Trip Dates: June 21-29, 2026
Trip Leader: Clarence
Challenge Level: 🔴High
Adventure Level: ⛰️MHT Adventure
Dive Support Level: 👸Concierge
Just as one MAR Hosted Trips adventure ended, another one was about to begin.
After wrapping up our Galápagos landbased trip, Trip Leader Clarence welcomed a new group aboard the Humboldt Explorer for a week of world-class diving through the Galápagos Islands.
For many divers, this is the ultimate bucket list destination. Remote, challenging, and packed with marine life found almost nowhere else on Earth, the Galápagos is a place that leaves even the most experienced divers speechless.
This trip certainly lived up to the hype.
Diving the Galápagos
The Humboldt Explorer itinerary is designed to visit some of the most famous dive sites in the Galápagos, including Darwin Island, Wolf Island, Cabo Douglas, Punta Vicente Roca, and Cousins Rock.
These islands are known for strong currents, nutrient-rich water, and incredible pelagic encounters.
Every day delivered something unforgettable. Like:
- Schools of hammerhead sharks
- Giant oceanic manta rays
- Galápagos sharks
- White-tip reef sharks
- Eagle rays
- Sea lions
- Seahorses
- And the highlight of the trip… a baby whale shark
For many divers, the whale shark encounter was the moment they had dreamed about for years.
But even after checking that off the bucket list, the ocean kept surprising us.
One dive brought enormous eagle rays alongside one of the smallest species of eagle ray. Another revealed a tiny seahorse making its way across the reef. On another, white-tip reef sharks hunted cooperatively alongside playful sea lions.
The Pacific has a way of making every dive feel completely different.
More Than a Dive Trip
Although diving was the focus, this adventure also showcased everything that makes the Galápagos so unique above the surface.
During a land excursion to North Seymour Island, the group explored one of the archipelago’s most important wildlife reserves.
Along the trails, travelers watched fluffy baby frigatebirds waiting patiently in their nests, blue-footed boobies performing their famous courtship dance, and sea lions sleeping peacefully on the volcanic rocks.
Later in the trip, everyone visited the giant tortoises on Santa Cruz Island, walking among the iconic animals that have become symbols of the Galápagos.
It was the perfect balance between underwater adventure and island exploration.
Life Aboard the Humboldt Explorer
Life on a liveaboard quickly settles into a rhythm.
Dive. Eat. Rest. Repeat.
Days were filled with incredible diving, while the time in between became just as memorable.
The chef kept everyone well fed with family-style meals shared around the table. Fresh coffee fueled conversations as divers swapped photos and videos from each day’s encounters.
Evenings often revolved around the FIFA World Cup, with the group gathering to cheer for their favourite teams after a full day underwater.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a MAR Hosted Trips adventure without a little fun mixed in.
There was an impromptu yoga class on the sun deck.
A spontaneous dance party broke out on the dive deck.
And after exploring the lava tunnels on Santa Cruz, one ambitious traveler climbed inside an empty giant tortoise shell and somehow decided the perfect thing to do… was push-ups.
Those moments may not make it into the dive log, but they are often the ones everyone remembers.
New Friends, New Memories
One of the best parts of every MAR Hosted Trips adventure is the people.
This group brought together divers from across North America, many meeting for the very first time.
By the end of the trip, strangers had become dive buddies, travel partners, and friends.
There were shopping trips for matching rash guards, incredible dinners together in Puerto Ayora, and yes… even a brand-new tattoo to remember the adventure.
The diving may have brought everyone to the Galápagos, but it was the shared experiences that made the trip unforgettable.
Why Dive the Galápagos with MAR Hosted Trips?
The Galápagos is one of the most challenging and rewarding dive destinations in the world.
It requires experience, preparation, and a sense of adventure.
When you travel with MAR Hosted Trips, all of the logistics are taken care of, allowing you to focus on what matters most: enjoying every moment.
From airport transfers and hotel stays to liveaboard coordination and experienced trip leadership, we help make a complex destination feel easy to navigate.
Most importantly, you experience it alongside a group of divers who are just as excited to be there as you are. Knowing you will be paired with a buddy of similar experience as you will add value to an already amazing trip!
Preparing for the Galápagos
The Galápagos is a true bucket list destination, but it is also one of the most advanced dive trips we offer. The more prepared you are, the more you’ll enjoy every dive.
Before joining us, we recommend:
- Build Pacific diving experience. Panama, Colombia, and Cabo Pulmo are great places to get comfortable with currents and Pacific conditions.
- Become an independent diver. In the Galápagos, dive guides lead the dive, but you are expected to monitor your own depth, air supply, and no-decompression limit while staying close to your guide and buddy.
- Master your buoyancy. Your buoyancy should feel automatic so you can focus on the wildlife instead of your trim.
- Practice deploying a DSMB. You should be comfortable launching a surface marker buoy independently before the trip.
- Be physically ready. Expect multiple dives a day, currents, and active diving.
The best part? These are all skills you can build with us. Our dive training retreats and Pacific dive trips are designed to help divers gain the experience and confidence needed for destinations like the Galápagos.
We’ll be back in 2028, and we hope you’ll join us for the adventure of a lifetime. 🌊🦈
