A shark scientist on board
Ask questions, join short presentations and learn what you are seeing.
Galápagos · Darwin and Wolf
Swim with hammerheadsand whale sharks.Help protect them.
A shark conservation liveaboard in the Galápagos. Dive Darwin and Wolf with a shark scientist on board, and about 80% of our company profits support shark conservation.
South America Prestige AwardsScuba Diving Centre of the Year, Ecuador — 2022/23 and 2024/25
Tripadvisor2023 Travelers’ Choice — Scuba and Shark Diving
Galápagos Whale Shark ProjectResearch partner since 2019
Why these trips are different
Help the research
Photograph animals for identification if you like. It costs nothing extra.
Your trip supports conservation
About 80% of our company profits go to the Galapagos Whale Shark Project and the Gills Club.
Advice you can trust
Not sure which boat or month suits you, or want to travel when we run no trip? Jenny and the team will help you choose.
Sustainable seafood is served on boats that support it.
The dive is the beginning of the story. These are expeditions first: current, remote seamounts, and animals on their own terms.
- 3–7
- full days at Darwin and Wolf, depending on the expedition
- 16
- guests, at most, on every departure
- Jun–Oct
- whale shark season; hammerheads July to November
- 2019+
- GSD support for the Galápagos Whale Shark Project
Departures in 2027
7 scheduled sailings. Prices per person.
Our vessels
| Vessel | Trip lengths | Cabins | On board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua | 8 days and 15 days | 8 cabins | Buffet dining, lounge and sundecks |
| Galaxy Diver II | 8 days | 8 cabins | Restaurant, bar and solarium with jacuzzi |
8 spaces21–28 Jul 2027 · 8 days
Shark Conservation Expedition
Galaxy Diver II
From $8,200 USD
Waitlist27 Jul–3 Aug 2027 · 8 days
Shark Conservation Expedition
Aqua
From $6,690 USD
3 left3–17 Aug 2027 · 15 days
Special 15-Day Shark Conservation Expedition
Aqua
From $13,490 USD
1 left17–31 Aug 2027 · 15 days
Special 15-Day Shark Conservation Expedition
Aqua
From $13,490 USD
Waitlist31 Aug–7 Sep 2027 · 8 days
Shark Conservation Expedition
Aqua
From $6,690 USD
Waitlist8–15 Sep 2027 · 8 days
Shark Conservation Expedition
Galaxy Diver II
From $8,200 USD
4 left15–22 Sep 2027 · 8 days
Shark Conservation Expedition
Galaxy Diver II
From $8,200 USD
Find your expedition
23 departures
$8,200per person, USD
Available
$6,690per person, USD
Sold out
$13,490per person, USD
3 left
Special 15-Day Shark Conservation Expedition
Aqua · with Jonathan R. Green · 15 days
$13,490per person, USD
1 left
$6,690per person, USD
Sold out
$8,200per person, USD
Sold out
$8,200per person, USD
4 left
$6,990per person, USD
Available
$13,790per person, USD
Available
$6,990per person, USD
Available
$6,990per person, USD
Available
$13,790per person, USD
5 left
$8,500per person, USD
Available
$8,500per person, USD
Available
Price to be announced
Sold out
Price to be announced
Sold out
$13,980per person, USD
Available
$7,290per person, USD
Available
Price to be announced
Available
$7,290per person, USD
Available
$8,290per person, USD
Available
$8,290per person, USD
Available
$8,290per person, USD
Available
Scale
A whale shark moves through open water on her own terms. The diver in the frame tells you the scale. The photograph may tell scientists who she is.
Meet the wildlife
Shark Conservation Expeditions
Every spot pattern is a name.
Every whale shark carries a unique pattern of spots behind her gills. Photographed from the right angle, it may identify that individual again. On Shark Conservation Expeditions, a Galápagos Whale Shark Project scientist guides the process; submitted images are reviewed before they can become an accepted contribution.
- 01ObserveLearn what makes an identification photograph useful.
- 02PhotographRecord the spot pattern without disturbing the animal.
- 03SubmitSuitable images may be sent for review.
- 04ReviewOnly accepted contributions enter the research record.
Conservation
Support that reaches the field.
About 80% of our company profits go to the Galapagos Whale Shark Project and the Gills Club.
Since 2019 that support has covered satellite tags and tracking time, contributions to Sharkbook.ai, field logistics and data analysis. Satellite tagging and in-water behavioural research stay scientist-led.
Research without theatre.
We keep guest participation and scientist-led work separate, and we do not turn an uncertain result into a marketing claim.
The people in the water with you
Not a guide who has read about whale sharks. The people who study them.
Jonathan R. Green
Founder and director of the Galápagos Whale Shark Project. Three decades in these islands.
Jenny Green
Founded Galapagos Shark Diving in 2017. Field researcher and board member of the project.
Sofía M. Green
Principal scientist and data analyst. Aboard the July departure.
Dr Simon J. Pierce
Led the assessment that listed whale sharks as endangered on the IUCN Red List.
The vessels
Confirm each sailing’s research programme and onboard details before choosing.
Aqua
Shark Conservation Expedition, eight and fifteen days
- Guests
- 16
- Cabins
- 9
- Tanks
- 34 × 12 L
Galaxy Diver II
Shark Conservation Expedition, eight days
- Guests
- 16
- Cabins
- 8
- Fittings
- DIN and Yoke
Humboldt ExplorerPhotography to come
Humboldt Explorer
Shark Conservation Expedition, eight and fifteen days
- Guests
- 16
- Cabins
- 8
- Cabin types
- Lower deck staterooms (twin or double); main deck staterooms with panoramic window (twin or double)
TiburonPhotography to come
Tiburon
Shark Conservation Expedition, eight days, from 2029
- Guests
- 16
- Cabin types
- Main deck staterooms (twin or queen); lower deck staterooms (twin or queen)
- Bathrooms
- Private ensuite
Travelling to the Galápagos or Cocos Island?
Beyond our own Shark Conservation Expeditions, we advise on liveaboard travel to the Galápagos and to Cocos Island in Costa Rica. We work with all of the Galápagos and Cocos vessels, and we help with the booking process and with getting to the islands. Contact us to plan a trip on any boat.
