Nortada Liveaboard, Galapagos

Name: Whale Shark Diving: Isabela, Darwin and Wolf Islands (Santa Cruz - Santa Cruz)
Start: 2026-09-11
End: 2026-09-18
Location: Galapagos

8.7 Fabulous

Nitrox available
Free Internet
Naturalist Guide
En-Suite bathrooms
Family Cabins
Aircon Cabins
Non-Diver (Snorkeler) Friendly

from $ 549 / day Check dates

“I will highly recommend this trip and this boat!”
Anette S, Norway

Highlights

Small dive groups to offer personalized attention
Discover endemic species of the Galapagos
Sun deck with ample seating for relaxation

The 26m Nortada liveaboard presents a different kind of Galapagos dive liveaboard experience. With only 4 cabins onboard and accommodating up to 8 guests, the Nortada offers divers a more intimate and personalized experience. The dive platform with a bench and camera table was carefully designed with divers in mind, and the 2 tenders and 2 assigned dive guides support small dive groups and an attentive experience.

The comprehensive 7 or 14-night itineraries to the world-famous dive sites, including Wolf and Darwin, nearly guarantee guests' dive trips of a lifetime. Pelagic sightings involving hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, giant mantas, whale sharks, and mola molas are not uncommon, and guests can also hope to see the Flightless Cormorants, Galapagos Penguins, Marine Iguanas, and several other endemic species during the cruise. Nitrox is available for an additional cost, as is rebreather support and technical diving. For non-diving guests, the Nortada also offers the Naturalist itinerary year-round.

The Nortada is available for individual bookings and full charter. Book online today to start your amazing Galapagos adventure.

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Date

Itinerary

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05 Jun

8 Days / 7 Nights

~~$ 4,400~~ $ 3,696 Save 16% -16%

FULL

12 Jun

8 Days / 7 Nights

~~$ 4,400~~ $ 3,696 Save 16% -16%

FULL

19 Jun

8 Days / 7 Nights

~~$ 4,400~~ $ 3,696 Save 16% -16%

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26 Jun

8 Days / 7 Nights

~~$ 4,400~~ $ 3,696 Save 16% -16%

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10 Jul

8 Days / 7 Nights

~~$ 5,225~~ $ 4,389 Save 16% -16%

FULL

17 Jul

8 Days / 7 Nights

~~$ 5,225~~ $ 4,389 Save 16% -16%

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24 Jul

8 Days / 7 Nights

~~$ 5,225~~ $ 4,389 Save 16% -16%

FULL

31 Jul

8 Days / 7 Nights

~~$ 5,225~~ $ 4,389 Save 16% -16%

FULL

07 Aug

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 5,225

FULL

14 Aug

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 5,225

FULL

28 Aug

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 5,225

FULL

04 Sep

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 5,225

FULL

Included: VAT, Drinking Water, Soft Drinks at Meal Times, Tea & Coffee, Welcome Cocktails, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Diving Package, Extra Dives, Night Dives, Land Excursions, Naturalist Guide, Cabin Towels, Complimentary Toiletries, Deck Towels, WiFi internet.

Required Extras: National Park Fees (100-200 USD), Visas and Fees (20 USD).

Optional Extras: Gratuities, Airport Transfer (50 USD), Alcoholic Beverages (3-6 USD per item), Soft drinks (2 USD per item), Wine with Dinner (20 USD per item), Nitrox, Nitrox Course (210 USD), Private Dive Guide, Rental Gear, Kayaks, Snorkel Gear, Snorkeling Guide.

