Humboldt Explorer, Galapagos

Name: Central Archipelago, Darwin and Wolf Islands (Baltra - Baltra)
Start: 2026-12-14
End: 2026-12-21
Location: Galapagos

8.8 Fabulous

Nitrox available
Free Internet
Jacuzzi / Hot Tub
En-Suite bathrooms
Aircon Cabins
Warm Water Showers

from $ 611 / day Check dates

“It was one of the most amazing dive trips I had.”
Azam G, Netherlands

Highlights

Two land tours to see giant tortoises and endemic birds
Expansive dive deck, safe charging stations, and upgraded safety features
Member of the Green Fins sustainability and conservation program
Nitrox on board

The MV Humboldt Explorer, of the Explorer Ventures Fleet, offers incredible diving in the Galapagos year-round. Completely renovated in Spring 2023, the vessel is one of the Galapagos's safest, most modern, and most comfortable liveaboards. Humboldt Explorer offers 8 double or twin cabins on the upper or lower decks. All rooms have private en-suite bathrooms, individually controlled AC, and a TV. The air-conditioned salon on the main deck features an entertainment/media area and a large lounge. Meals are served in this salon's dining area, where guests can enjoy views of the Galapagos Islands. Meals are a mix of American and local cuisines. Other notable areas include the top deck with sun loungers, a bar, an al-fresco dining area, and a hot tub to warm up between dives.

Humboldt Explorer also offers a unique 7-night/8-day itinerary; it is the only Galapagos liveaboard to offer 4 days of diving with pelagics at the islands Darwin and Wolf. The dive deck is equipped with individual gear storage, a large camera table and charging station, and a separate fresh water rinse tank for underwater camera equipment. Diving occurs from two large tenders; nitrox is available for those certified. The Humboldt Explorer liveaboard offers incredible diving in the Galapagos year-round. The high season is from July to November when conditions are colder, currents are stronger, and visibility is lower, but this is the best chance to see whale sharks when diving at Darwin and Wolf. The low season is from December to June when the currents are not as strong, the visibility is clearer, and the water is warmer. Hammerheads, eagle rays, sea lions, Galapagos and silky sharks, and huge schools of fish are generally present all year.

Book your Humboldt Explorer liveaboard easily online today.

Choose your departure date

Date

Itinerary

Price

Select

21 Sep

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 6,395

FULL

28 Sep

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 6,395

FULL

05 Oct

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 6,395

FULL

12 Oct

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 6,395

FULL

19 Oct

11 Days / 10 Nights

$ 8,995

FULL

30 Oct

11 Days / 10 Nights

$ 8,995

FULL

09 Nov

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 6,395

FULL

16 Nov

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 6,395

FULL

23 Nov

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 6,395

FULL

30 Nov

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 6,395

FULL

07 Dec

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 6,395

FULL

14 Dec

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 6,395

Select Cabin available

Included: VAT, Alcoholic Beverages, Drinking Water, Soft drinks, Tea & Coffee, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Diving Package, Cabin Towels, Deck Towels, WiFi internet.

Required Extras: Chamber Fees ($35), Environment Tax ($20), Fuel Surcharge ($150-220), National Park Fees ($100-200).

Optional Extras: Gratuities, Airport Transfer, Local Flights, Nitrox ($150-220 / trip), Nitrox Course ($170), Rental Gear, Land Excursions, Snorkel Gear.

Book now, pay later: You can easily place your booking online. We will then hold the spaces for you and you can confirm with a payment later.

* Extra fees are shown per person.

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Boat features

Free Internet
Jacuzzi / Hot Tub
En-Suite bathrooms
Aircon Cabins
Warm Water Showers
Air Conditioned saloon
Sun Deck
Camera Station
Seaview Cabins
Custom built for diving
Charging stations
Indoor Saloon
Library
Audio & video entertainment
TV in cabins
Available for Charter
Local & International Crew
Snorkeling Equipment
Separate Rinse for u/w Camera
Bar

Food & Drinks

Free Wine w/Dinner
Free Soft Drinks
Beer available
Wine Available
Fine Wines Selection
Snacks All Day
Local Food
Set Menu Dinner

If you have any specific dietary requirements whilst on-board your cruise, you can add this to your special requests on step 2 of the booking form. We advise limiting these requests to religious beliefs or food allergies.

