Ok, we admit it. We’re wimps. No denial, when it comes down to it we really don’t like cold water diving.

It’s not that there isn’t some fascinating stuff down there but we have tried it and, well, we just don’t enjoy it. We do most of our diving in the tropics: 

Text & Photos by: Beth and Shaun Tierney

www.SeaFocus.com"

swaying palms, gentle breezes, the sun going down blood-red over turquoise water. And not having to worry about chilly temperatures or rough swells. We know that on occasions we are missing out so when the chance came up to go to the Galpagos the very first thing we did was check the seasons and temperatures. Great! The dates were perfect, the dead of an English winter, the peak of an Ecuadorian summer. The warmest of the prevailing cold water hereabouts, the calmest months and no need for a dry suit. In fact, a 3mm would do it said. And the icing on the cake: the perfect time to see mantas as well as the ubiquitous scalloped hammerheads.

Finding Ecuador

Visiting the Galpagos isn’t just about the islands’ wildlife but also the richness of Ecuador. Every way you turn there is something amazing: the Amazon rainforests, the Andes and the beautiful capital Quito with it’s cultural legacies, from the Incas to the Spanish. Of course the main event is the diving! Five million years ago a series of volcanic eruptions created the Galpagos. Still one of the world’s most active volcanic regions this, along with it’s isolated position, creates a unique environment. The islands sit at the crossroads of seven major ocean currents which sweep in wildly differing conditions. Each of these is consistently unpredictable but they encourage a rare mix of tropical, subtropical and temperate marine species.

After a few days in Quito, we headed to tiny San Cristobal. The island’s harbour was crowded by small boats and masses of sea lions who were sitting on the boats, the steps, the sand and every available rock. We boarded Lammer Law, a pretty blue trimaran, that sat sleek and sparkling in the midday sun. It wasn’t long before we set sail towards our checkout dive. We dropped into the water just off Isla Lobos and descended to just eight metres. The visibility was pretty low, but we did get our first breathtaking glimpse of sea lions in the water. These guys move at breakneck speeds, whistling past your mask and away again before you’ve hardly focused on their arrival. After we had taken off the kit, we returned to the island to walk among the same chaps who’d come to see us underwater. They seemed oblivious to human presence, not caring how close we stepped.

Down to business

We headed north to Gordon Rocks, a sunken caldera enclosed by two hilly half moons. The landscape seemed barren to us with a few small, very un-tropical corals, some recognisable damsels and angels plus the endemic giant hawkfish at a hefty 51cm (20 inches)-long. However big animals are attracted by the currents that rush through this ancient landscape and within seconds we spied a school of eagle rays followed by a green turtle. Exiting the caldera we met the strong currents and cooler waters we had been warned about. The outer wall was absolutely sheer and full of bubble shaped holes (erosion evidently), each with a pencil urchin or a fish in it. A gang of young sea lions came to visit, then we ran into more current so we stopped in a small cave and found the cute barnaclebill blenny.

Our next stop was at Isla Santiago and Cousins Rock, home to passing birds and sea lions. As we approached, they slid down the rocky walls to meet our RIB. We rolled in and they slipped away, leaving us to investigate a series of terraces carved into the rock. This stepped wall had a thicker covering of small black coral bushes in tones of gold and yellow.

There were masses of longnose hawkfish and just one unusual Galpagos ringtail damselfish, which sports yellow eye liner. Sandy bottomed ledges were littered with starfish and the occasional whitetip reef sharks. At the bottom of the wall, we found a spit of rock poking out into the current. Off in the distance were more rays and a school of small pelican barracuda and we were again captivated by the sea lions who darted around, herding schools of tiny snapper, their favourite meal.

Cranking up the volume

Our first two days had been pleasant, the water was cool but comfortable and we had enjoyed investigating such a different undersea terrain. But then we arrived at Wolf Island, regarded as the pinnacle of diving here. We stared up at the dramatic sheer sided landmass and the many birds that live there. You can’t walk on the island, nor for that matter can the animals. Even the sea lions struggle to find resting spots. Boobies settle in every nook and cranny while frigate birds circle above. We had been warned that ‘The Caves’ was a very different dive to our previous ones and that was no exaggeration. The currents were absolutely fearsome, going from almost nothing to serious washing machine in a heartbeat. We descended down a wall interspersed with several caves. The first had a swim-through which felt more like a suck-through but the next was protected by boulders creating a calmer haven. We paused to admire snappers and butterflyfish, some morays and several Galpagos sharks which swam among distant scalloped hammerheads.