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
Naturalist Guide
En-Suite bathrooms
Family Cabins
Aircon Cabins
Non-Diver (Snorkeler) Friendly
Warm Water Showers
Air Conditioned saloon
Sun Deck
Camera Station
Nearly 1:1 Crew-to-Guest Ratio
Seaview Cabins
Naturalist Itineraries
Non-Smoking Rooms
Custom built for diving
Charging stations
Indoor Saloon
Audio & video entertainment
Observation Deck
Available for Charter
Local & International Crew
Separate Rinse for u/w Camera
Outside Showers
Leisure Deck
Daily housekeeping
Bar

Food & Drinks

Vegan Options
Vegetarian Options
Beer available
Wine Available
Welcome Cocktails
Snacks All Day
Buffet style
Western Food
Local Food

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
Tech diving
Rinse Hoses
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: 1986

Year renovated: 2014

Length: 25.66 meters

Deck area: 3 decks

Beam: 5.40 meters

Top speed: 10 knots

Cruising speed: 8 knots

Engines: Twin CUMMINS 6CTA8.3-M 255 HP main engines

Max guests: 12

Number of cabins: 4

Number of bathrooms: 5

Tenders: 2 15 feet Nautica inflatable boats with 25 HP four stroke outboard engines

Water capacity: 1200 gallons

Fuel capacity: 1700 gallons

Freshwater maker: Sea water desalination system

Boat navigation and safety

Radar
Depth Sounder
GPS
Radio VHF/DSC/SSB
E.P.I.R.B. Distress System
Emergency Rafts
Life Vests
Fire Alarm & Fire Extinguishers
Oxygen
First Aid Kits
Satellite & mobile phones
Bilge pump alarm
Search light
Engine room CCTV
Crew trained in first aid
Emergency flares

Nortada Reviews

8.7 Fabulous

Vessel

7.9
Crew

8.7
Food

9.5
Diving

8.9
Value

8.4

10 Exceptional
Lara U
France

Which will remain unbeatable for a long time the best week of my life... Aboard the Nortada
A simply magical and indescribable week aboard the Nortada. Between the crew taking care of you, the magnificent little boat in which you quickly feel at home and that you can't leave... And life underwater..., you cling to balconies, or you land in small basins, then you let yourself drift at high speed above the reef and then in the blue, and this always accompanied somewhere by hammerheads, dolphins, galapagos sharks, eagle rays... that you don't even know where to look. Our guide Jesse was perfect, our highlight was the double passage under our nose just after the immersion of a huge female tiger shark of more than 5m in Darwin....I recommend this boat 1000%
Recommended for
Friendly family atmosphere. Quality of diving equipment provided. Supervision, care and support.
11 Apr, 2025

Translated from French

9.6 Exceptional
Michael F
United States

Amazing experience
Amazing diving, no where else in the world can you get this amount of wildlife
Recommended for
The crew. The dive team. The scenery.
13 Mar, 2026

10 Exceptional
Annette D
France

one of my best
all has been very great !!!!! Galápagos are still the best destination for diving in the world for me ( third time here ! ) !!!!
Recommended for
small group (8 guests on board ),very nice&comfortable liveaboard, huge hug to all the crew !
26 May, 2017

8.8 Fabulous
Michael W
United Kingdom

Great diving shame about lack of nitox
Whale shark and hammerheads at Darwin were amazing but other dives would have a fantastic variety from penguins and playful sea lions to the strange mola
Recommended for
great diving, Pedro the chef
25 Oct, 2018

10 Exceptional
Diane C
France

I couldn't have dreamed of a better liveabord in the Galapagos!
I stayed 8 days on board the Nortada and it was one of the best experiences of my life. The dives were fantastic, we saw schools of hammerhead sharks, mola mola, dolphins and even... orcas!! I will never forget that moment in Darwin when we saw orcas hunting hammerhead sharks under the zodiac.The cabins are comfortable, and the very hot water in the shower is clearly a plus because the dives are very cold.Thank you to all the crew who were always taking care of us, the food on board was excellent and thank you to the two amazing dive masters Daniel and Felipe, they knew the sites perfectly. Thank you to Daniel, for his energy, his good humor and his competence!!
Recommended for
The crew was lovely, helpful and available. The divemasters Daniel and Felipe were fantastic. The dives were amazing.
21 Sep, 2025

Translated from French

9.6 Exceptional
Tadzio B
Netherlands

Amazing experience with an amazing crew
The amazing diving!
Recommended for
Diving, crew, food
21 Feb, 2023