Diving

Nitrox available
Shaded Diving Area
DIN Adaptors
Dive deck
Tenders for diving

Languages Spoken

The crew speaks English and Spanish.

Gear Rental

Equipment is available for rent on this boat. Please provide your rental needs on the booking form. If the rental gear is not included in the price, you will need to pay for it on board the boat. Show prices

Drawings & Vessel Layouts

Cabin Types

Boat Specifications

Year built: 2009

Length: 111.5 feet

Beam: 21.3 feet

Top speed: 10 knots

Engines: Detroit Diesel 6V92 350HP

Max guests: 16

Number of cabins: 8

Number of bathrooms: 8

Tenders: 2 x rigid hull inflatables

Fuel capacity: 5'300 gallons

Boat navigation and safety

Radar
Depth Sounder
GPS
Radio VHF/DSC/SSB
Emergency Rafts
Life Vests
Oxygen
First Aid Kits

Humboldt Explorer Reviews

8.8 Fabulous

Vessel

8.5
Crew

8.9
Food

9.4
Diving

9.1
Value

8.0

9.6 Exceptional
David G
United States

We came to see hammerheads. Goal fulfilled
Visibility was poor for some of the dives but it got better as the week progressed. The crew was exceptional, always ready to help.
Recommended for
The helpfulness of the crew. The dive briefings. The other customers.
27 Feb, 2026

9.6 Exceptional
MÓNICA R
Spain

Unforgettable trip
Galapagos is a unique dive site in the world, it does not disappoint: every dive is a new surprise
Recommended for
Good dive spots, 10 crew attention, good organization
26 Aug, 2021

Translated from Spanish

9.6 Exceptional
Boram B
South Korea

It was an amazing diving trip with Humboldt Explorer.
Before/after every diving was very comfortable with crew's support with all the equipments. Guide was very clear which is nice and safe.
Recommended for
Diving comfort, Crew service, Food
11 Feb, 2019

10 Exceptional
Anna D
United States

Trip of a lifetime!
The entire week! Most of the dives were like a dream we had an amazing week with good visibility. Sea life an abundance of hammerheads 7 whale sharks and water was warmer than it was supposed to be. The crew was amazing helping everyone at all times. The chef will make sure you don’t starve (food was delicious) and accommodate for people with allergies!
Recommended for
Diving, dive guides/crew, food
30 Sep, 2023

9.6 Exceptional
rodolphe D
France

Best diving ever
Best diving trip ever. Sharks sharks and sharks, hammerheads and Galapagos sharks everywhere, whale sharks, Tiger shark, Silk sharks, dolphins, sea lions, seals, turtles,… I don’t know where to begin, a truly unbelievable experience
Recommended for
Unreal diving. Great team, service and vibes. Perfect facilities.
16 Aug, 2025

8.4 Very good
Rene B
Switzerland

Breathtaking experience
Darwin, being able to see so many Whale Sharks. The food was always at great standards and usually very tasty. Everybody was very nice and attentive. The cabin was spacious and comfortable.
Recommended for
Food, comfort, dives
09 Sep, 2016

9.2 Superb
Cindy B
United States

The crew on the Homboldt Explorer made every effort to make our trip exceptional from their attention to detail and to the safety of the guests.
The highlights were the quality and quantity of marine life, the professionalism and attentiveness of the staff
Recommended for
Helpfulness of the staff. Organization of the dives from assistance with gearing up to warm towels at the conct. Felt safe on board and within the water.
10 Dec, 2025

9.2 Superb
Alicia I
United States

Excellent experience, highly recommend Humbolt Explorer for trip of a lifetime
Incredible unique wildlife encounters
Recommended for
Remote access, professional and friendly staff, comfortable accommodations
03 Jan, 2019

9.6 Exceptional
Jorge G
Spain

Amazing trip
Amazing experience diving with sharks in Wolf and Darwin islands. The crew was very friendly and helpful. The food was delicious. All the services received were fabulous. Definitely I´ll repeat this trip. Thanks to do real this dream.
Recommended for
Crew, diving and received treatment.
28 Mar, 2019

10 Exceptional
Jeff P
United States

Galapagos Humboldt Explorer was sensational and exceeded expectations!
Whale sharks. Sharks. Great diving. Excellent food and companions on the boat. Great crew too.
Recommended for
Diving, Crew, Other divers
26 Aug, 2021

