Resources.
Field notes, recorded webinars and a podcast — a growing, sourced record of expedition observations, wildlife, research and conservation, plus free ways to learn before you travel.
Thirty-four shark species live in the Galápagos
The full catalogue — eight you are likely to meet, and twenty-six that are rare, occasional, migratory or pelagic.
2026-09-22Inside GSD's 15-day liveaboard — nearly double the diving of the standard trip
More dives at Darwin and Wolf, a handful of sites only this itinerary visits, and built-in rest days.
2026-09-22Why the Galápagos water is cold when you expect it to be warm
Two cold currents arrive at the equator each year at 9–11°C. Jonathan Green explains what that collision does to the diving.
2026-09-22The eight sharks you are most likely to meet
Of thirty-four recorded species, these eight account for almost every encounter.
2026-09-222025 impact report: USD 31,523.40
Where the money went last year, and every year since 2019.
2026-09-22What a satellite tag actually costs
$3,500 for the unit, $500 for transmission time, plus the sea logistics to get it onto a whale shark.
2026-09-22Getting to the Galápagos: flights, airports and the 11:00 pickup
There are no direct international flights. Everything routes through mainland Ecuador.
2026-09-22What happens on land during the 15-day liveaboard
Red sand beaches, lava fields and giant tortoises fill the surface intervals between dives.
2026-09-22Galápagos entry requirements, and the card you cannot board without
Two mandatory fees, biosecurity screening, passport validity and the yellow fever rule.
2026-09-22The Transit Control Card, step by step
It is digital now, it costs $20, and airport staff will ask for it twice.
2026-09-22Recognition: what the awards say and what they do not
Three awards between 2022 and 2023, recorded plainly.
2026-09-22Five whale sharks joined the name-a-shark record in 2024
Elise, Luna, Makeba, Olivia and Star — each identified by their own permanent markings, each named by the citizen-science divers who spotted them.
2026-09-22Traveling alone? Most of our divers do.
Roughly half or more of the divers on a given GSD departure are traveling solo — not the exception people assume.
2026-09-22How a whale shark's satellite track helped create a new marine reserve
Tagging data showing real movement between the Galápagos and Cocos Island led two governments to declare a protected "swimway" between them.
2026-09-22Why a liveaboard reaches dive sites a day boat never will
Wolf and Darwin sit far enough offshore that only a liveaboard can actually get you there — and that changes more than just the sites.
2026-09-22The practical realities of diving in Galápagos currents
Cold water, strong currents, and a level of physical readiness first-time visitors sometimes underestimate.
2026-09-22Getting ready to dive as a citizen scientist, not just a diver
The gear list and pre-dive homework look a little different when your dives are also collecting research data.
2026-09-22What it's actually like swimming beside a whale shark in the Galápagos
The world's largest fish, a strict distance rule, and a role for every guest as a citizen scientist.
2026-09-22Why the whale shark, the ocean's biggest fish, is also endangered
A global population down by more than half in 75 years, and a role in ocean carbon storage most divers never learn about.
2026-09-22The Galápagos' visibility trade-off — clearer water or more wildlife
The same cold currents that reduce visibility are exactly what draws in the sharks, mantas and whales.
2026-09-22The parts of a GSD trip that quietly fund conservation
Local hiring, onboard merchandise and scientist salaries — the operational choices behind the marketing language.
2026-09-22What a whale shark's satellite tag actually tells researchers
Depth, temperature and thousands of miles of travel — plus the other, lower-tech research methods running alongside the tags.
2026-09-22Why almost every whale shark you'll meet here is an adult female
It's one of the more striking, least explained patterns in whale shark research — and the Galápagos is where it's most visible.
2026-09-22Two whale sharks, one season: what the 2022 tagging data showed
A name is just the start — what two tagged whale sharks actually did after leaving the Galápagos.
2026-09-22Thirty-Four Shark Species Call the Galápagos Home
From schooling hammerheads to an occasional passing great white, the islands host far more shark diversity than most divers expect.
2026-09-22Galápagos Raises Its Park Entry Fee for the First Time in a Generation
The islands' entrance fee for international visitors doubled in 2024 — the first change to the fee in 26 years.
2026-09-22The Fishing Fleet That Tested the Galápagos Marine Reserve
A 2017 confrontation at the edge of the reserve showed exactly why the waters around Galápagos need active protection, not just a line on a map.
