DAPHNE
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE: MINIMUM 0-4 DIVES
The Tour
LOCATION
Near the north coast of the island of Santa Cruz, there is Daphne minor (Sugar Loaf), Daphne Major (Chinese Hat) and between these two sites is the Bajo de Daphne with exposed rock. It is an eroded cone. Located 30 minutes from the Itabaca Channel (north side of Santa Cruz Island). At Daphne sites, advanced divers and beginners alike can enjoy spectacular wildlife together. We definitely recommend this site!
Daphne Mayor – It is an island with a large crater that is home to thousands of blue-footed boobies. This crater has also been the scene of many important scientific studies.
Daphne Minor – Daphne Minor is a great place to see lava flows from previous volcanic eruptions in the Galapagos. For diving, this site has a mixture of different topographies: vertical walls, slopes, pinnacles, sea platform, and even a cave.
Bajo de Daphne – Before 1942, this site was an ‘islet’ (very small island), but during World War II, it was used as a practice target for American planes stationed on Baltra Island. At this site we can even still find remains of bombs from 1942!
ACTIVITY
Here we find a small cave (this is not a cave dive) where whitetip sharks and blacktip reef sharks rest, in addition, there is a pinnacle where we find a diversity of rays, Galapagos sharks, turtles, reef fish, barracuda, black coral walls and a variety of invertebrates. The dive is carried out following the current. Here there are coral walls, reef fish, sea cucumbers, manta rays, sea lions, cod, palometas, and “cleaning stations” and tiger COUSIN ROCK
SITE CONDITION
Moderate currents at this site, a drift dive along the impressive drop off at the top of a sloping wall, rocky bottom. and sandy.
| Site | Current | Visibility | Depth | Dive time | Navegation time | Temperature | |
| JAN-MAY | JUNE-DECE | ||||||
Daphne mayor | normal medium | 5-20m | 10-40m | 40-60 min | 40 min from the Itabaca Canal | 20-26C | 12 -20C |
Daphne minor | normal medium-strong | 5-25m | 5-30m | 40-60 min | 45 min from the Itabaca Canal | ||
El bajo de Daphne | normal medium | 5-20m | 5-25m | 40-60 min | 40 min from the Itabaca Canal | ||
