Goodbye Buddy Dive and Deep Blue Liveaboards
Hello to the Galapagos Master
The Galapagos Islands are ranked as one of the world's best dive destinations for pelagic life. The islands' isolation has led to unique evolution among the flora and fauna, prompting the Equadorian government to declare the Galapagos archipelago a national park in 1959. It has subsequently been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is great news for creatures like the Galapagos giant tortoise and the blue-footed booby, as well as the rich marine life making their home in the islands and surrounding waters. This isolation and protection also means, however, that the most prized dive sites (namely, Wolf and Darwin Islands) can be accessed only by dive liveaboard.
Recently, with amendments to licensing and some boats needing to withdraw from operation, it has been announced that changes are taking place in the Galapagos liveaboard realm.
The first major shift in dive tourism is that Buddy Dive, formerly a leading service provider in the Galapagos, is withdrawing its fleet from the area. While its dive vessels will be absent from Galapagos, Buddy Dive Resort in Bonaire continues to offer excellent service and a premiere dive operation.
Fortunately, divers will not suffer a shortage of underwater opportunities due to this change. The owners of Worldwide Dive and Sail have announced a new liveaboard brand, Master Liveaboards, that will be a separate entity from the WWDS Siren Fleet. Arrangements for the acquisition of Deep Blue liveaboard are being finalized; this vessel will remain active through the end of the whale shark season, then will be dry-docked and renovated, transitioning into the new Galapagos Master dive liveaboard. Feel free to read more about the development of the Galapagos Master.
Worldwide Dive and Sail has released the Galapagos Master itinerary for the 2015 dive season. The demand for time aboard the Galapagos Master is high and already the schedule is nearly full, so if you are considering a Galapagos excursion next year, email us at info@bluewaterdivetravel.com as soon as possible!
