Galapagos Spectacular Hammerhead, Manta, Mola And Marine Iguana Trip 2028

Planning a liveaboard dive trip? This ultimate 2025 packing list covers everything you’ll need – from must-have dive gear and personal items to handy extras that make life onboard smoother. Whether it’s your first time or you’re a seasoned diver, this checklist helps you dive in fully prepared.

Swimming with whale sharks is one of the ocean’s most remarkable experiences. These gentle giants—reaching up to 12 m in length—are filter feeders and pose no threat to snorkellers. Whether you’re seeking a classic liveaboard expedition or a day-trip snorkel, this guide helps you choose the right destination, season, and operator for a safe and awe-inspiring encounter.

We've traveled the world and picked our top 7 locations with the best manta ray diving.

2025 report round-ups confirm classics like Komodo, Kona, and Maldives’ Hanifaru Bay still reign supreme for mesmerising manta encounters. Dive operators now weave in citizen-science photo-ID programs and updated season calendars , so you can chase gentle giants responsibly and add to vital conservation efforts

Our travel experts' top 5 picks for the best shark diving destinations in the world. Learn what to see, the best time to dive, and more! We’ve added new liveaboard shark‑diving departures to Cocos Island and expanded our Tiger Beach, Bahamas scuba options, allowing more diving time with tiger sharks and reef species. Explore 2025 itineraries and expert-led departures on our Cocos liveaboards and Tiger Beach shark diving.

Exploring the underwater world doesn't always require scuba certification or bulky gear as snorkeling provides a simple and equally stunning way to experience marine life in its natural environment. Snorkeling travel is booming in 2025, with high demand for liveaboard snorkel options in the Maldives and Raja Ampat. We've added more itinerary flexibility to help travellers access remote reefs with shallow, clear-water drop-offs.

Our travel advisors and trip leaders are always on the move, exploring the underwater world! Using their firsthand experience and feedback from our valued guests, we've curated a list that showcases the best diving in the world in 2025. Learn when to go, where to stay, top dive sites, and more. 

Discover the Bluewater team's favorite dive sites around the world. From remote corners of Asia and Micronesia to our own doorstep, we've chosen our top 20 dive sites that keep us coming back again and again .

Bluewater Dive Travels annual Galapagos Islands trip was a remarkable 10-day adventure aboard the Galapagos Master. With ideal conditions following the end of El Nio, divers experienced vibrant marine life including schooling hammerhead sharks and mola mola. Highlights included close encounters with orcas, feeding marine iguanas, and rare sightings of red-lipped batfish. The trip featured engaging workshops and culminated in a photo contest, making it an unforgettable experience.

Discover our top recommended destinations for scuba diving in May. Explore the mindblowing species in the Galapagos, dive Cozumel's renowned reefs, and experience thrilling currents in Komodo. Whatever your preferences, we'll build your dream dive trip in May!

Bluewater Travel's world-class guided trips and photography workshops are a favorite among customers and staff alike. Fantastic destinations, action-packed diving, expert guidance and tuition, and friendly, like-minded guests make eachscuba diving tripunique and memorable for those lucky enough to attend.

Explore the best dive sites close to home! Whether you have limited vacation time or want to save money on flights so you can spend more time underwater, Bluewater Travel has got you covered. With our headquarters in Southern Californias Culver City, we have explored plenty of local dive sites and destinations that are within easy reach of the region, and here are our top dives this side of the world:

In May 2023, our Bluewater Travel workshop ventured to the Galapagos Islands, encountering iconic species like giant tortoises and marine iguanas. Despite logistical challenges, including weather delays, we explored from San Cristobal to Darwin Island, diving up to four times daily with diverse marine life. Highlights included mola mola sightings at Punta Vincente Roca and intimate encounters with Galapagos wildlife both above and below the waves.

Discover where you can experience the magic of diving with schools of hammerhead sharks. These remarkable sharks are known to congregate in certain areas year-round or seasonally, offering you the best chance to dive with not just one or two, but unfathomable numbers.

Galapagos has been number one on my bucket list since I learned about Darwin and his finches at school. Even before I became a diver I was fascinated by the topside nature of these mysterious volcanic islands, and my interest only intensified once I had a ticket to explore the underwater world. And so I leaped at the opportunity to check out one of Bluewater Travels Galapagos operators,Calipso, and to discover Galapagos from the comfort of the largest liveaboard in the area.

In 2022, a Galapagos trip led by Mark Strickland explored the archipelago's rich biodiversity. Highlights included encounters with endemic species like giant tortoises, marine iguanas, and unique shark sightings at Darwin and Wolf Islands. Memorable dives at Cabo Douglas and Cousins Rock were complemented by a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Center on Santa Cruz Island.

Camera gear:Nikon D850in a Subal housing with dualINON Z240 strobes, 8-15mmNikon fisheye lensand the 16-35 Nikon rectilinear wide angle, both behind aZen 230mm dome port.

WORDS BY MAYA HANNA AND PICTURES BY TIBURON EXPLORER

We've traveled around the world and picked the best places for scuba diving via liveaboard. Learn what to see, where to stay, and much more!

Understand the differences as we compare three of the East Pacific's best locations for big animal diving: Socorro, Cocos, and Galapagos. What to expect, what to see, and dive information.

May 2019 Galapagos trip aboard the Galapagos Master, by Tommy Stylski.