Preparing for a citizen-science expedition starts with gear that's slightly different from a standard dive-vacation packing list. A wetsuit suited to 18–24°C water is the baseline, alongside an underwater camera (a GoPro or similar is typical) for documenting marine life, a dive computer, a dive knife, and reef-safe sunscreen — all fairly standard for a serious diver, but treated here as tools that directly support the science rather than personal-use extras.
The eco-conscious habits guests are asked to build are the same ones any responsible diver should have — keeping a respectful distance from marine life, maintaining tight buoyancy control to avoid touching coral or animals, and following local diving regulations — with the added option of joining organized clean-up dives during an expedition.
Before ever getting in the water, the preparation is more research-oriented than a typical dive trip: building physical fitness ahead of time, learning about the marine life likely to be encountered, inspecting equipment carefully, and reviewing dive sites, current conditions and emergency procedures directly with the dive master rather than assuming a standard reef-dive briefing will cover it. Guests are also expected to have any required data-recording apps or documentation downloaded before the trip starts.
The work doesn't stop when the dive ends — observations get recorded immediately while they're fresh (species seen, behaviors, anything unusual), gear gets rinsed in fresh water to prevent salt damage, and guests often take part in group discussions or workshops afterward. The point of all of it is straightforward: the data collected this way feeds directly into shark research and the broader effort to protect the Galápagos Marine Reserve.
Source: adapted from Galápagos Shark Diving's own published article on dive preparation for citizen scientists.