Galápagos: Where the Wild Still Feels Wild

There are some places you hear about for years before you finally get to experience them for yourself. For Shark Guardian Co-Founder/ Director Liz Ward-Sing, the Galápagos had always been one of those places.

A collection of remote volcanic islands synonymous with evolution, extraordinary wildlife and some of the most exciting diving on the planet. A place where hammerhead sharks gather in huge schools, marine iguanas disappear beneath the waves, sea lions come to investigate divers, and the ocean feels gloriously, unapologetically wild.

This August, Liz finally had the opportunity to experience it, leading a group of divers on a Shark Guardian expedition to the Galápagos.

Arriving in the Galápagos

The Shark Guardian group met in Quito for an evening connection meeting before flying early the following morning to Baltra Airport on Santa Cruz Island. From there, they were transferred to Galaxy II, their home for the expedition, where they were welcomed by the crew and dive team.

Even before getting underwater, there was something different about being in the Galápagos. The vastness, the distant islands and the abundance of birds immediately created a sense of being somewhere very special.

One of the things that quickly becomes apparent in the Galápagos is just how much space wildlife is given to simply be wildlife. There is a closeness to nature here that feels incredibly special. And, of course, the entire group was itching to get underwater.

Diving the Galápagos

This expedition was about far more than ticking species off a list, but there were definitely a few encounters many of the group had been dreaming about. Hammerhead sharks were high on that list.

The first test dive on arrival afternoon already delivered huge whitetip reef sharks and several eagle rays. It was also an opportunity for everyone to settle into new wetsuits and additional layers for the cooler Galápagos waters, check buddy teams and get used to local diving procedures.

In the Galápagos, it is usual to have one guide for every eight divers. Galaxy guides Carlos and Leo were impressed with the experience and diving standard within the Shark Guardian group, and the first dive set the bar for the week ahead.

The following day was spent diving around the local islands, encountering turtles, reef fish, whitetip reef sharks and an abundance of marine life.

The Galápagos is renowned for its extraordinary biodiversity both above and below the surface — and the group was beginning to understand why.

Galápagos: Darwin and Wolf

Darwin and Wolf are names most shark divers know very well. Remote, exposed and surrounded by deep ocean, these islands are famous for some of the most spectacular shark diving in the world. But knowing that and actually dropping beneath the surface here are two very different things.

The journey north can be bumpy, particularly during the approximately 12-hour crossing. The group slept through much of it, waking to scenery that seemed straight from Darwin's history books — or perhaps Jurassic Park.

Even the frigatebirds took advantage of Galaxy II, flying alongside and using the boat to make their journey a little easier.

Water temperatures were unusually warm during the expedition. After leaving waters of approximately 24–25°C, the group experienced temperatures around 26°C at Wolf. This was significantly higher than would normally be expected and another reminder of the changing conditions affecting the Galápagos during El Niño events.

Fortunately, the sharks were waiting. Currents were surprisingly minimal during the group's time in the north, but hammerheads appeared on every dive. During the first dive at Wolf, they emerged through the blue individually or in small groups. The following day, everything changed.

Galápagos: Sharks were everywhere

Visibility wasn't always perfect, conditions in the Galápagos can change rapidly due in part to the convergence of major ocean currents, but the divers were still surrounded by hundreds of hammerheads, alongside huge Galápagos sharks and whitetip reef sharks resting on the seabed.

For Liz, one dive in particular stood out: hammerheads above, below and on either side, with so many sharks around her that she didn't know where to look. Her camera battery happened to be dead for that particular dive. Perhaps some memories are simply meant to be kept in the mind. Another unforgettable encounter came in the form of an enormous pregnant Galápagos shark, so large that Liz initially wondered whether she was looking at a great white.

At Darwin, the group also encountered two different whale sharks. Videos from the encounters have been submitted directly to the Galápagos Whale Shark Project and will contribute to ongoing research and global identification databases.

When visibility deteriorated during their second day at Darwin, the group returned to Wolf for more hammerheads and one final, very entertaining sea lion dive before beginning the journey south.

More Than Sharks in the Galápagos

Sharks might be at the heart of Shark Guardian, but the magic of the Galápagos certainly isn't limited to what swims beneath the surface. The guides ensured the group also had opportunities to experience the extraordinary wildlife found on the islands and rocky outcrops.

The famous blue-footed and red-footed boobies were highlights for many, alongside the Galápagos sea lions. Turtles appeared on most dives, while diving with marine iguanas became a genuine bucket-list moment for the entire group. Being underwater alongside these almost prehistoric, 'Godzilla-like' creatures as they swam, grazed on algae and bounced across volcanic rocks was one of many experiences that made the expedition so memorable.

