Can you still dive Darwin's Arch after it collapsed?

Yes. Only the above-water rock arch fell, in May 2021. The underwater plateau, wall and currents that draw the hammerhead schools are unaffected, and liveaboards still dive the site — now sometimes called Darwin's Towers after the two remaining pillars.

Can you do a day trip to Darwin and Wolf?

No. They are about 14 hours by boat from the populated islands and lie inside a heavily patrolled no-take zone, so access is liveaboard-only. For a day-trip hammerhead dive, go to Gordon Rocks off Santa Cruz instead.

What experience do you need to dive with hammerheads in the Galápagos?

Most liveaboards require Advanced Open Water (Rescue preferred) plus 50–100 or more logged dives, with genuine experience in strong current, drift diving and negative entries, since Darwin and Wolf dives can exceed 30 m with unpredictable down-currents.

When is the best time to see hammerhead sharks in the Galápagos?

The cool garúa season from roughly June to October brings the largest schools, though the water drops to 16–24°C and visibility falls. December–May is warmer and clearer but the hammerheads disperse and sightings are less reliable.

Darwin & Wolf Islands, plus Gordon Rocks

Where to see hammerhead sharks in the Galápagos

The largest schools of scalloped hammerheads on earth gather at Darwin and Wolf in the far north of the Galápagos, reachable only by liveaboard. Divers based on Santa Cruz can see smaller schools on a day trip to Gordon Rocks. Schooling is most reliable in the cool, nutrient-rich garúa season, June to October.

Best time: June to October, the cool garúa season

High confidence verified 2026-07-16

Well documented, and reliably seen in season.

A scalloped hammerhead shark passing close to the camera, the notched front edge of its wide head clearly visible, with a second shark behind it. — Hammerhead Shark, photographed at Cocos Island, Costa Rica. Photo by Barry Peters · CC BY 2.0

When to go

June to October, the cool garúa season

The Galápagos runs two seasons. The warm season, roughly December to May, brings calmer seas, water around 24–28°C and the best visibility — but upwelling weakens, fewer tracked hammerheads stay inside the reserve, and operators describe March–May as the least reliable stretch for numbers. The cool garúa season, June to November, brings upwelling that cools the water to 16–24°C and cuts visibility, but concentrates the largest aggregations around Darwin and Wolf. May and November are transition months.

Best dive sites for hammerhead sharks in the Galápagos

Darwin's Arch (Darwin's Towers)

The above-water arch collapsed into the sea in May 2021, leaving two pillars — but the underwater plateau and wall are unchanged and still deliver hammerhead schools, plus whale sharks in season.
Wolf Island (Landslide, Shark Bay)

A cleaning-station wall and current-swept plateau where hammerheads stack up in the blue, often alongside Galápagos and silky sharks.
Gordon Rocks

An eroded volcanic crater off Santa Cruz, reachable on a day trip. Drift dives at 12–30 m see smaller hammerhead schools plus eagle rays and sea lions.

How to see them

Darwin and Wolf are roughly 14 hours by boat from the inhabited islands and sit inside a patrolled no-fishing zone; day trips are not permitted, so a liveaboard on a northern itinerary is the only way. Most operators require Advanced Open Water (Rescue preferred), 50–100+ logged dives, and real experience with down-currents, drift diving and negative entries from a panga in surge. Reef hooks are standard for holding position at cleaning stations while schools pass overhead. Gordon Rocks is the day-trip alternative from Puerto Ayora, still drift diving but with a lower bar — operators commonly ask for 25+ dives.

What an encounter is like

A hammerhead encounter here is usually a blue-water scene rather than a close pass: you hook onto a rock in current and watch schools of tens to low hundreds move past overhead, generally holding their distance from bubbles. Numbers and visibility are a trade — the cool season delivers the biggest aggregations in colder, greener water, while the warm season is clearer but the sharks disperse. Currents at Darwin and Wolf can be strong and unpredictable, with surge at entry and thermoclines that drop the temperature sharply mid-dive.

Frequently asked questions

Can you still dive Darwin's Arch after it collapsed?: Yes. Only the above-water rock arch fell, in May 2021. The underwater plateau, wall and currents that draw the hammerhead schools are unaffected, and liveaboards still dive the site — now sometimes called Darwin's Towers after the two remaining pillars.
Can you do a day trip to Darwin and Wolf?: No. They are about 14 hours by boat from the populated islands and lie inside a heavily patrolled no-take zone, so access is liveaboard-only. For a day-trip hammerhead dive, go to Gordon Rocks off Santa Cruz instead.
What experience do you need to dive with hammerheads in the Galápagos?: Most liveaboards require Advanced Open Water (Rescue preferred) plus 50–100 or more logged dives, with genuine experience in strong current, drift diving and negative entries, since Darwin and Wolf dives can exceed 30 m with unpredictable down-currents.
When is the best time to see hammerhead sharks in the Galápagos?: The cool garúa season from roughly June to October brings the largest schools, though the water drops to 16–24°C and visibility falls. December–May is warmer and clearer but the hammerheads disperse and sightings are less reliable.

Sources

The Best Time to Dive with Hammerhead Sharks in the Galápagos Islands — Galapagos Shark Diving
Endangered sharks and rays of Galapagos — Galapagos Conservation Trust
Diver landmark Darwin's Arch collapses — Divernet