Customer Reviews

The Diving Guide: Galapagos Islands

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For those planning a trip to the Galapagos Islands, looking for reminders of past trips, or dreaming of going, this is the book for you. It manages a good balance of dive site specifics with topside attractions, all illustrated with excellent photos. While everyone has heard of the Galapagos Islands, there is a lot to consider if you are planning to go, and it is not easy to pull together all of the information. But this book does a great job in letting you evaluate the alternatives, such as live-aboards and land-based tours to make a choices that will let you see the locations and creatures that you are interested in.

It begins with a well-written introduction to the geography, history, ecology, accessibility and people and "Travel Basics" and "Diving, Snorkeling & Land Tours" sections that do a good job of orienting you to how to get there, what it is like, and the alternatives for how to see the islands. The reference section at the back contains a comprehensive directory of tour companies, boat operators, accommodation, and organizations such as the Charles Darwin Research Station and the Galapagos Conservation Trust. URLs for web sites are provided as well as phone numbers.

For divers this book is an excellent supplement to the pre-dive briefings you receive from the dive operators before entering the water. In-depth dive site discussions are organized geographically by island group. They consist of an orientation to the site layout, comprehensive descriptions of its features, as well as a step-by-step guide to how to best see what the site has to offer. Some sites are illustrated with site diagrams, while others have topside or underwater wide-angle photos.

While diving is the focus of the book, there is much for non-divers and snorkelers. Wildlife, both above and below the water, is comprehensively discussed and illustrated. Every page contains at least one photo, and many creatures are described in depth, including where and how to find and get close to them.

One of the best features of the book is its wildlife photography. As with Steve Rosenberg's other dive guidebooks, his creature photography is great, from the smallest crabs to the giant Whale Shark. His shots of turtles and sea lions portray their underwater behavior very effectively. Unless you are a proficient underwater photographer, you will want this book as a record of what you saw on your own trip (or as a guide for what to look for if you haven't been yet.)

This excellently written and stunningly photographed book is all anyone needs to take off for an exciting adventure in the Galapagos. And, while it covers everything divers need, it's also chock full of information about undertaking other outdoor adventures and the Islands themselves -- how to get around, history, above-ground flora and fauna, the rich undersea world, geography, and lots more. If you're the outdoors type, this book is an absolute must for any sojourn in the Galapagos...

This is the second copy of this book that I have owned. My husband and I took a scuba diving/ land tour trip to the Galapagos Islands and used this book until the cover fell off. Friends that traveled with us remarked that they wished that they had bought one as well. They used it as much or more than we did. It contains information regarding the dive sites and the land tours. It is very informative and descriptive! Since we are returning in July, I had to have a new copy.

This guide is so accurate that you feel that you were there before. Excelent for completing your logbook after you dive, it helps you remember every detail. Also great for land visits and snorkeling.

Excellent guide with plenty of information on Equador, the Galapagos Islands individually, dive operations, and specific diving conditions and descriptions for each site. Nice photos and entertaining written presentation. I am planning a dive trip to Galapagos this year and will for sure bring this book along. It is nice to finally have a guidebook of this quality for this excellent diving area.

Diving in Galapagos is amazing. We just returned from a 7 day trip on a liveaboard. The book had a great description of the dives that we did. It was so great to have this book in advance since it helped us plan for the trip. A 5 mm suit in January was perfect.

The current can be very strong at Darwin. The wild life was amazing! The diving was very different than most places we've been. You mainly descend immediately to 90 feet and hang onto lava rocks and let the wildlife come to you. What a show!!! Sharks galore!

I just got back from a week-long Galapagos liveaboard diving trip. This book was the perfect guide for this trip, not only for the diving, but also for the snokeling, land excursions, travel advice, and tips on preparations.

This book is so good because it comes directly from the experience of the authors who have lived this experience for years, and somehow were able to pare down everything the could have said, into one, concise text. And of course, if you appreciate the fabulous beauty and drama of the Galapagos, you will appreciate the perspective of the authors who clearly are hooked for life on everything which makes the archepelago like no where else on earth.

So, if you are hunting around for the right book(s) to take on your trip, go no further, and buy yourself a copy of this great book, circle the places you are scheduled to go in advance, read up on them five or six times like I did, and have yourself the trip of a lifetime.

The diving guide to the galapagos islands is a book that offers any diver, a good guide for a trip to the galapagos islands.
I came across the guide book while staying on the deep blue dive boat in galapagos, on my 40th birthday holiday.
The auther Steve Rosenberg had used the deep blue to dive off of too, so the book was based around the same trip as mine, which made good sense for buying the book also.
The book is well laid out and has maps of all the dive sites and currents, depths etc.
Also has the history of the islands, culture , and a good fish chart in the rear of the book.
Well worth every penny and a nice keep sake.