Dive Review of Peter Hughes/Sky Dancer in
Galapagos Islands

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Peter Hughes/Sky Dancer, Jul, 2008, by Lee Fenner, OH, USA ( Contributor 12 reports with 5 Helpful votes). Report 4223.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	My wife and I were on the Peter Hughes Sky Dancer, 29 Jun - 6 Jul. Diving was awesome - exciting and challenging (20 dives - 6 each at Wolf and Darwin) and water temp was warmer than expected (80-81, except for Gordon Rocks which was 73-75). We saw a school of 10-15 Mantas at North Seymour, whale sharks on 4 of 6 dives at Darwin and large hammerhead schools at Wolf. Night dives are done at Wolf Anchorage and James Bay, Santiago (red-lipped batfish). Four land excursions: James Bay, Santiago; Bartolmeo; Charles Darwin Research Station; and Visitor Center on San Cristobal. We went through Quito giving ourselves an extra night before the cruise in case of any problems. I would now recommend Guayaquil: nicer airport; saves a stop on the flight to and from the Galapagos, and back home; and less security hassle. It seemed Quito security wasn't up to Delta standards. So on the flight home which stops at Guayaquil, continuing passengers had to get off the plane with all their carry-on and go through scanner, metal detectors, and have each bag hand searched before reboarding. This got us into Atlanta over an hour late. Sky Dancer is a great boat and crew was terrific. Food and cabins outstanding. Only minor item was their weights were unmarked lead. They had a scale but it couldn't be zeroed out. The check-out dive was for weighting, but it was still a challenge. It seems better to be heavy since you need to go immediately down at Wolf and Darwin. If you have integrated weights, I would recommend taking an extra pouch or two. To get back on the panga (dive boat), you take your weights out of the BCD so the driver can have an easier time hauling it on board. When the seas are up and you're hanging on the rope with one hand, it is easy to lose your grip on the pouch.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	101-250 dives
Where else diving	Great Lakes, Kauai, Roatan, Florida (Keys & Destin), Kona, Cozumel
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	choppy, currents
Water Temp	73-81°F / 23-27°C	Wetsuit Thickness	8
Water Visibility	30-75 Ft/ 9-23 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Follow the leader and group, but can ascend early as buddy team for pickup without affecting rest of group. No deco.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	Squadrons
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	> 2
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Boat had dedicated rinse tank and charging table. Also large table for storing camera prior to dives. On pangas, crew handed camera to you after boarding and after back entry, if profile permitted. When strong currents present, important to descend immediately.

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Dive Review of Peter Hughes/Sky Dancer in Galapagos Islands

Peter Hughes/Sky Dancer, Jul, 2008,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Peter Hughes/Sky Dancer in
Galapagos Islands