Scuba Diving in Ecuador

Dive in crystal clear waters in the Galapagos and other locations

Ecuador has two principal areas for diving: Around the Galapagos Islands and at various dive sites in the waters of Machalilla National Park, particularly Isla de la Plata which is like a mini-Galapagos. In both areas there are many dive spots. With such a diverse marine bio-system and nearly 400,000 hectares of aquatic preserves, scuba diving in Ecuador is spectacular. Even experienced divers will confirm there is always something new and unique to behold in Ecuador waters.

Scuba Diving Season

Year Round

Spectacular diving in clear waters with incredible marine life diversity, is available practically any time of the year.

Scuba Diving in the Galapagos Islands.

Because its unique marine bio-diversity, Galapagos ranks as one of the top 20 scuba diving destinations in the world. There are so many fantastic dive sites in the Galapagos, they really deserve a complete website of their own. While the waters are not as clear as some of world’s most popular destinations, the sheer variety and density of sharks, manta rays and aquatic birds, mammals and reptiles, you can see in the water, makes any diving experience in the Galapagos quite unforgettable.

There are two ways to go scuba diving in the Galapagos: Live-on-board cruises, which take you around the islands to a wide range of different sites typically for a 7 day round trip; Alternatively you can take daily dives to one or two sites per day. For serious divers, the best option is a live-on-board dive cruise which will set you back $3000-5000 depending on the package and itinerary.

Only the cruises can get a license to dive at Wolf and Darwin Islands, which are two of the best sites in the Galapagos. Here, you’ll get to dive with enormous Manta rays, Hammerhead sharks, Green turtles and hundreds of other species, and at Wolf you can experience several cave dives.

Santa Cruz island is the most popular starting point for diving trips, but there are also dive centers on San Cristobal and Isla Isabela which offer day trips to the popular dive sites around Isabela including: Tagus Cove, Vicente Roca Point, Cuatro Hermanos Rock, Union Rock, Roca Redonda, La Viuda, Tortuga Island, West Tortuga Island, and Cape Marshall.

Scuba Diving in and around Machalilla National Park.

There are about 20 dive sites in the waters surrounding Machalilla National Park, suitable for different levels of diving experience. June thru October is generally best for diving in this area. The dive sites include Playa Los Frailes, Isla Salango and most popular of all, Isla de la Plata (Silver island).

The ocean is teeming with a wide variety of marine life and corals: from lobsters and octopus to sea lions and turtles, and from colorful reef fish to manta rays and sharks of all types and sizes.

Scuba Diving Centers and Cruises

If you know anywhere to buy, rent or repair scuba gear, please add it to our directory.