Galapagos: The Enchanted Isles 2011 | Overseas | Galapagos and Ecuador

Overseas: Galapagos: The Enchanted Isles 2011

©Pete Smart: 2009

£4,285.00

Venue:

Galapagos and Ecuador (14 day)

Event Description:

The Galapagos Islands, located 600 miles west of Ecuador, are justifiably one of the World’s great wildlife destinations. Made famous as the islands that formed the basis of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and his book On the Origin of Species, these Enchanted Isles are home to an amazing variety of exotic animals and birds.

Quite remarkably, the diverse range of species that live on these islands have no fear of man enabling us fabulously close encounters with many wonderful animals and colourful birds including Marine Iguanas, Giant Tortoises, Sea Lions, Magnificent Frigatebirds, Blue-footed Boobies, Waved Albatrosses, Land Iguanas and Galapagos Penguins.

Our adventure begins with an overnight flight from London to Quito, Ecuador’s Capital city. Here we are met and transferred to our hotel for two nights giving time to relax after our flight and explore this wonderful city.

We fly to Baltra where we board The Samba, our home for the next eight days as we cruise around the Galapagos Islands. Sailing mainly during the night makes best use of the daylight hours, allowing us to visit more of these unique islands while gaining plenty of time for exploring on foot for photography, peaceful observation, swimming and snorkelling … perhaps with Sea Lion pups or Pacific Green Turtles! At this time of year the waters are generally calm and clear, and the weather good and we may enjoy the sight of schools of Bottle-nosed Dolphins following our boat or possibly whales.

Our past experience of sailing on The Samba and working with her regular guide and crew gives us the freedom to explore the islands at times to suit us and our photography. Each day we will visit one or two islands, with landings in the morning and afternoon, and we will usually have time for snorkelling. Each island has a unique character and variety of species. The highlights for many will be the Land Iguanas on Fernandina, the giant Galapagos Tortoises on Isabela, the stunning colonies of seabirds on Genovesa, as well as numerous Marine Iguanas, Galapagos Sealions and much more.

As well as the animals and birds, many endemic to the islands, we will also have the opportunity to photograph unusual plants and stunning landscapes. The geological, botanical and zoological charm of these Enchanted Isles are as attractive and awe inspiring now as when Darwin disembarked from the Beagle in 1835.

Our modern ship, named The Samba, is a 14 passenger tourist superior, 78 foot traditional steel-hulled motor sailor that was built in Holland in 1966. This yacht offers comfortable and spacious accommodation, ample open and shaded deck space, delicious Ecuadorian and international cuisine served in the salon or on deck, personal service on board by a superbly trained crew and a National Park licensed naturalist guide. It is fully air conditioned with twin cabins each with their own private facilities and outward-facing view.

Peter Smart from Wild Arena will accompany you. Peter is a professional wildlife photographer, escorting wildlife tours to a variety of countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia, India, Spitsbergen, Borneo, Sri Lanka and the Galapagos Islands. Peter treats it as a genuine privilege to introduce people to the wildlife, landscapes and people of the countries he visits and his knowledge, organisational skills and sense of fun ensures that not only will you have excellent photographic and game-viewing opportunities but also a highly enjoyable holiday!

The Galapagos Islands are a truly unique and unforgettable place, renowned for unusually tolerant animal and bird life, which allows us fantastic and guaranteed photographic opportunities. You are advised to make your reservation immediately once you have decided to join us, as places onboard are strictly limited on this unique tour to Galapagos: The Enchanted Isles.

Galapagos and Ecuador:

A 14 day tour exploring the Galapagos Islands with an amazing variety of exotic animals, birds & plants with time to explore the wonderful city of Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

Itinerary

Tutors

Gallery:

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Itinerary:

Day 1
Depart UK, via Amsterdam in The Netherlands, to Quito, Ecuador

Day 2
Arrive Quito, Ecuador. Transfer to our hotel located in the heart of historic “Quito” surrounded by churches, museums and national monuments. We have two nights in Quito, allowing a day for an optional guided sightseeing tour. Overnight hotel

Day 3
A full day to explore Quito including an optional escorted tour of this fascinating city. Overnight hotel (B)

Day 4
Flight to Baltra on the Galapagos Islands and transfer to The Samba for our 8 day cruise. On arrival at Baltra Airport we will be met by the Samba’s naturalist guide. After lunch we visit Las Bachas located on the northern shore of Santa Cruz Island. Which offers a peaceful and beautiful introduction to the Enchanted Islands. On the shore we may encounter Marine Iguanas, Sally Lightfoot Crabs, Blue-footed Boobies diving and, in a nearby lagoon, we often find Greater Flamingoes, Black-necked Stilts and other shore birds. Visitors are welcome to swim or snorkel from the beach. (BLD)

