The Galapagos Islands, located 620 miles off the coast of Ecuador, are famed for it’s truly unique animals species – creatures that inspired Charles Darwin to develop his landmark theory of evolution by natural selection. This archipelago of isolated volcanic islands, located where three major ocean currents converge, encouraged some amazingly outrageous animals to evolve, both on land and in the ocean! I joined my group of fellow Galapagos travellers at our floating scuba home for the week, the Galapagos Aggressor, with high spirits and big animal dreams. After quick introductions and settling us in our cabins, the crew got us to do a quick dip in the water to check out our gear – a good idea as it’s been a while since some of us donned the bulky wetsuits, hood and gloves required for the “refreshing” waters of the Galapagos! Despite its equatorial location, the waters around the islands are deceptively chilly. This is due to strong, deep ocean currents, that bring rich (and cold) upwellings. It is also why the Galapagos is such a hotspot for marine megafauna! Each island is dominated differently by the major currents – the Cromwell, Humbolt and El Nino – each impacting the temperature, visibility and wildlife to create uniquely localised underwater environments. We were just climbing out of the water after our quick and refreshing plunge, when the call rang out – ORCAS! We were just talking about big animals, and then they just pop up right next to us to say hello! The pod had been spotted hunting a bait ball just off the boat. We all rushed to zodiacs, and were lucky enough to get super up close! Our favourite sea pandas played peekaboo with us, popping up and showing off their beautiful black and white markings right when we weren’t looking. It was such a rush, and the perfect way to kick off the trip! As we slowly made our way north up the archipelago, we had chilly, green water with somewhat challenging visibility and an insistent current! But, not to worry, these are the Galapagos! Despite the less than perfect conditions, the wildlife was definitely here, and happy to show off! We were entertained by naughty sea lions, and big schools of mobula rays, winging themselves in graceful circles. A giant manta ray then decided to swoop over and check us out! And we also had some awesome penguin encounters! Exploring rocky ledges around the water, we came across some penguins relaxing on the rocks, and nipping around in the water – surrounding the zodiac at one point! They are incredibly cute, charismatic sea birds, and are all the more special as the Galapagos penguins are the only penguins to be found in the northern hemisphere. By mid week, we had made our way further north up the archipelago, arriving at one of the truly iconic dive spots in the Galapagos – Wolf Island. Named after German geologist Theodor Wolf, this small, extinct volcano is known for schooling hammerheads, and it did not disappoint! From the moment we dropped in, it was hammertime! The sharks were schooling in the shallows, and allowed us to get nice and close to them! It was awesome to spend time in the water with these amazing creatures, and to really appreciate their intriguing shape. So often elsewhere we just get to see shadows of hammerheads as they are notoriously shy – but not here! Next up was the bumpy ride over to Darwin, an even tinier island, with even bigger schools of sharks! Diving in Darwin means dropping in, finding a rock to hold onto, and then enjoy the show as schools of hammerheads come wandering past! It was a real shark lovers paradise, with hammers approaching in all directions! The sharks were real characters – with some languid and relaxed, and others barreling across the reef in a real hurry! We saw hammerheads being cleaned, hammerheads schooling in the shallows, schooling in the blue, little sharks, big sharks – I definitely got my hammerhead fix for the year! The abundance of marine life here is simply astounding! These encounters made the trip for me, and I think it’s safe to say that spectacular encounters are endemic to the Galapagos Islands!