Nortada Liveaboard, Galapagos

great trip

Sharks, sea lions, iguanas, mola mola

Recommended for

everything was great

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

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

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.

Amazing experience with an amazing crew

The amazing diving!

Recommended for

Diving, crew, food

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