Day 5
Genovesa. After sailing overnight, we awake to the beautiful cacophony of one of the largest tropical seabird colonies on the planet. The cliff tops of Darwin Bay are decorated with Frigatebirds, Red-footed Boobies, Nazca Boobies, Swallow-tailed Gulls and Red-billed Tropicbirds. Darwin’s finches, Galapagos Doves and Mockingbirds stroll the ground to find seeds and insects. Following lunch we climb Prince Philip’s Steps which takes us 100 feet above sea level, we are welcomed by the elegant silhouette of Red-billed Tropicbirds, Boobies and the aerobatic Galapagos Shearwater. The Palo Santo forest is dormant most of the year, to awaken in the rainy season to give the air a refreshing aroma. We will see thousands of Storm Petrels flying erratically beyond the lava flows and possibly a Short-eared Owl which predates upon them. (BLD)

Day 6
Punta Mejía on Bindloe is one of the best sites in the archipelago to snorkel. Apart from great fish diversity, when we snorkel we may see rays, Reef Sharks and Sea Turtles. Sailing southwest to Playa Negra we often encounter Bottle-nosed Dolphins and other cetaceans. Our landings will feature many birds, Galapagos Sealions and Marine Iguanas. (BLD)

Day 7
Punta Albemarle - the farthest north point of Isabela - offers the best example of the constant struggle for survival, a fight where only the fittest survive. The recent lava flows are the nesting ground of the only Flightless Cormorant in the world and are the basking terrain of the largest Marine Iguanas of Galapagos. As many boats do not visit this site, the cormorants, that are usually very shy birds, display with total indifference to human presence while building their bulky nests with seaweed. As the morning advances the iguanas wander on to the shoreline to feed on green and red algae. Punta Vicente Roca offers an overwhelming diversity of geological formations. The area is an outstanding example of how the Islands were formed and how the forces of change transformed the landscape and shaped the wildlife. We will look at the dramatic structures from our dinghies, as we also enjoy watching the Galapagos Penguins, Brown Noddies, Blue-footed Boobies and other marine life. (BLD)

Day 8
Fernandina is the youngest island of the archipelago and at Punta Espinoza the shoreline is teeming with life such as Marine Iguanas, Galapagos Sealions, Flightless Cormorants and perhaps a Galapagos Hawk overhead. Located in the centre of Isabela, Alcedo volcano is a reminder of how volatile the islands are. On its west shore lies Urbina Bay where the Land Iguanas are the largest in the Galapagos. They roam the island looking for flowers, fruits, leaves and shoots of their favourite plant. (BLD)

Day 9
Isabela, shaped like a seahorse, has a shoreline which is nearly 100 miles long and offers a remarkable diversity of habitats. Elizabeth Bay is the only place on Earth where old tropical mangrove forests and penguins can be found together. The ecosystem is also the home to Spotted Eagle Rays, Sea Turtles and a nursery for fish and marine invertebrates. When you land on Punta Moreno we will see the colonisation of plants and the start of life over this terrain as witnessd by Charles Darwin. He thought this process could easily compare to the origin of life on our planet. Where lava tunnel roofs have collapsed, brackish water accumulates to give life to Greater Flamingoes and several other species. (BLD)

Day 10
We start the day on Tintoreras, a very small islet, where Marine Iguanas breed, Blue-footed Boobies dive and sharks rest. A small trail along the shore takes you to grotto formations where White-tipped Reef Sharks can be seen. After breakfast we will land on Isabela’s main pier at Puerto Villamil and visit the Tortoise Breeding Centre. Here we will learn about this endangered reptile and the programme to restore their numbers. In the afternoon we climb Sierra Negra. This giant and active shield volcano, which was last active in 2005, has one of the largest calderas in the world. The fumaroles, the lava flows and the vast depression formed by the collapse of the magma chamber, are a reminder of how the world was when it was new. (BLD)

Day 11
Our final stop on the islands will be the Highlands of Santa Cruz. At 1800 feet the greenery offers the opportunity to see the remnants of a Galapagos mature forest and the collapsed craters known as Los Gemelos. This area is home to many Darwin finches, Mockingbirds, Vermillion Flycatchers and a wonderful diversity of indigenous plants. We disembark The Samba and fly back to Quito. Overnight hotel. (B)

Day 12
A free day to explore Quito and the surrounding area. (B)

Day 13
After breakfast transfer to the airport for the return flight to UK. (B)

Day 14
Arrive Amsterdam, Netherlands and connect for our morning flight to the UK

Please note that the itinerary is provisional and subject to change depending on local conditions, not all the wildlife mentioned can be seen well at all times of the year and some of the activities mentioned may not always be available