8.0 Very good
Alexandra T
France

Unforgettable diving week
The highlight of the trip was of course swimming along the whale shark! The dives were all fantastics and we saw so many fishes and animals. The ambiance on the boat with the other divers and crew was very nice
Recommended for
- Our dive guide Simon Velez ; The dives ; the dedication of the crew
12 Sep, 2018

8.0 Very good
miguel L
Argentina

Great trip, excellent guide
It was an excellent trip. It´s the best to be only 8 divers. Great guide, excellent crew, very good food. Unfortunately Nitrox was not avaiable. I would suggest to improuve the first test dive, and dive in some spot outside the Puerto Ayora bay. Overall it was great
Recommended for
Big fish, dive spots, few divers
22 Mar, 2018

9.2 Superb
Patick W
United States

Diving in the Galapagos you will see hundreds of hammerheads, marine iguanas and schools of many different types of fish.
Seeing schools of hammerhead sharks at Darwin and Wolf Island Swimming with marine iguanas and seeing them eat green algae underwater at Fernandino Island Swimming with Galapagos sea lions and how playful they were. Seeing flightless cormorants dive for fish. Seeing Mola-Mola. The food and juices on board were great. The boat was very clean and the staff were friendly. The dingy rides around the smaller islands that allowed us to observe endemic birds was really cool.
Recommended for
Diving at Darwin and Wolf Islands with schools of hammerhead sharks. The food on board was spectacular. At each of the islands after diving, they took us on the dingy to see the edemic birds.
04 Mar, 2018

8.8 Fabulous
Anette S
Norway

Amazing Galapagos
Diving in Galapagos was amazing. The boat Nortada hoses only 8 divers and thats PERFECT. You dive in small groups and gets close to the marine life. There where huge schools of hammerheads, sunfish(mola mola), sealions,, eagle reys,turtles and so on... Its a small boat, but if there are big waves on the sea i don't think it would make any different if you are on a bit bigger boat. The crew was super friendly and the food was good. I will highly recommend this trip and this boat!
Recommended for
Few divers, best dive spots, fantastic marine life
08 Nov, 2017

33 reviews

8.7 Fabulous
33 Verified Reviews

Sort reviews by:

8.0 Very good
Tuan N
United States

Book the trip
Overall, our experience was amazing. Aside from the diverse wild life on each dive, which speaks for itself, the main reason this trip was great was how small and intimate the dive group was and how friendly the crew are. We took this trip in September and only had 8 total divers on this cruise (out of a possible 12), which made the dives and living with one another in close quarters really comfortable. The boat may be smaller than some available but the room sizes are a comfortable with relatively soft beds. The AC can be a bit tricky but the crew was very helpful in fixing it.
Recommended for
Dive group. The crew. Small group.
20 Sep, 2025

10 Exceptional
Christin O
Germany

My diving wish list was 100% fulfilled!
The safari with the Nortada met all my expectations. With only 8 guests and an extremely helpful crew, there is a real family atmosphere. The dive sites were breathtaking and you really get to see all the highlights of Galapagos on this tour: schools of hammerhead sharks, sea lions, underwater iguanas, mola mola, seahorses and the big Oceanic manta rays. As the icing on the cake, there was a whale shark! It's a pity that the week went by so quickly.
Recommended for
Exciting dives, great group, great crew
28 Mar, 2023

Translated from German

9.2 Superb
Scott A
United Kingdom

Spectacular Trip
My first ever time on a liveaboard and a truly spectacular one. The boat may lack some of the luxuries that are available on some of the more expensive trips but what it does boast is small guest numbers which makes for a really personal experience and better diving, which (if you are like me) is a far higher priority anyway. All the guides and crew were fantastic; friendly, attentive and welcoming- nothing was too much trouble. The diving I cannot put into words... Whalesharks, Hammerheads, Penguins, Iguanas... I was lucky enough to see them all. There were some small logistical problems, such as not initially having the correctly sized rental equipment but I cannot fault them for their quick efforts to get this rectified and it absolutely wasn't a significant enough problem to tarnish what really was a special trip. Thank you Nortada, for a fantastic week
Recommended for
Great diving, incredible wildlife and fantastic crew
23 Sep, 2022