116 reviews

8.8 Fabulous
116 Verified Reviews

Sort reviews by:

9.2 Superb
Thomas R
Germany

Great diving for those who like it big!
Hundreds of hammerhead sharks at the divesides Darwin and Wolf divesides where planned in the group safety was very important (radio transmitter) very good briefing landexcursions with the guides who had a lot of knowledge was excellent staff was working hard to fulfill all our wishes after a cool dive it was great having a whirlpool to warm up All in all, we would do it again, on the Humboldt Explorer
Recommended for
Hammerheads, Sealions, Whirlpool.
03 Jan, 2017

8.4 Very good
Amanda C
United States

Great diving and crew, boat needs some upgrades
100+ hammerhead sharks, dolphin pods, friendly and helpful crew. The dive guides rotate between different boats, but we got lucky with Paolo--he's fantastic.
Recommended for
dive quality, dive guides, crew
29 Jun, 2018

9.2 Superb
Frank G
United Kingdom

Dive trip of a lifetime, no. 1 dive destination
Close encounter with hundreds of hammerheads, intense diving experience with a great crew and a lovely group of fellow divers
Recommended for
Schooling hammerheads, massive variety of other marine life, food on board
27 May, 2019

9.6 Exceptional
Steven M
United States

5-star comfort, food, diving, and staff for lower price than expected.
Secret cave, Darwin arch, friendly group international divers, warm drink & towel after every dive
Recommended for
#1. Food (amazing). #2. Dive guides. #3. Staff so friendly & attentive to details
14 Apr, 2021

8.8 Fabulous
Andrea Z
Italy

great & challenging
hammerhead, nice boat, too many divers for each dive guide
Recommended for
hammerhead, crew service, food
03 May, 2017

8.8 Fabulous
Jamie N
United Kingdom

Amazing Galápagos adventure with a fantastic crew
This liveaboard trip was an incredible experience and an unforgettable way to visit the Galápagos. I’m really glad I decided to spend some extra time on land as well, because there is so much to discover beyond the diving. The islands are truly unique and exploring them both above and below the water made the trip even more special. The crew was amazing throughout the entire trip, professional, friendly, and always making sure everyone was comfortable and taken care of. Their effort and positive attitude really added to the overall experience. The only downside was that the underwater visibility wasn’t very good during some dives. However, that’s simply part of nature and obviously not something the crew or operator can control. Overall it was a fantastic adventure and a great way to experience the Galápagos. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a memorable dive trip.
Recommended for
Crew. People. Food.
13 Mar, 2026

9.6 Exceptional
Sandra J
Canada

Fantastic crew, boat and dives!
How amazing it was to see all the schools of hammerhead sharks, the huge whale sharks, schools of spotted eagle rays, mobulas, turtles, moray eels, tuna and so many scools of fish. We got lucky with warmer water and not so bad of currents. The crew were all so helpful during the dives with double checking air before getting on the panda, assisting getting on and off the panda with all our gear, and helping with the suits. The dive masters Ronny and Kebin, were fantastic. They had excellent briefings and were very safety concious. The crew did an amazing safety drill. Thanks Roberto and Fabricio for the excellent food, especially the sushi one afternoon, which was delicious. Good drinks prepared by Hector. Thanks Crucita for keeping our rooms so clean and it was fun seeing our towel caricatures. This liveaboard experience was superb and I would highly recommend to anyone. Top notch service and experience for my bucket list adventure.
Recommended for
Diving and seeing the hammerhead sharks and whale sharks, fantastic crew and boat, and a great variety of food each day.
06 Oct, 2023

8.8 Fabulous
Vladislav P
Germany

Fantastic dives at Wolf and Darwin
Hundreds of hammerheads at every dive at Wolf. Schools of jacks and sharks hunting them at Darwin. Tunas , turtles rays, silkys galapqaos and white tips sharks at almost all dives. Increadible quantity of fishs.
Recommended for
1. Wonderful dives. 2. Wonderful dive guides. 3. Wonderful ambiance
03 Apr, 2019

6.4 Review score
Raphael G
France

Not bad but can do a lot of things
The Hammerhead and Sea Lion Dives are superb. The Wolf site is spectacular.
Recommended for
Wolf. Darwin. Shore Excursion
01 Apr, 2020

