling and furnishings, a dining area, a fully stocked bar, and a main salon with an audio/video entertainment centre. On deck, ample space is allocated for personal dive gear storage, a photo and video film lab, light tables, daily E-6 processing, and open deck space for sunbathing. Divers appreciate our large dive platform with fresh water showers, fresh water rinses, dive deck assistance and photo and dive equipment rental services. Zodiacs will ferry you between exquisite dive sites and the anchored yacht. Most underwater forays are drift dives. The Sky Dancer offers up to four dives per day on a pre-planned, yet flexible itinerary.
Fine dining, a Sky Dancer specialty, offers both international and Ecuadorian cuisine. Enjoy the Galapagos in style with the creature comforts Peter Hughes Diving is well known for. Wake to a morning coffee service that draws you toward a breakfast buffet. After every dive, wrap up in fresh warm towels, and snuggle into plush, terrycloth bathrobes found in each cabin.
| Sky Dancer Suggested Diving Itinerary - 7 Nights from Sunday / Sunday | |
| Sunday | Flight Quito-Galápagos: Arrival in San Cristobal / Visit Isla Lobos / Leon Dormido |
| Monday | Bartolome / Cousins Islet |
| Tuesday | Fernandina Island: Punta Espinoza / Isabela Island: Pta. Vicente Roca |
| Wednesday | Wolf Island |
| Thursday | Darwin Island |
| Friday | Darwin & Wolf Islands |
| Saturday | North Seymour / Gordon Rocks / Puerto Ayora |
| Sunday |
San Cristobal / Flight back to Guayaquil or Quito |
| Sky Dancer Suggested Diving Itinerary - 10 Nights - Sunday / Wednesday | |
| Sunday | San Cristobal / Playa Ochoa / Leon Dormido |
| Monday | Darwin Bay/ Prince Philip’s Steps, Tower |
| Tuesday | Bachas Beach/ North Seymour |
| Wednesday | Tagus Cove, Isabela / Punta Espinoza, Fernandina |
| Thursday | Puerto Egas, Santiago/ Bartolome |
| Friday | Darwin Station / Highlands, Santa Cruz |
| Saturday | Gardner Bay / Punta Suarez, Espanola (Hood) |
| Sunday |
San Cristobal/ Isla Lobos |
| Monday | Gardner Bay/ Punta Suarez ESPANOLA |
| Tuesday | Floreana/Champion Islet/ Enderby/ Devil’s Crown |
| Wednesday | San Cristobal / Flight back to Guayaquil or Quito |
| Prices per person for 2007: | ||
| 8 nights | 11 nights | |
| Deluxe Stateroom | USD 3.295,- | USD 4.535.- |
| Master Stateroom | USD 3.495.- | USD 4.735.- |
| Charter Rates | USD 47.930- | USD 65.370- |
All rates are per person on a share basis in US dollars and subject to change without prior notice.
Non-diver discount:
Non-divers travelling on a live aboard with a diver are eligible for a 10% reduction in the rate.
Included in the price:
Cabin accommodation, all meals, snacks, beverages, limited bar, filled tanks, weights, weight belt, up to 4 dives per day, land excursions, service of guides/ dive master, transfers in the Islands between airport and dock, all other Dancer Fleet amenities.
Not included in the price:
Flights mainland to/from Galápagos USD 410.-, Entrance fee to Galápagos National Park USD 100.-, NITROX fills, gratuities to guides and crew, alcoholic beverages, International flight airport tax (USD 41.- per person), and purchases at the boutique.