9.2 Superb
Benjamin S
United States

Excellent!
Amazing diving around the Galapagos. Great crew, very friendly and helpful.
Recommended for
Dive Guides, Crew, Dive Sites
19 Jun, 2019

8.8 Fabulous
Mirko H
Switzerland

Best crew, very familiar and awesome diving
Hammerhead, Hammerheadschool, Waleshark, oceanmantas, diabolo manta, goldenray school, molamola, seahorse, seaiguanas, the hole live on the bord
Recommended for
Of course diving, its crazy beautifull!! The food was soo delicious even for vegetarian or vegan people. It was e very familiar athmospher with the crew and small diving groups of 4 people.
26 Mar, 2023

9.6 Exceptional
David G
Spain

Great liveaboard
I have already done a few lives on board, some with you and this has been the best. I have been lucky enough to coincide on the trip with a colleague of yours, Joaquín, an Argentinian who works for Liveaboard from Valencia. The first day my GoPro died, he did not hesitate to lend me one of his cameras for the whole trip and at the end of it he gave me a t-shirt from your company. It was a pleasure to dive by his side, I congratulate you for having people like this on the staff. It's been great life on board, the people on the boat spectacular and the dives second to none, thank you for everything.
Recommended for
Guides and staff on board. Dives. Food.
10 Mar, 2026

Translated from Spanish

8.8 Fabulous
mark J
United Kingdom

Perfect
A delightful trip .. 20 dives in a week with amazing wildlife. Everything was seen .. water temp in Nov was just fine. The bedroom was fine, Aircon, but a very hard Matress
Recommended for
The diving was spectacular. The way the crew helped getting in and out of the water. Structured day well planned.
20 Nov, 2024

8.8 Fabulous
Alexandra Simone Z
Switzerland

Friendly crew, awesome dive spots
Really friendly and helpful crew and guides! They were always around and ofered ther help, so you hadn't always to ask for help! So nice! Enough space in the shared cabin! Good food And awesome dive spots
Recommended for
Friendliness of the crew and guides. Crew always helped incredibile nice with the dive gear and everything else on the boat!. Dive places!.
25 Aug, 2025

9.2 Superb
Ke T
United States

Very good way to dive the Galapagos!
Pros: - Dive sites are absolutely amazing - The chef was fantastic, all the food was awesome, plus snack and beverage service. - We were a group of 7, and bc of the roomy sun deck the boat didn’t feel crowded at all. - Crew was so welcoming and helpful, great tenders, took our minds off of the little things and ran the boat smoothly. - Dive guide was attentive and passionate, had a lot of interesting information before, during, and after the dive. Cons: - Bring your own equipment. My rental mask fogged constantly despite burning/scrubbing, at one point my BCD had a leak and would not inflate during a dive, and the torch I was given died within minutes of use underwater. - Cabins smell musty and like toilet cleaner. AC control is all over the place so sometimes it’s very hot, others it’s super cold. Overall 4/5, worth the money and the small inconveniences to be able to dive at one of the coolest places in the world and see hammerhead sharks, rays, marine iguanas, sea lions, batfish, mola molas, etc.
Recommended for
Good dives, good food, good crew
01 Jan, 2023

8.0 Very good
Fernando B
Brazil

Amazing dives
Dive schedule, only 8 people, Manta Rays, Hammerhead Shark, Whale Sharks.
Recommended for
Dive schedule, only 8 people, departure on Puert Ayora
07 Jul, 2016