Translated from French

10 Exceptional
Giorgia R
Italy

Absolutely amazing!
The organisation and the attention that they have for the guest it’s amazing! All the staff members are professional, friendly and always kind. The boat is WOW: clean, tidy, nice common areas and beds really comfortable. The food is local and international: delicious. The diving part of the boat is absolutely functional and the crew helps you literally in every moment. For sure, I’ll choose them again when I’ll come back to Galápagos!
Recommended for
Crew - food - whole experience
22 May, 2024

9.6 Exceptional
tammy S
United States

Exceeded expectations
Our 2 groups had a total of 21 whale shark sightings which was so amazing. The diligence of the crew to make sure that we were always happy and comfortable was very much appreciated. Loved the land excursion with the tortoises at the end.
Recommended for
The diving was spectacular, the crew worked in harmony and was very efficient and respectful and the scenery was amazing
15 Jun, 2022

9.2 Superb
Yannick A
United Kingdom

An experience of a lifetime
Exceptional dives, the dive masters took us to fantastic places and really tried their hardest to find everything for us. On board the crew was so helpful and caring. A great experience.
Recommended for
The Dives. The whole team, crew and divemasters. Food.
16 Dec, 2024

10 Exceptional
Jason H
United States

Unbelievably Great Experience
I've been many places, this was the best. From a 42 foot whale shark. To enormous schools of hammerheads and galapagos sharks, hard to pick. Eagle rays, Turtles, cowrays, I loved every dive.
Recommended for
Crew, people, dive sites
14 Apr, 2021

8.8 Fabulous
Noriko I
Japan

So many sharks!
Guide's English is easy for Japanese to understand. Compared to Japanese diving shops, the guides don't keep an eye on their guests (in Japan, a lot of guests depend on their guides too much). Crew are all friendly, the cabin is kept clean, and the foods are delicious. I could enjoy not only diving but also land visit. I could not forget the beautiful stars...
Recommended for
Hammerhead sharks, Hot chocolate after diving, Stars
04 Mar, 2018

10 Exceptional
Uri B
United Kingdom

Friendly and professional crew in one of the most impressive dive destinations
Darwin island was amazing with a massive slow and long whale shark encounter. A mix of dolphins and hammerheads in a single group was also mind blowing!
Recommended for
The diving, the dive guides and the crew
30 Aug, 2023

8.0 Very good
Azam G
Netherlands

Amazing
It was one of the most amazing dive trips I had.
Recommended for
Unique and protected area. Beautiful marine life. Experienced crew.
24 Mar, 2025

10 Exceptional
Jialin W
United States

The body is in hell, and the soul is in heaven.
It's been a few months since I left Humboldt, and my first Galapagos diving trip made me unforgettable. The underwater beauty, delicious food, and friendly staff made me decide to return to Galapagos in May 2020.
Recommended for
Underwater views, dedicated staff and delicious food.
14 Jan, 2020

8.0 Very good
Alexander K
Switzerland

Dream trip for shark lovers
Super friendly team
Recommended for
Wolf Sharkbay. Zimmerservice. Overall service.
29 Mar, 2025

Translated from German

9.6 Exceptional
Ismael M
Spain

Awesome experience, 100% recommended
Awesome experience, one of the best liveaboards I've done. The boat is awesome, crew extremely friendly and attentive, facilities were excellent. We stayed 3 days in Wolf and Darwin. I'd recommend to put more attention on the rental gear available on board. Two octopuses were in bad condition and had to be replaced.
Recommended for
Many days at the best dive locations - Wolf and Darwin. Good quality of onboard services (room, food, entertainment, facilities). Good guides and briefings.
28 Aug, 2025

8.8 Fabulous
Elias T
Israel

This was my first visit to the Galapagos Islands, and honestly, my expectations were very high. Nevertheless, the trip exceeded all my expectations, especially the diving experience, which was amazing
This was my first visit to the Galapagos Islands, and honestly, my expectations were very high. Nevertheless, the trip exceeded all my expectations, especially the diving experience, which was amazing. Choosing the 11-day trip instead of the 8-day one was a wise decision, as it allowed us to visit many places that would be difficult to see on a shorter trip. The guides were highly professional, which I can say from my experience on many liveaboard. The food was delicious, the room service was excellent, and the crew was very cooperative and organized. However, I found the boat to be somewhat modest and in need of some maintenance.
Recommended for
The guides were amazing. The diving experience overall was incredible. The crew's cooperation was great.
16 Dec, 2024