M/V Tiburon Explorer

I will not only review the experience with Tiburon Explorer, but also the Galapagos diving experience in detail and try to be as informative as possible here in this review. First of all, if you are not diving, I am not sure if Galapagos is really worth to visit, especially if you are traveling from Europe (or Asia). Probably the only species that you cannot see in any part of the world are the giant Galapagos tortoises and marine iguanas. And if you are diving, you need to be on a liveaborad, otherwise the dives are again not exceptional, since the most splendid dives are the ones in the most remote part of Galapagos, which are Darwin and Wolf. So, the fist takeaway is should you be visiting to Galapagos, it should be for liveaboard diving. The second crucial information is that, the best time for diving to see as many species as possible is July and August and maybe September, as far as I have been told, due to strong cold water current, Humbolt coming from Antarctica, yet the sea will be very rough, very choppy and quite cold, around 20-21 celsius maybe lower. However you will then be able to see whale sharks (we have not seen any), schools of hammerhead sharks and other species, in better visibility. However in March the sea is pretty calm (other than Darwin and Wolf) and warmer, actually quite warm, as in many places we dived sea water temperature was between 24-28 celsius. Meanwhile the visibility in most of the places was poor, limited to 10-15 meters, and not to many fish. Hence there is a tradeoff, rough and cold sea conditions with better visibility and more species, or nice sea conditions with poor visibility and limited species. Here comes the third important info... Even in the nicest conditions, the sea in Darwin and Wolf are rough with very strong currents ( I cannot imagine how it will be in July/August) and big waves and you need to be very well groomed to be able to dive in these conditions. Let me be more specific. In Darwin the current on the diving sites are so strong that you need to be at 8 meters deep immediately upon you jump to the water, (all dives in Galapagos are from zodiac boats/panga and you jump backwards at the count of 3) meaning when you jump, your BC needs to be fully deflated ( you squeeze out any piece of air from your BC) and you need to have enough weight (maybe slightly more than you use) and your wetsuit needs to be fully wet and you need to be able to equalize your ears rapidly while you are diving, since you do not have the luxury to slowly go deeper, because the current will drift you away to the ocean and the dive will be aborted. (Which happened to someone in one of the dives, who was a dive master and drifted away so fast and so far) We have been diving all around the world, from Red Sea to Borneo, from East Africa to Philippines and Indonesia and Australia, yet the one especially in Darwin was the most challenging dive I have ever made. In Galapagos, the underwater currents (and the surge) are so strong that hooks and probes are no use. You need to have strong, durable gloves to hold the rocks. Another very important advice is to have a private guide, which definitely worth more than anything. Because the dives are with one instructor for 8 (eight) divers, which eventually resulting with a lot of compromise and sometimes disappointment. We had a private guide, which cost approximately 10% of the amount that we paid for the trip and definitely very much worthy. (Our dive guide Angel was extremely comforting with a strong sense of safety in all dives) Now comes the Boat, the Tiburon Explorer. Extremely good and comfortable boat. very good, proper, clean, spacious rooms with floor to ceiling windows, that you enjoy jumping dolphins and sea lions while you are taking a shower. The laundry service is free, whenever you need it. The crew is exceptional in pampering you. They make their best for you to enjoy the experience at its max. The briefings are the most informative I have ever had in all my diving life. (Special thanks to Nathalie) Especially the safety measures in place, the safety briefings and drills are indication of utmost professionalism. (Thanks to the Captain of the Boat, Jacinto Briones and dive instructors, Nathalie and Kevin) All divers are provided with GPS devices and taught how to use it when needed. (Again as I said, drifting away to the ocean is highly possible, and they make sure that they will not lose anyone) The food on the boat, the breakfast, the lunch and dinners as well as snacks are top notch. They once served a roasted turkey for dinner, which was one the best in my life, lobsters, sushi as such. Long story short, should you be visiting Galapagos, this is the choice you need to make. The company has another liveaboard named Humbolt, I have been told, and to my knowledge slightly smaller rooms/cabins and without floor to ceiling windows, yet with same level of professionalism.

What an experience! We knew the diving would be exceptionel but what really blew us away was the boat and staff with Tiburon Explorer. Having dove all over the world and many liveaboards this one was a cut above the rest. The staff was so attentive, always helping us in and out of our gear, in and out of the boats etc. The food and drink was amazing - I mean how many liveaboards serve lobster?!

My wife and I just finished up with a week on the Tiburon Explorer. As my title states, it was everything we hoped it would be and more. Obviously, Galapagos diving speaks for itself, so I will focus on the crew, guides, and the boat itself. Everything about the week was top notch. The service was outstanding. The food was amazing (Three 3 course meals a day + snacks). The staff was so attentive around our diving - there to help us gear up as well as take everything off after dives (while offering us hot chocolate or hot tea). They cleaned the equipment between dives and were constantly polishing every corner of the boat. Our beds were made up in the room 2-3 x a day and there was a real commitment to safety (the most in depth dive briefing I have ever had). By the end of the week I knew all the staff members by name - they really became our friends. Juan Carlos, Solo, Guido, Luis, Pablo, Gio, Nelson, Anthony, and Oto - thank you so much for all of your help! They went above and beyond. The same can be said of our guides (Ronny and Jorge). Top notch. They kept safety a priority (as you must do in the Galapagos) while still keeping things fun and entertaining. The dive briefings were informative and detailed and they did an awesome job with us underwater, going the extra mile to try to spot all of the things we wanted to see. The tiburon explorer is expensive but we walked away from it all feeling like it was 100% worth what we paid. The service was that good and the diving was incredible.

The ship is beautiful and in great shape, but what really makes this ship special it's the crew. They were amazing! Super friendly, attentive, professional and organized. The scuba guides, equipment, dive sites and dive operation was flawless. The food, drinks and rooms were all phenomenal. There's nothing that this crew could've done to make this experience better. It's a trip that's worth every penny and will leave you wanting to come back to Ecuador every year. From the Captain to the panga drivers, every single member of this crew is off the charts! Thanks to all of them for making this the best trip of my life!

Prepare to be amazed (and pampered)! The Tiburon Explorer is a newer boat, and it is top-notch. This was my third liveaboard and by far the best/nicest. Food was fantastic. Crew cannot be beaten for service. Diving the Galagos is amazing, and the dive guides (we had Natalya and Mike) are superb. It is a value for the money, for sure. If you are considering a Galapagos liveaboard, this is where you want to be.