8.4 Very good
Melanie H
New Zealand

Wow. Just wow.
I did 19 dives in five days! It was fantastic. I saw mola molas up close, if I reached my arm out I would’ve touched it! There were hammerhead sharks everywhere. At Landslide, there were schools of them being cleaned by angel fish! I also saw marine iguanas feeding, horxbille turtles being cleaned and feeding, hornshark baby sleeping, white tip sharks up close, silky sharks and Galapagos sharks up close, huge parrot fish, manta rays right in front of me, schools of golden cow rays, did I mention the mantas being powerful and beautiful and maybe a metre from me as they aren’t scared of divers? Oh right and I swam with dolphins and saw them on our safety stop, I played with sea lions, they copy you! Mola molas were plentiful and a new favourite. They again came so close and there were so many! That’s not to mention the barracudas and the soldier fish, the shrimps and the lobsters.... every moment caused me to do an underwater jiggle of excitement. Note, it does get cold and there are currents. At times, we just planted ourselves to rocks and watched the blue. I was in a 5ml and I was fine but there were others on the boat in 7mls and were cold. A lot of the current dives were negative entry so confidence with that is ideal as we did loose a couple of divers on the descent on our first negative entry dive. Note, due to the tides and the nutrient rich water, the vis isn’t as high as I’d have expected but due to fishing laws etc they don’t scare and come so close. Eye contact with hammerheads and molas says it all right? The guide also took a go pro and gave me his footage. I’m fond of living the dive for the moment and not through a camera so it’s nice to have that. I thought that I may see a hammerhead or two, I had no idea that in five days, I would see so much. It’s a completely different vibe to coral reefs so you can’t really compare the two. The Galapagos is expensive, too much for my liking but this trip was good value and they give you your five a day! Be sure to tip the crew members individually as they share all the tips out. They appreciated the thank you letters we attempted to write in Spanish and the individual tips. I don’t want to go home.
Recommended for
Every dive site had its own vibe and marine life. Look into the blue and keep breathing, there’s so much to see! The crew were super friendly despite not speaking English and were great!
10 May, 2018

7.2 Good
joseph V
Netherlands

Diving in a fantastic environment
hammerheads, whale sharks, mola mola,manta rays and a perfect group.
Recommended for
the diving group, the Wolf and Darwin area, marine life
08 Nov, 2017

Translated from Dutch

10 Exceptional
Marek P
Poland

great trip
Sharks, sea lions, iguanas, mola mola
Recommended for
everything was great
25 Aug, 2023

7.2 Good
Isabelle V
Netherlands

Good trip, not great
Good dives, especially the Western side. Unfortunately Darwin and Wolf were very empty at the start of April and we saw only a few sharks. We were very disappointed. At the West side of Isabela and at Fernandina we found Mola Mola, marine iguanas and even a penguin which was great. At the East side of Isabela we found an oceanic manta, mobula rays and golden rays, which was also a really good dive. Unfortunately the crew was very nice, but did not know very much about the dive gear. The guides were ok and knew what they were doing, but the zodiac guys did not know how to fix last minute equipment questions, they were not experienced. Also, a few of the tanks malfunctioned causing two of us to have to use the dive guides spare reg. The cook was very kind, food was simple but good. All in all, this was the cheapest boat option for us and I think if we would have done the more expensive boats, it would have been a but more comfortable. If you know what you are doing and you have your own gear, and do not need the comfort of a luxury liveaboard, this is a good boat. They go to the same dive sites as the others, so the diving will be the same anyway.
Recommended for
Friendly crew, good dives, comfortable boat
29 Apr, 2023

8.8 Fabulous
John G
United States

Good value for the money
Albino Mola mola, several manta rays, swimming with sea lions.
Recommended for
Small group size, food and staff flexibility
22 Mar, 2018

8.4 Very good
Markus J
Finland

Very good experience
Hundreds of Hammerheads at Wolf, Mola-Mola's, a Killer whale, Mantas, Marina Iguanas, Penguins, Dolphins, School of Silky sharks under our boat at Darwin, Sealions, Golden Rays, Pirate Cave at Wolf.
Recommended for
Huge variety of underwater life, very good food, good diveguides
22 Mar, 2018

8.8 Fabulous
Ulrike W
Austria

it was a great trip
Moonfish, many hammer sharks, marine iguanas
Recommended for
the crew, dive spots, many big fish to see
04 Mar, 2018

