2022 Galapagos  Underwater photo workshop

Come join this amazing 10-night trip and see Galapagos sharks, penguins, hammerheads, marine iguanas, mantas, batfish, seahorses and more. This is the best time all year for to encounter some hammerheads and iguanas, plus has the best visibility and water temperature as well. It includes three can't-miss land tours, plus extra time at Darwin. We'll be traveling onboard the Galapagos Master.

Why Join this trip?

• 30 dives in all throughout the whole trip
• FREE daily photo workshops by Mark Strickland
• 25% off rental photo gear from Bluewater Photo
• Excellent chances for encountering marine iguanas and hammerhead sharks
• Extra time at Darwin
• 2 - 3 land tours
• Great amenities and spacious cabins on a modern luxury liveaboard, the Galapagos Master
• Trip timed for best water temperatures and visibility

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Why Travel With Bluewater?

• We book resorts/ liveaboards that offer the best overall value
• Fun, engaged trip leaders who care about the guest experience
• Great support if flight/weather issues occur
• "Bluewater helped me out when I needed it most, the airline wouldn't let me board because of a Visa issue. They saved my butt" - Ray Tsusuki

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Trip Overview

Bluewater Travel founder Scott Gietler calls this trip a trip of a lifetime. 

"I have put together an epic trip to the Galapagos, where we will help people get incredible photos of hammerhead sharks, mantas, marine iguanas, penguins and more. I have picked a boat with the best possible itinerary for this purpose at the best time of year - this will truly be a trip of a lifetime." 

The unique and isolated islands of the Galapagos are home to some uniquely marvelous creatures: Schooling hammerheads and a large variety of other sharks, mantas, sea turtles, and sea lions, as well as endemic species such as penguins, marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, and extensive schools of fish.

Scott has done extensive research to choose the best possible time of year and route for this trip. He will be making sure photographers and non-photographers alike have an incredible trip.

The Galapagos Master is a first-class yacht with capacity for just 16 divers. Its spacious cabins and well-designed dive amenities ensure a comfortable and relaxing trip. A spacious indoor lounge boasts cushioned bench seating and a plasma screen for photo viewing, and there is an indoor camera set-up station with numerous charging points and storage drawers situated to the rear, providing ample room for a full photography charter group. Further camera preparation areas can be found on the rear deck next to the dive deck.

With this 10-day itinerary, guests will get up to 30 dives - which is a significant increase from the 20 dives included in most 7-day trips! 

Read the great reviews of the Galapagos Master and the reviews on diving Galapagos

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Marine Life to Photograph

Thanks to their extreme isolation, the Galapagos Islands have some of the most unique marine life on the planet. Here are just a few examples of marine life you're likely to see: dolphins, sea lions, penguins, turtles, marlin and large schools of fish, silky sharks, Galapagos sharks, whale sharks, reef sharks, hammerhead sharks, eels, and manta rays. This is a wide-angle photographer's paradise, but don't leave the macro lens at home, since frogfish, octopus, seahorses, nudibranchs and other small subjects are found at various dive sites. Finally, visitors often encounter penguins, flightless cormorants, and marine iguanas.

Diving Conditions

The trip takes place during the warm season in the Galapagos, with the highest water and air temperatures. We may experience afternoon rain showers,  but the sun shines again after the rain.

Water temperature is 21-30C (70-86F) with some cooler thermoclines at depth. The northern islands are generally warmer. Visibility stays at an excellent 12 to 33 meters (40-100 feet).

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Inclusions

• Accommodations
• All meals and snacks throughout the cruise
• Coffee from the espresso machine, tea, fruit juice, and soft drinks
• Daily photo workshops
• Up to 30 dives
• Three land-based tours
• Airport transfers

Exclusions

• Park fee ($100 cash, paid upon arrival)
• Ingala Transit Card ($10 payable at Guayaquil International Airport)
• Nitrox ($200 for a 10-night trip - recommended!)
• Airfare, additional transfers, and hotels
• Alcoholic beverages
• Equipment/computer/underwater torch rental
• Dive insurance
• Gratuity

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Trip Schedule

The itinerary can be variable and will be planned by the trip leader and cruise director on board. They'll have a good idea at that time of the conditions at the various locations.

Here's an example of a typical itinerary: 

• Monday: San Cristobal embarkation and checkout dive (1 dive)
• Tuesday: Morning, Carrion Point (2 dives). Afternoon, North Seymour (land visit).
• Wednesday: Darwin (4 dives)
• Thursday: Darwin (4 dives)
• Friday: Wolf (4 dives)
• Saturday: Wolf (2-4 dives)
• Sunday: Douglas Cape (3 dives)
• Monday: Vicente Roca Point/Marshall Cape (3 dives)
• Tuesday: Morning, Roca Redonda (2 dives). Afternoon, Albemarle Point (dive + land visit)
• Wednesday: Morning, Cousin Rock (2 dives). Afternoon, Charles Darwin Station (land visit)
• Thursday: San Cristobal disembarkation 

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About the Galapagos Master

The new Galapagos Master liveaboard used to be the "Deep Blue" and is a very well-laid out boat. The Master Liveaboard fleet, owned by the Siren Fleet (WWDS), refitted the boat with new engines, new compressors, new generators, new water-makers, individual air-conditioning and an entertainment system in each room, a dedicated camera station, new dive gear for rent, and Nautilus lifelines, along with many other small but substantial improvements.

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Flight Information

The trip will begin and end in San Cristobal. When the time comes (no sooner than 1 year before the date of departure) we can assist you with flight suggestions and booking. Guests will fly into Guayaquil International Airport (code GYE) or Quito (code UIO), then take one of several daily 1-hour flights to San Cristobal (code SCY). Embarkation begins on May 18th; it is recommended that guests arrive on the 17th and stay in a nearby hotel, although if your schedule is tight, it's still possible to arrive on the 18th and immediately board the boat.  

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Payment Schedule

• Deposit: $800
• Payment 2: $1,200 due on April 1, 2021
• Payment 3: $3,000 due October 15, 2021
• Final payment: January 15, 2022

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Photo Gallery 

Galapagos Photos & Video from a Previous Trip

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