Wolf Island Liveaboard Diving With Hammerheads, Galápagos

Wolf Island is a dive site in Extreme Northern Region, Galapagos Islands.

See below for all liveaboards that dive Wolf Island.

The liveaboard shown opposite is the highest customer rated liveaboard diving Wolf Island, scoring 9.1/10. You can easily book the Aqua Liveaboard using this link.

Wolf Island

Wolf Island is one of the most thrilling dive sites in the Galápagos. Expect strong currents, dramatic volcanic walls and huge schools of scalloped hammerheads. Advanced divers can also see whale sharks, Galápagos sharks and eagle rays in clear blue water

Galapagos Islands liveaboards that dive Wolf Island

Below are all the dive liveaboards currently found for Wolf Island in Galapagos Islands, sorted from highest to lowest customer liveaboard rating, with unrated liveaboards shown last.

Tiburon Explorer

Galapagos Islands

Liveaboard Rated: 9.7/10

SDE Rating: 76%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Tiburon Explorer Liveaboard: 76%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Tiburon Explorer liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Tiburon Explorer liveaboard are ([Diving:10/10] + [Cabin:7/10] + [Boat:8/10] + [Dining:9/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:3/10] = 37/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Tiburon Explorer liveaboard is calculated as 37/60 = 76% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £573.00 GBP /day

Cabins:Bathrooms:Guests: 16

Length: 129.6 ft·Beam: 24.6 ft

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 100 logged dives

Nortada Liveaboard

Galapagos Islands

Liveaboard Rated: 8.7/10

SDE Rating: 73%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Nortada Liveaboard: 73%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Nortada Liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Nortada Liveaboard are ([Diving:10/10] + [Cabin:6/10] + [Boat:9/10] + [Dining:7/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:4/10] = 36/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Nortada Liveaboard is calculated as 36/60 = 73% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £401.00 GBP /day

Cabins:Bathrooms:Guests: 12

Length: 25.66 m·Beam: 5.4 m

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 50 logged dives

Humboldt Explorer

Galapagos Islands

Liveaboard Rated: 8.8/10

SDE Rating: 61%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Humboldt Explorer Liveaboard: 61%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Humboldt Explorer liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Humboldt Explorer liveaboard are ([Diving:8/10] + [Cabin:5/10] + [Boat:8/10] + [Dining:4/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:3/10] = 28/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Humboldt Explorer liveaboard is calculated as 28/60 = 61% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £510.00 GBP /day

Cabins:Bathrooms:Guests: 16

Length: 111.5 ft·Beam: 21.3 ft

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 100 logged dives

Galaxy Diver II

Galapagos Islands

Liveaboard Rated: 9.4/10

SDE Rating: 70%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Galaxy Diver II Liveaboard: 70%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Galaxy Diver II liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Galaxy Diver II liveaboard are ([Diving:9/10] + [Cabin:6/10] + [Boat:9/10] + [Dining:5/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:4/10] = 33/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Galaxy Diver II liveaboard is calculated as 33/60 = 70% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £517.00 GBP /day

Cabins:Bathrooms:Guests: 16

Length: 29 m·Beam: 6.6 m

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 50 logged dives

Galapagos Master

Galapagos Islands

Liveaboard Rated: 8.7/10

SDE Rating: 65%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Galapagos Master Liveaboard: 65%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Galapagos Master liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Galapagos Master liveaboard are ([Diving:8/10] + [Cabin:5/10] + [Boat:7/10] + [Dining:8/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:3/10] = 31/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Galapagos Master liveaboard is calculated as 31/60 = 65% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £325.00 GBP /day

Cabins:Bathrooms: 10·Guests: 16

Length: 32.3 m·Beam: 7.5 m

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 50 logged dives

Galapagos Aggressor III

Galapagos Islands

Liveaboard Rated: 9.1/10

SDE Rating: 58%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Galapagos Aggressor III Liveaboard: 58%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Galapagos Aggressor III liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Galapagos Aggressor III liveaboard are ([Diving:9/10] + [Cabin:5/10] + [Boat:6/10] + [Dining:5/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:3/10] = 28/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Galapagos Aggressor III liveaboard is calculated as 28/60 = 58% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £510.00 GBP /day

Cabins:Bathrooms: 11·Guests: 16

Length: 100 ft·Beam: 22 ft

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 100 logged dives

Danubio Azul Liveaboard

Galapagos Islands

Liveaboard Rated: 7.3/10

SDE Rating: 68%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Danubio Azul Liveaboard: 68%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Danubio Azul Liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Danubio Azul Liveaboard are ([Diving:9/10] + [Cabin:5/10] + [Boat:7/10] + [Dining:7/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:5/10] = 33/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Danubio Azul Liveaboard is calculated as 33/60 = 68% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £338.00 GBP /day