8.0 Very good
Eveline J
Netherlands

Impressive diving in Galapagos on a nice small boat
Wolf and Darwin are very impressive, both under and above the water, but the other dive spots are equally impressive. The itinerary allows to see a great diversity of the underwater life in Galapagos. It is a pity that the first and last day of the week do NOT include any dives. The first day mentions a dive, but this is only jumping in the water in the harbour to check weights. We were back in the harbour on the day before the end of the trip. They promise at least 20 dives, but this means: exactly 20 dives. The dive instructor was not very attentive. He did not check if divers could follow and never checked if we were ok. In two dives, the group fell apart (low visibility in these areas). If you are not totally comfortable in the water, that could be a disadvantage. However, this was a freelancer, so this may vary from instructor to instructor. Despite these points of improvement, the boat and the crew and the itinerary are a big advantage of Nortada and we would definately recommend this boat.
Recommended for
dives, small group, itinerary
10 May, 2018

8.4 Very good
Dmitrij Z
Germany

Excellent diving, slightly chaotic organization
As far as the diving is concerned, I doubt there is a place left in the world that can compare. After the 3rd to 4th dive you even stop getting excited about hammerhead sharks because there's a bunch of them around every time. Animals that would be highlight sightings on a diving trip anywhere else are just around in the Galapagos and make the experience unforgettable. The boat is not exceptionally large, but as they only take 8 guests it felt much more spacious and comfortable than some of the much bigger liveaboards with 20 guests that I've been on. The crew is extremly friendly and helpful, keen to assist with any issues and it was stunning how the cook managed to prepare excellent, very varied and nutritious meals for every day of the week. The dive guides were very knowledgeable and generally safety-oriented during the dives, so that part was great, too. Unfortunately, there have been drawbacks. Like several other passengers, we indicated in the booking forms that we'd like to dive on Nitrox. Asking about it on departure night I was first told that the check dive would be on air for everybody - fair enough. When I saw the crew filling the thanks with air for the following days I asked again, was shrugged off several times to be eventually told that the Nitrox compressor wasn't working so it would be air for the whole trip. This is a serious concern not only for the dive plans (we had to ascend early a couple of times because the NDL was getting close), but also for the safety, considering we were doing four dives a day in a very remote area. Also, in some instances last-minute changes about the dive plans were not communicated properly and came out "by accident", although this improved after the passengers hat a talk with the staff. Finally, make sure to bring all of your own dive gear. Most rental items that were handed out had some kind of issue, had to be changed several times, suits didn't fit properly etc. I totally understand that this is Ecuador and that's how things tend to be in that part of the world. But considering how the price tag for the trip is not Ecuadorian at all (that goes for all operators, not just Nortada) there's certainly room for improvement as far as organization is concerned.
Recommended for
The dive sites and their marine life, the boat crew, the food on board
07 Apr, 2023

6.8 Review score
Stephen W
United States

Galapagos dives are incredible however the boat needs a major remodel.
The Galapagos dive sites are fantastic. You see once in a lifetime wildlife. The chef created satisfying and tasty meals. She also had a personality that lit up the room. The crew including the waiter, panga crew, and dive prep team were excellent. That being said, the ship is old and dated, and it shows. This could be overlooked id not for the lack of air conditioning. The biggest issue was the air conditioning ventilation system of the cabin rooms. Two of Four rooms had no air-conditioning whatsoever. It made sleeping very challenging if not impossible. Proper ventilation of the cabins is an expectation, not an optional extra. The crew was unable to rectify the situation despite multiple complaints. This should not be considered a luxury cruise. One of the cabin rooms windows leaked when the waves crashed up against the boat. The guests rooms had a bad odor that emanated from the guest bathrooms.
Recommended for
Galapagos Dive Sites. Waiter and Cabin Stewart - Angel. Boat staff was extremely helpful..
25 Jul, 2024

Nortada Liveaboard, Galapagos

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Gear Rental

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Boat Specifications

Boat navigation and safety

Nortada Reviews

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