The Galápagos constantly reminds visitors that everything is connected.

Ocean, land, wildlife, climate and currents — each influencing the other.

You don't simply observe an ecosystem here.

Experiencing It Together

Perhaps one of the most special parts of the expedition was the community that formed around it. The group of 16 divers had been brought together through Shark Guardian by a shared love of sharks, diving, wildlife, conservation and the ocean.

Around a third had already met during Shark Guardian's Malapascua expeditions in 2024, meaning there were wonderful reunions alongside new friendships forming almost immediately.

There is something incredibly special about spending this much time with like-minded people, particularly somewhere as extraordinary as the Galápagos. Days on a liveaboard aren't only about the dives. They're about conversations over meals, laughter on the dive deck, comparing photographs and videos, celebrating someone else's incredible encounter, learning from one another and sharing that buzz when everyone climbs back onto the boat after an unforgettable dive.

By the end, they weren't simply a group of people who had booked the same expedition. They had experienced moments together that very few people in the world will ever share and those experiences create connection. It is one of the things Shark Guardian values most about its expeditions: the community that forms around them. These trips have always been about far more than diving. They're about bringing people together through a shared love of the ocean, experiencing sharks in their natural environment, learning more about the ecosystems they depend upon and deepening our understanding of why protecting these animals, and the wild places they inhabit, matters so much.

The Conservation Story

Despite a packed diving schedule including four dives a day for three days, Liz was able to weave Shark Guardian shark and marine education into the expedition, alongside information about Galápagos whale sharks, shark diving and the unique ecosystems surrounding the islands.

The dives themselves also provided opportunities to contribute to citizen science. Photographs and observations from the expedition can contribute to global databases and research involving sharks, whale sharks, turtles, manta rays and whales, where appropriate.

Seeing healthy numbers of large marine animals is a powerful reminder of what the ocean can look like when ecosystems are given greater protection.

At the same time, unusually high water temperatures during this El Niño period highlighted why continued observation and documentation are so important. Even somewhere as extraordinary and remote as the Galápagos is not disconnected from the pressures facing our global ocean.

Galaxy II — An Outstanding Boat and Operation

For Liz, this was one of the best dive trips she has ever experienced, not only because of the extraordinary marine and terrestrial wildlife, but because of the people who came together to experience it.

The Galaxy II crew and guides were also exceptional. From the food, including vegan and other dietary requirements, local dishes and impressive three-course meals, to the level of care shown on the dive deck, the operation stood out throughout the expedition. The captain, chefs, engineers and wider crew all worked alongside one another to help divers prepare before dives and assist them with their equipment afterwards.

The crew made everyone feel part of the Galaxy family. Nothing seemed too big or too small to ask. The attention to detail, dive briefings, care, passion and welcome were a huge part of the experience. A massive thank you from Shark Guardian to the entire Galaxy II team.

A Personal Reflection

For Liz, being in the Galápagos brought something else too, Hope.

Alongside finally experiencing huge schools of hammerheads and diving with marine iguanas, one of her biggest reflections was simply knowing that places like this still exist.

Remote, comparatively untouched and abundant places where marine iguanas, sea lions, sharks, turtles and fish can live with relatively little fear of the humans entering their world. Seeing such abundance is a powerful reminder that protected areas can thrive. When nature is given space, habitats are protected and ecosystems are given the opportunity to recover, we can make a difference.

After many years of diving and working with sharks, Liz still experiences moments underwater that completely stop her in her tracks. Moments of feeling tiny, humbled and completely in awe of what is happening around her. She hopes that never changes.

But this expedition also reinforced why bringing people together to experience places like this is such an important part of Shark Guardian's work. There is something incredibly powerful about a group of like-minded people witnessing this abundance for themselves. They don't simply return home with incredible photographs and stories. They return with a deeper connection to the ocean, a greater understanding of why it needs protecting and messages they can share within their own communities.

Until Next Time, Galápagos...

After leaving the liveaboard, Liz spent an additional week exploring Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal, giving her more time alongside marine iguanas on secluded beaches and the wonderfully charismatic sea lions that wander through the towns as though they own them.

There are countless moments from the expedition that will stay with her.

The silhouette of a hammerhead appearing through the blue. A sea lion diving down to 26 metres to play in her bubbles while she was completely unaware. Marine iguanas scattered across black volcanic rock. Warming up in the jacuzzi with a drink after a long day of diving. Daily sunrises from the boat. Galápagos, you were WILD. And perhaps the greatest gift of places like this is the reminder that this kind of wildness still exists.