Galapagos Master | Ecuador (Galapagos)

Boat

Galapagos Master was built in 2004 the yacht, formerly known as "Deep Blue". It was undergo a full refit in November 2014 - April 2015, and finally re-launched in May 2015 as a professional dive liveaboard under the Master Liveaboard Fleet. The refit was overseen by the experienced yacht building team of Siren Fleet, Jan & Frank Van Der Linde.

Galapagos Master is a 32.3 meters long, 7.5 meters wide professional steel dive liveaboard, cruises at 9 knots, it has 110v and 220v power with US plugs onboard.

On the main deck there is air-conditioned indoor lounge with cushioned bench seating and plasma screen for movie and photo viewing. The indoor dining area is adjacent to the lounge and complete with cocktail bar. It has an indoor camera set-up station, with numerous charging points (US round pin plug) and storage drawers is 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.

The upper level has shaded outdoor bench seating with cushioned loungers from where our guests can enjoy the fresh air and views of The Galapagos. For those who enjoy to relax in the sun there is the top level sun-deck or upper level bow area with additional cushioned loungers provided for your comfort. Guests are free to take advantage of the gangways on both the port and starboard sides to walk around the yacht or visit the Captain in his bridge on the upper deck.

Galapagos Master offer a choice of international and local cuisine, all meals are served in buffet style. In between the meals, there is always some tasty treats for you to pick up. If you have any special dietary requirements, please let our booking agents know, so we can put an note for you.

There is a range of fruit juices, balck/green herbal teas, carbonated soft drinks available any time of the day, as well as instant and freshly brewed coffee. Guests may also select beer, wine or spirit from the cocktail bar for an additional fee, in accordace with local law, we have a "Ship-Only" bar policy.

The dive deck is found on the aft deck of the main deck. Equipped with individual set up areas, under bench storage for masks, fins and other personal items. Rinse tanks are conveniently located for washing dive equipment and camera gear, whilst there are 2 shower heads for those wishing for a quick post-dive rinse down, and also 2 deck bathrooms.

A further 2 deck heads are situated on the starboard side of the boat, just in front of the salon entrance.

Cabin

Galapagos Master has 9 well-appointed modern guest cabins, limited by the license the boat takes no more than 16 divers per trip, although, it can accomodate up to 18.

All cabins have ensuite bathroom, Wall fan, A/C, storage area, safety box, bathrobes, hiar dryer, shower gel, US plug outlet 110 & 220 Volts, adapter.

4 Upper Deck Cabins (# 6 - 9)
On the upper deck, each cabin comes with two single beds side by side upon request, it can be converted into one king size double bed, seaview windows.

1 Main Deck Cabin (# 5)
On the main deck, this cabin comes with a large double bed, seaview windows.

4 Lower Deck Cabins (# 1 - 4 ):
On the lower deck, each cabin comes with two single beds side by side upon request, it can be converted into one king size double bed, portholes.

Diving

• 3 dives per day + alternating additional sunset/night dives.

• Usually 8D/7N diving trip will offer 18 - 20 dives in total.

• Usually 11D/10N diving trip will offer 27 - 30 dives in total.

• 1 Check dive will be provided on the embarkation day.

• Only 2 dives will be provided on the last diving day.

• All diving will provide experienced guide to lead the dive.

• Divers must have AOW level with at least 50 logged dives.

Other Informations

• Nitrox：Available with additional charge
• 15L Tanks：Available with additional charge
• REBREATHER Dive：Not available at the moment
• Technical Dive：Not available at the moment
• Dive Equipment Rental：Available with additional charge
• Dive insurance：Divers must have valid dive insurance
• Wi-Fi Internet ：Available with additional charge
• Laundry Service：Available with additional charge
• Massage Service：Not available at the moment
• Payment on board：Cash(USD), credit cards
• Crew Number：11, include 2 dive guides

Galapagos Itinerary

On a typical day we offer up to 4 day dives. On our 7-night itinerary we schedule 18 - 20 dives, whilst during our 10-night itineraries 27 - 30 dives .

Diving conditions at many of the locations covered on this itinerary can be challenging, even for experienced divers. Depths, strong currents and reduced visibility at certain sites mean they are not suitable for entry-level divers or those who have not dived in similar conditions before.

This itinerary involves some long-distance and overnight cruising. While we endeavour to ensure the number of scheduled dives is fulfilled, sea conditions and other factors can impact the number of dives possible.

On most days, your Cruise Director will schedule up to 4 dives - 2 morning dives and, where possible, 2 afternoon dives. For safety reasons, there are no night dives.

Day 1 - Embarkation:
Embarkation is between 14:00 and 14:30, followed by introductions, boat and safety briefings and lunch. There will usually be a shallow check dive scheduled in the afternoon followed by dinner and overnight cruising to Baltra.

Day 2 - Baltra & North Seymour:
Wake up call and full breakfast
Land tour on North Seymour Island
Lunch on board, followed by dive briefings
Afternoon diving close to Baltra Island
Dinner on board
Overnight cruise to Wolf & Darwin

Days 3-6 Wolf & Darwin:
4 days diving around Wolf and Darwin Islands, 4 dives a day.
Dives are conducted back-to-back before and after lunch, with a surface interval of 1-1 ½ hrs between the two dives in the morning and afternoon. All guests remain on the dive deck in their wetsuits and will be offered snacks and refreshments.

Day 7 - Isabela Island:
Roca Redonda & Punta Vicente Roca - up to 4 dives.
Dive 4 is not guaranteed.

Day 8 - Fernandina Island:
Up to 4 dives, Dive 4 is not guaranteed.

Day 9 - Cabo Marshall:
Up to 4 dives, Dive 4 is not guaranteed.

Day 10 - Cousins Rock & Santa Cruz:
Dives 1 and 2 at Cousins Rock
Afternoon land tour on Santa Cruz Island
Dinner on board
Cruise back to San Cristobal

Day 11 - Disembarkaion:
Breakfast on board followed by disembarkation no later than 08.30. If you have a few hours to fill before your transfer to San Cristóbal Airport, you can visit the Interpretation Center, which is a 10-minute walk from the pier, do some last-minute shopping, or relax in a local cafe.

Getting there and away…

The Galapagos Master embarks and disembarks at the island of San Cristóbal.

To reach the Galápagos Islands, you must first get to Ecuador, the mainland country to which the islands belong. There are two primary cities where international flights land: Quito (Mariscal Sucre International Airport, UIO) and Guayaquil (José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport, GYE). Quito is in the Andes at a higher altitude, while Guayaquil is closer to sea level and typically has more direct connections to other countries.

Flights to the Galápagos Islands originate in Quito, making a quick stop at Guayaquil, then carrying on to the islands and do the reverse on the way back. The flights are often delayed which is why it is strongly advised to arrange an overnight stay at the end of your trip in order not to miss your international flight home.

There are two companies operating daily flights to San Cristóbal: LATAM & Avianca. Both of these airlines use San Cristóbal (SCY) and Baltra (GPS) airports in Galápagos so, should the National Park Authorities request an itinerary change, we will not have a problem flying you to the relevant airport.

We have an allocation of seats held with preferential rates for our guests on LATAM flights to fit with our liveaboard embarkation and disembarkation dates and times. Reservations will be confirmed with the airline by our ground agent and the tickets will usually only be issued a week or two before the liveaboard’s departure.

We recommend guests arrive in Ecuador at least one day before their liveaboard embarkation and spend the night on the mainland, or in San Cristóbal, to ensure they are well rested for the diving ahead.