They all sat beyond the oily thermoclines, not troubled by the currents at all, but our view was less than perfect. We continued along the wall until we were swept off in a strong upwelling current. It was a scary moment and we were glad to ascend safely to the tender.

Part of the audience

It had been quite a dive, exhilarating if a bit risky, so we were pleased to move to ‘Rockslide’. This turned out to be our favourite dive of the trip, by far the most breathtaking. A gentle slope, dropping from the island to about 200m (656ft), it was completely covered in boulders. The current was frisky, so we crawled over the rocks then stopped at 20m (66ft) to watch a shoal of scalloped hammerheads swarm in. There were more just below us and our divemaster signalled for us to swim down. We descended into water like ice, a bitter thermocline making it hard to breathe although we were already breathless at the sight of so many sharks. We stayed as long as we could stand the cold, then swam back up to meet a shoal of eagle rays dancing over our heads.

The site was so impressive we were willing to brave the frigid conditions and repeat the dive. There were less scalloped hammerheads but twice as many eagle rays, the visibility was lower and the current even faster, which seemed to amuse the rays. They hovered effortlessly while we clung to the rocks like limpets until we headed up into the blue to do a safety stop. A large school of silky sharks circled beneath us. It was a little disconcerting but it seems they were only admiring our fins.

Part of the act

Darwin Island soars up to 160m (525ft) above sea level and to one side sits one of the country’s most impressive landmarks, Darwin’s Arch, the result of an age-old eruption. We had been briefed that the dive below was even more difficult - and potentially more thrilling. We descended over another boulder-strewn slope. Aggressive currents swept up from who-knowswhere to hit the reef broadside and then split in all directions. It seemed we were going to catch both surge and current so we dragged ourselves down over the barnacle covered terrain, pleased to be wearing strong gloves.

We admired morays and lobsters as we crab-walked along until we reached a sandy channel. Slowly, we become aware of a silent wave of scalloped hammerheads passing by. Some were curious and moved in closer, while others stood their distance. The visibility over the channel wasn’t great as the currents had lifted the sand, but our reward for peering into the blue was a quick view of a regular visitor - a bottlenose dolphin that swam swiftly by, grinning from ear to ear as they do.

Rock Medley

Wolf and Darwin had produced quite a show, two days of high-voltage adrenaline rushes, but it was time to head to Isabela, the archipelago’s largest island. Isabela catches the full force of the Equatorial currents so the water here is always cool. And by cool, we are now talking dry suit temperatures.

Whoever said a 3mm suit would do was mad. We pulled on every extra layer we could then descended on Roca Rodonda famed for its bubbling volcanic gases. The water was beyond cold, however, fizzing all around us were streams of bubbles - like glasses of champagne. Nearby Punte Vicente Roca was by far the coldest dive we have ever done - consistently under 13C (55 Fahrenheit) - and by the end of the day we were grateful to bask in the sun just admiring the beauty of the landscapes around us.

 The finale

Our last dives were at Cape Marshall, a sharp wall covered in tiny yellow gorgonias that never seemed to be bigger than about 20-25cm (8-10 inches). We rolled backwards into a massive gang of steel pompano then spotted some new fish - an aggressive bullseye pufferfish and his relative, the guineafowl puffer. This was meant to be “the” manta ray dive but there wasn’t a single one to be seen... the water was still freezing and when we hit a series of thermoclines, the visibility went right down. Lammer Law sailed along the coast a little, hoping that we would find mantas but, sadly, we didn’t. The crew thought it was due to the unseasonably cold currents, but it seems the cool water had some benefits too... a pod of Bryde’s whales and then one of orcas appeared then swam with our boat. It was an exciting end to our diving. Beth and Shaun Tierney are the authors of the new travel guide, Diving the World published by Footprint. See divingtheworld.co.uk , available www.amazon.com. ISBN: 1 904777597

Travelogue

Getting there: fly to Quito via Houston or Miami then onwards to San Christobal When to go: December to May is warmer, June to November is colder Dive Operators: Lammer Law is one of the most respected dive boats in the region (www.lammerlaw.com) or contact agents, Galpagos Classic Cruises(www.Galpagoscruises.co.uk) and Quasar Nautica, (www.quasarnautica.com) Accommodation: Grand Hotel Mercure Alameda is in the modern part Quito (www.accorhotels.com)