The Galapagos Eco Explorer I, the newest of the Explorer Ventures fleet began service in the Galapagos Islands in early 2007.
The wonders of the Galapagos diving experience will be with you for a lifetime. Few will have the opportunity of diving some of the most remote and pristine seas in the world. No other place on earth boasts such a variety of sea and land life. Your seven nights and eight days will be filled with memories to last a lifetime – thrilling shark dives, diving with turtles and sea lions, informative shore-based naturalist guided tours, exotic vistas – and these will be only a small part of your experience aboard the Galapagos Eco Explorer I. The crew of ten has a wealth of knowledge about these unique volcanic islands and are ready to share their experience with every guest, as well as provide you with the customer service and all of the amenities for which the Explorer Ventures Fleet is known.
Diving the Galapagos can be challenging, but the rewards are great – schooling hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, whale sharks, mantas and a myriad of other pelages frequent these waters. Nature’s bounty is not confined to the waters, of course – Charles Darwin’s work concentrated largely on the rare terrestrial ecosystems, which abound with flora and fauna unique to the archipelago.
The Galapagos Eco Explorer I was built in Guayaquil, Ecuador in 2006 and is owned and operated by Galasam International under contract with Explorer Ventures. Galasam began operating liveaboard vessels in the Galapagos in 1978. “Galasam’s record of 28 years operating liveaboard charters in the Galapagos makes it uniquely suited for bringing Explorer Ventures’ name to this renowned dive destination”, says Explorer Ventures President Clay McCardell. “In addition, the Galapagos Eco Explorer I will represent the 16th vessel constructed by Galasam for charter service in the Galapagos Islands, and their experience in designing the most comfortable vessel for these waters is unsurpassed.”
The Galapagos Eco Explorer I was designed and built to be one of the fastest, most stable and most comfortable liveaboard dive vessels in the area, with accommodations befitting the magical nature of the destination. Nine double staterooms for a maximum of 16 passengers each are located on the main and upper levels, with seating areas and windows opening to the Galapagos views. A large indoor salon for dining and relaxation, a separate open-air salon, viewing and sundeck areas complete the common areas of the vessel. The dive deck features ample space for storing dive gear and suiting up, and offers to the innovative system installed on the vessel to board the pangas (dinghies) for transport to the nearby dive sites.