Cabins:Bathrooms:Guests: 16

Length: 24.84 m·Beam: 5.47 m

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 50 logged dives

Calipso Dive Liveaboard

Galapagos Islands

Liveaboard Rated: 9.4/10

SDE Rating: 73%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Calipso Dive Liveaboard: 73%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Calipso Dive Liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Calipso Dive Liveaboard are ([Diving:10/10] + [Cabin:7/10] + [Boat:8/10] + [Dining:8/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:2/10] = 35/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Calipso Dive Liveaboard is calculated as 35/60 = 73% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £468.00 GBP /day

Cabins: 10·Bathrooms:Guests: 16

Length: 35.4 m·Beam: 8 m

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 100 logged dives

Aqua Liveaboard

Galapagos Islands

Liveaboard Rated: 9.1/10

SDE Rating: 68%

How SDE Liveaboard Rating works for the Aqua Liveaboard: 68%

The SDE Liveaboard Rating for the Aqua Liveaboard works by taking the six individual SDE Liveaboard Rating scores, with each one being scored out of 10 and then adding them together. For the Aqua Liveaboard are ([Diving:10/10] + [Cabin:6/10] + [Boat:7/10] + [Dining:6/10] + [Drinks:0/10] + [Non-diver:3/10] = 32/60). This total is compared to the maximum possible score of 60/60 to turn it into an overall percentage – which for the Aqua Liveaboard is calculated as 32/60 = 68% SDE Liveaboard Rating.

This makes it easy to compare different liveaboards at a glance. See a more detailed explanation of how SDE Liveaboard Rating works together with all dive liveaboards ranked by SDE Liveaboard Rating .

From £386.00 GBP /day

Cabins:Bathrooms:Guests: 16

Length: 26 m·Beam: 5.5 m

Dive certification:Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged dives:Minimum 50 logged dives
Wolf Island

Wolf Island Diver Details

Useful training for this site
Advanced Open Water Diver, AWARE Shark Conservation, Drift Diver, Deep diver, Enriched Air (Nitrox) Diver, Experience with negative entries, Strong buoyancy control in current

Dive type
Drift, Cleaning station, Deep, Pelagic, Pinnacle/Seamount, Wall

Entry
Zodiac/RIB, Boat

Difficulty
Advanced

Galapagos Islands; Wolf Island Dive Site Details

Water type
Salt

Water temperature
20.0°C–26.0°C

Best time to dive Wolf Island
June to November: Peak big animal season. Cooler water brings nutrient upwellings. Best chance for large schools of hammerheads and whale sharks. December to May: Warmer water, slightly calmer seas, better visibility. Hammerheads still present but whale shark sightings are less predictable. For sheer spectacle and bucket-list encounters, most advanced divers target June–November.

Depth
10.0m–40.0m

Visibility
10.0m–30.0m

Current strength
Strong, Very strong

Location
1.3867, -91.8181

Galapagos Islands’ Wolf Island dive site map and location

The latitude and longitude for Galapagos Islands’ Wolf Island dive site are: 1.3867, -91.8181

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Wolf Island Liveaboard Dive Site

Wolf Island, officially known as Isla Wolf, sits in the remote northern part of the Galápagos Islands. It's a small, rugged and uninhabited island where underwater it delivers one of the most exciting hammerhead shark encounters on the planet.

Wolf island rises sharply from deep water, where below the surface advanced divers will discover steep volcanic walls, rocky ledges and drop-offs that disappear into the blue.

Divers typically descend along the wall, find shelter behind rocks, and wait. Within minutes of arriving at depth and settling in with the current, schools of scalloped hammerheads begin to materialise from the deep, where on a good dive you can see hundreds of sharks.

Large schools of scalloped hammerheads circle in formation, which are often joined by Galápagos sharks and silky sharks. You'll also see spotted eagle rays cruise past in formation, and if you're lucky, in the months of June to November see enormous whale sharks glide through the blue.

Bottlenose dolphins are see on occasion, plus turtles, including hawksill and green turtles, and then the playful sea lions are also seen too.

The currents are the key to everything, which bring nutrient-rich waters that flow through the northern islands, attracting pelagic life in huge numbers.

These nutrient-rich currents can be strong to very strong, which means most dives require negative entries, meaning you descend immediately to avoid drifting on the surface. Once you arrive at the dive site, you'll need to hold position with a reef hook or by gripping bare rock (where permitted by your guide), where you may prefer to use gloves to avoid cutting your hands on the sharp edges.

Visibility is typically excellent, often 15–30 metres and sometimes more. The water temperature varies significantly depending on season, with cooler thermoclines possible even in warmer months.

Wolf Island can visited by liveaboard only and is paired with Darwin Island on northern Galápagos itineraries. Because of its exposure and conditions, it is firmly aimed at experienced divers who are comfortable with current, depth and blue-water encounters.

For the right diver, Wolf is an unforgettable experience not to be missed.

If you are building an SDE-style rating mindset, Wolf Island scores extremely high on the SDE Diving score, where some Galapagos dive liveaboards have an SDE Dive score of 10/10, where this is raw, wild, big-animal diving for experienced divers.