Aqua Liveaboard, Galapagos

Aqua live aboard provides a great way to explore the underwater wonders of the Galapagos Islands.

The unique diving experience; diving with sharks, rays Mola molas, sea lions and marine iguanas was a highlight that was made all the better by the efficiency of the organized crew getting divers in and out of the water. The food was excellent, served buffet style with many options, it was hard not to over eat. In most cases there was a soup or appetizer and always dessert. There were two long transits that went through the night. Several passengers experienced varying levels of sea sickness. Come prepared with anti nausea medication.

Recommended for

Experienced guides and crew were excellent.. Food was plentiful and tasty with good variety.. The star of the show was the access to the unique dive experience..

14 Mar, 2026

Aqua, the crew and the diving are awesome.

The crew of the Aqua does a great job. They are friendly and accommodating. Diving is simply amazing.

Recommended for

Food was great.. Crew was awesome.. Diving was great..

04 Apr, 2026

Great experience

Fantastic trip and unforgettable experience. The boat is not new but it is clean and well maintained and offers everything you need on a diving trip. The staff is super friendly and helpful. Great guides, who not only take care of their divers but have extensive knowledge about dive sites, wildlife and Galapagos archipelago as well.

Recommended for

Diving. Staff/guides. Food.

03 Sep, 2025

Unforgettably beautiful liveaboard - A diver's dream

Our experience on the diving safari with the Aqua was completely positive.The trip was unforgettable – especially the spectacular underwater world around Darwin and Wolf was a real highlight. The sightings of large schools of hammerhead sharks, two encounters with a whale shark, as well as impressive groups of tuna, barracuda, eagle rays and other shark species have made this safari a unique experience. The dive at Fernandina was particularly impressive, where we were able to watch marine iguanas feeding underwater – a truly extraordinary moment.Everything was also right above water: the food on board was excellent, the crew was very friendly and professional, and the weather played along the whole time. All in all, a top organized trip with many unforgettable impressions.

Recommended for

Marine life. Crew. Eat.

24 Jun, 2025

Great liveaboard trip onboard the Aqua!

Boat : The Aqua (or Pinguino Explorer, the boat's old name it seems) is a middle sized liveaboard boat that I had the pleasure to take on their A itinerary. The boat is middle sized which was not a problem for us because it was a smaller group, but I could se how it could get crowded in the dining area and diving prep area, but I don't think it would be a major problem either Cabin : I was on an upper deck twin cabin (single occupancy because of the group size). Bed was comfortable, bathroom and shower were perfectly adequate (shampoo and conditioner provided too), hot water ran immediately which was very nice. Food : incredible food quality and variety, the best I have ever had on a liveaboard (opinion shared among our group too). Some nice snacks available after the dives, and some fruits, biscuits and tea available at all time too. Beers and wine available at a cost. Crew : incredible crew, very willing to help when preparing for the dive and always making sure everyone was happy and safe. The dive guides Daniel and Christian were both nice and knowledgeable, spoke good English and were able to lead us on safe and very nice dives. We also had the chance to have Sofia, a marine biologist, on board and she gave us three lectures on Citizen Science, Whale Sharks and the Plastic issues, which were very interesting and well-given. She is extremely knowledgeable and will very nicely answer to all questions about the Galapagos and its wildlife. She is not on the boat for all liveaboards as she was invited on this one to give the lectures and support the dive guides, but she mentioned starting to come as a dive guide, so you might be able to benefit from a fascinating and very interesting dive guide and naturalist if you choose this boat. Diving equipment : rental of diving equipment was easy and the equipment was good too. They also provide you with a GPS system when diving in Darwin and Wolf, as well as a emergency whistle system. SMBs can be rented onboard, but they don't come with the rope that allows you to deploy them underwater. Ths wetsuit provided is a 7mm one. Dives : the dives were all incredible, with a large variety of dive styles (drift dive, stationary ones, etc..). Darwin and Wolf do have some current so I would recommend having a bit of experience with current before coming, so that you can enjoy the incredible wildlife more. We saw a LOT of hammerhead and Galapagos sharks, one Whale shark in Darwin, turtles, many sorts of fishes, marine iguanas, sea lions. Dives on the west coast are colder (16-17°C in September) so plan some layers if you get cold easily. They can provide hood and gloves if needed (hoods are not necessary in Wolf and Darwin, gloves are recommended everywhere if you need to hang on to some rocks during dives with current.) Overall experience on this boat has been great, would wholeheartedly recommend it, it's a lot cheaper than most other liveaboards I have seen on the Galapagos. The boat is not luxurious but it's perfectly fine for the price.

Recommended for

Boat crew and dive guides. Food quality and quantity. Dives quality.

06 Oct, 2024

Overall it was ok

Overall it was a nice cruise. The service was good and the buffet meals satisfying. The room that I was assigned didn’t have any window but it was nice. The guide we had tried their best to give us a good experience. We didn’t have much luck in mid may since the temperature of the water was too high and the hammer head sharks in wolf and Darwin were really few at 25/30 meters. We should had gone deeper but the use of nitrox and Galapagos park regulations didn’t let us do it. The buddy that was assigned to me wasn’t really good on buoyancy and air consumption and forced us to finish the dive early twice compared to the group. On later dives the guy in charge of the kitchen service joined us to pair with the divers that had to get out before. Considered the hefty price that must be paid to take part to cruise I’m not really sure if it is the best option compared to single dive trip that cost around 220$ and can be easy arranged in San Cristobal or puerto ayora

Recommended for

Service. Guide. Room.

05 Jun, 2026