OVERVIEW :
Home of sharks and large pelagic fish
North Seymour Island is 1.9 sq. km (1.17 sq. mi) and it is one of the best sites for sharks and large pelagic fish in the whole Archipelago. It is situated approximately 7 km (3.89 mi) north of Baltra Island (where the airport is located) and not far from Santa Cruz. The island was lifted from the ocean floor by a seismic event, and its origins as a seabed give the island its low, flat profile. The island shape consists of gradual steps off the island shoreline declining 8 meters to beautiful rock reef, before reaching the sandy bottom at 16 – 18 meters. Diving at North Seymour gives the opportunity to enjoy watching sharks, sea lions, stingrays, eagle rays, moray eels, and many fish attracted by the current.
Home of manta rays and colorful fish
The Daphne Minor is located just north of Santa Cruz. Its area is 0.07 sq km and it is maximum altitude is 38 m (123 ft). The island offers something a bit more unique. There our divers can observe the large quantity of benthic organisms that live on the underwater walls of the island, all of which create a multi-colored aspect to the undersea world. Sea horses can be observed around the black corals and Galápagos sharks and sometimes rays and sea turtles are present.
The departure is going to be at 7:00 am from Puerto Ayora Pier where our guests will be ride by shared bus until Itabaca Channel where divers embark on an amazing diving expedition on North Seymour. Diving at Seymour provides the opportunity to swim with many white and black tip reef sharks, as well as being a favorite resting place for large numbers of green sea turtles. At the Seymour is possible to see small schools at both diving sites, swimming through the channel and around the point through the current. Large schools of barracuda,
snapper and other reef fish are also in abundance, and the rock reef is an excellent place to search for the well camouflaged octopi. Peculiar schools of spotted eagle rays that glide through the channel along the sand, occasionally joined by devil and manta rays.
It is recommended to be knowledgeable that from July to December sea temperature are cooler here, from 65ºF - 75ºF (18ºC – 23ºC) with occasional thermoclines from 60ºF - 64ºF (16ºC - 18ºC). We provide with 5mm or 7mm wetsuits as well as hoods and also have some spare layers. And, January to June water temperature is up 24ºC.