2026-09-22Getting to the Galápagos: Flights, Airports, and Logistics
The realistic route from your home airport to a liveaboard departure, including which airports and paperwork are involved.
2026-09-22What to Pack: Dive Gear for Galápagos Conditions
Water temperatures shift enough between islands that wetsuit choice, and a few other gear decisions, are worth planning ahead of time.
2026-09-22Cooler Water, Bigger Animals: Galápagos Temperatures, June Through October
Why the coolest months in the Galápagos are also some of the best for encountering whale sharks and hammerheads.
2026-09-22The Playful Locals: Sea Lions on a Galápagos Dive
Galápagos sea lions show up on dives across the archipelago, with Isabela Island standing out as a reliable, year-round spot.
2026-09-22How a Week Underwater Helps Fund Whale Shark Science
Every Galápagos Shark Diving trip channels support toward the Galápagos Whale Shark Project — here is what that funding actually pays for.
2026-09-22What Nitrox Diving Adds to a Galápagos Expedition
Enriched-air certification is available onboard, and it changes the rhythm of a multi-dive day at sites like Darwin and Wolf.
2026-09-22Green Sea Turtles: Galápagos Nesting Season and Dive Etiquette
December through March is nesting season for Galápagos green sea turtles, an endangered species divers are asked to give plenty of space.
2026-09-22The Giant Manta Rays of the Galápagos
When the cool season currents arrive, one dive site off Isabela earns its nickname: the City of Mantas.
2026-09-22Mola Mola: The Ocean Sunfish of the Galápagos Cool Season
The world's heaviest bony fish turns up in Galápagos waters when the cool currents bring the food it follows.
2026-09-22What to Actually Pack for a Galápagos Liveaboard
From wetsuit thickness to reef-safe soap, the practical packing list for a multi-day expedition at the equator.
2026-09-22Certification, Currents, and Timing: Planning a Galápagos Dive Trip
Two very different seasons, two very different water temperatures by region, and a certification bar that's higher than many destinations.
2026-09-22The Geography Behind a Galápagos Liveaboard Route
Nineteen islands, three converging currents, and a handful of named sites that define what a multi-day expedition actually looks like underwater.
2026-09-22Recognition From the Road: Two Industry Awards for Galápagos Shark Diving
A Prestige Award for Scuba Diving Centre of the Year and a TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award, a year apart, both recognized this small operation.
2026-09-22When hammerhead season actually peaks in the Galápagos
Cold-season currents change everything about hammerhead diving here — where the sharks gather, how many show up, and how it feels in the water.
2026-09-22What to pack: the gear list for cold-season Galápagos diving
Not a generic checklist — the specific kit Jenny Green tells guests to bring, and why gloves are on it.
2026-09-22How a career in banking led to Galápagos Shark Diving
Jenny Green (Waack) stepped away from banking in 2016, joined a Galápagos liveaboard, and founded GSD the following year.
2026-09-22How a whale shark gets its name at Galápagos Shark Diving
Before a single satellite tag goes on, the name attached to it starts as a slip of paper in a canvas bag.
2026-09-22Why Wolf and Darwin anchor the Galápagos' reputation for shark diving
Two remote islands inside a UNESCO World Heritage marine reserve, with currents that concentrate an unusual amount of big marine life in one place.
2026-09-22Should you dive Nitrox in the Galápagos?
Jenny Green's position, in her own words: "Yes, we highly recommend diving with Nitrox."
2026-09-22How guests actually contribute to the science
One shark scientist on every Shark Conservation Expedition departure, photo-ID submissions, and standardised counts.
Recorded 2024 webinars.
Citizen Scientists on Board
Watch on YouTube
May 2024 · Recorded webinarDiscover the Best Galápagos Dive Sites
Watch on YouTube
May 2024 · Recorded webinarQ&A Session: Best Time of the Year to Dive in the Galápagos Islands
Watch on YouTube
Jun 2024 · Recorded webinarPreparation for Dive Liveaboard
Watch on YouTube
Jun 2024 · Recorded webinarGalápagos Whale Shark Research Project Updates
Watch on YouTube
Oct 2024 · Recorded webinarGalápagos Whale Shark Research Project Updates
Watch on YouTube
Travel EmOcean.
Jenny and Jonathan share free travel and diving tips for the Galápagos and South America.