Dear Team Member,

I hope this message finds you healthy and well. As the world supports the global drive for vaccines we thought we would share some of the positive news coming out of our expedition locations.

For those divers awaiting trips, this is the current status as it stands today and we will be in regular contact with you before you depart to ensure that you are ready to meet the travel requirements at the time of your expedition.

For those keen to book on to future trips, we will always have our fins on the pulse of the latest travel updates to help you fully prepare for your expedition.

So let’s leave the surface, dive into our world-class destinations and get the urge to explore!

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS UPDATE

You can enter Ecuador without quarantine, the adult population in Galapagos is now vaccinated and entry requirements have been eased significantly. 

Travellers arriving on international flight arrivals must provide the following:  

Proof of completed COVID-19 vaccination*

Vaccinated travellers may enter Ecuador without providing a COVID-19 test. Must show proof of completed series.

Negative COVID-19 PCR or rapid antigen test result within 72 hours of arrival

If no test results OR traveller presents COVID symptoms upon arrival in Ecuador (despite negative test result): PCR test upon arrival and quarantine (both at own expense) for 10 days or until a negative test result.

Proof of Recovery from COVID-19*

As an alternative to the above requirements, travellers previously diagnosed as COVID positive, but with more than one month since the onset of symptoms, may present a medical certificate from their country of origin attesting to their recovery and current good health.

*Note: entry to Galapagos still requires a negative COVID-19 PCR test result within 4 days of arrival, regardless of COVID-19 vaccine or recovery status.

Two COVID-19 Testing Options for Galapagos Entry Requirements 

There are two ways to think about testing and your passage to the Galapagos Islands:

Take a single test immediately before travel

For instance, if you are flying to the Galapagos to begin your cruise on Monday, you must take your PCR test no later than mid-day on the previous Friday, 96 hours before you arrive in the Galapagos. You must receive your results and plan to fly to Ecuador on Saturday or Sunday, then proceed immediately to the Galapagos on Monday. This might be a challenge and unduly stressful.  

Take your PCR test within 10 days of arrival in Ecuador and test again in Ecuador within 96 hours of your departure to the Galapagos

Tests are available locally in Quito or Guayaquil for under $150 per person. If you are flying to the Galapagos on Monday, you can arrive in Ecuador on Saturday, test at your hotel, receive the results on Sunday, then proceed to the islands on Monday.   

DDE can arrange for your tests on arrival, and we can even bring the lab technicians to your hotel!

DDE recently announced a shake-up to our Galapagos expeditions and now we are running annual CCR only trips to the Galapagos Islands in order to deliver the best possible experience. The minimum requirement to join is MOD 1.

We had ONE spot open up for our 2021 itinerary that has been sold out for nearly 2 years. Email us ASAP if you are interested in joining us on our CCR ONLY trip this December!

Our 2023 and 2024 availability has also started to tick down, so check out the new dates, and for or more info or to make a reservation, get in touch with us today!

CHERNOBYL UPDATE

All foreign citizens, without exception, regardless of the country of arrival to enter Ukraine must have a policy (certificate) of insurance issued by an insurance company registered in Ukraine, and covers the costs related to the treatment of COVID-19, observation, and is valid for the entire period of stay in Ukraine. You can purchase the necessary insurance here at VisitUkraine.com for 5 USD and it takes approximately ten mins to complete.

Also, all foreign citizens and citizens of Ukraine need to have one of the following documents:

A document confirming the receipt of a full course of vaccination against COVID-19 with vaccines included by WHO in the list of approved for use in emergency situations; or

A rapid test for the SARS-CoV-2 antigen (RAT) that was done no more than 72 hours before entry; or

A certificate of a negative PCR test result done no more than 72 hours before the entry.

We had such a good time last week in the sunshine at Chernobyl and took the opportunity to answer all the questions we have had about exploring the zone.

For those of you that missed it - we have uploaded the whole thing on our YouTube Channel to catch up on over the weekend. Remember to subscribe to our channel for notifications every time we upload a video! 

Federated States of Micronesia UPDATE

We already told you how the US Government is planning to ramp up vaccine distribution to the FSM - notably by handing out the newly approved single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine which should increase inoculations dramatically and this has been positive.

As of June 9th, 2021, the FSM remains COVID-19 free. 21,796 Micronesian adults—or 37% of the Nation’s adult population—is fully vaccinated or has otherwise completed the COVID-19 vaccination regime.

23,369 Micronesian adults—or 40% of the Nation’s adult population—has received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

As the vaccine drive really ramps up now, it will be exciting to see if FSM announces the opening date in the following months.


Marshall Islands Vaccine Update

The US Government has from the very beginning allotted large amounts of vaccines towards the Marshall Islands, which in turn with enthusiastic local governments has ramped up their vaccination rates to be some of the highest in the world.

As of 25th May 2021, there have been no new COVID cases, vaccination is 49% of the population and still going.

Although this was not enough for us to have a successful season in 2021, it certainly is more than positive for an epic 2022 season that is coming up soon.

We have a few spots available for the next season as we secured some additional seats. Please email us for more information.

Contact us now to reserve your seat or for more information on all our expeditions.

TRUK LAGOON OR BIKINI ATOLL

As we like to say at Dirty Dozen, “So many wrecks, so little time.”

So if you are wondering what destination you want to visit first, check out Aron’s latest presentation of Truk Lagoon or Bikini Atoll.

That wraps it up for this week. As always we look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.

Love,

Vic and the DDE Team