Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands is one of those once in a life-time experiences which means expensive. The islands are about 1000 kilometres of the coast of Ecuador which means an expensive plane ride, about $US350 from the capital Quito or a bit cheaper from the port city of Guayaquil. Add $US100 park fee once you step off the plane and you have already spend almost $US450 without seeing any of the islands.

If you are on a really really tight budget, you will probably not visit but I would recommend spending the money. If your budget is that tight you might try Machalilla National Park on the Ecuadorian coast or if you visit Peru, Islas Ballestas, both are often called "poor man's Galapagos". For those on a tight budget (or really affect by sea sickness) many people stay in the town of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz island and book day tours which usually cost about $US50.

A tour (cruise) can be booked through your travel agent at home, over the internet or from any number of agencies in Ecuador. Last minute deals can be found, especially if you are traveling in the off-season although these are usually only found on Economic boats. There are three classes of boats cruising the Galapagos Islands; Economic, Tourist, and First Class. Economic are small boats, often converted fishing boats usually no more than 12 passengers, your meals will probably consist of fish and rice and your guide will probably only speak limited English. Tourist boats are the most common on the islands and are larger, custom build boats holding up to 20 passengers, 6 crew plus captain and guide who will probably speak excellent English. The food is often excellent but most North Americans and Europeans might find portions small. Boats at the high end of the tourist range are often called Tourist Superior. First class boats are usually cruise ships, some up to 100 passengers. There will be large cabins, 3 multilingual guides often with university degrees, excellent food and impeccable service. Cost will range from $US 300 for a 4 day/3 night trip on an Economic boat up to $US3000 for a 8 day/7 night cruise on a First class boat. Our cost? We booked using the internet, directly with the company who owned the boat. Our cost was $US680/person for 5 days/4 nights. I can't fully recommend Galasam, there were a few annoying problems with everything working out in the end for us but more about that later.

We traveled to the Galapagos during the off-season (early May) and there was often up to ten boats at the same location, I can't imagine how busy it must be during high season. While cruising the islands your itinerary will usually consist of an early more wakeup call around 6 am for breakfast at 7am, you will probably be at another island after motoring all night. After breakfast there will be a 2 to 3 hour visit, remember the hikers rule "Take only pictures, leave only footprints." Bring plenty of film, the animals and birds have no fear and are very photogenic. Be careful where you walk to avoid stepping on any animals and stick to the trail, other people will want to visit the islands after you leave. When you return to the boat after your morning extrusion the boat will often motor to another location for the afternoon and you will eat your lunch while on route. The afternoon is another shore excursion and there is usually time for some snorkeling. The snorkeling in the Galapagos is the most spectacular I have ever experienced, don't miss it. The water is warm and crystal clear and along with many species of colourful tropical fish you will also see sharks, sea lions and sea turtles.

Santa Cruz

This is the most populated island in the archipelago with the largest community, Puerto Ayora but the airport is on another island Baltra. If you booked a tour in advance your guide should meet you at the airport to take you to the boat. There is a small marina on Baltra which is only a short bus ride from the airport but if your boat is docked in Puerto Ayora then there is a short bus ride to the ferry terminal, a short ride on a passenger ferry followed by another bus ride of about one hour to arrive in Puerto Ayora, a pleasant Caribbean-type town.

Puerto Ayora has all the facilities you expect in a town that depends on tourism. Cheap hotels, restaurants, cybercafes, dive shops, travel agencies and souvenir shops named for every animal that exists on the islands. Although I'm sure the service is good and friendly I can't really say since when I was in town there was a pre-World Cup game on TV between Ecuador and Yugoslavia. Everyone was watching the game and barely even noticed me, I was looking for a cybercafe so I could find out how the NHL (hockey) playoffs were going.

You will probably visit Puerto Ayora either at the beginning or end of your tour along with visiting the Charles Darwin Research Station. The station was started in the 1960s as a research and breeding centre for endangered native species. You will visit the tortoise breeding and rearing centre and probably the land iguana rearing facilities.

Lonesome George is the most famous resident of the research centre, the last surviving member of his species arrived in 1971, find him a mate and collect $10,000. Endangered species are hatched and cared for until they are old enough to protect themselves in the wild. There are also programs to eradicate introduced species, only two islands are free of introduced species. Introductions still occur, the Norway rat only arrived in 1983 and is found on two islands. Donations are welcomed and needed - give - this is important work.

The Santa Cruz Highlands can be visited independently and there are several boat tours visitor sites. Our boat stopped at Black Turtle Cove - this was our first stop in the Galapagos. We got to see the circle of life in action. Sea turtle eggs were hatching and as the baby turtles tried to reach the sea, frigate birds would swoop down to feed. This upset some people but frigate birds have to eat also. Frigatebirds are often considered the bad boys of the islands since their feeding method is often called kleptoparasitism, stealing food from other birds, even from the mouths of chicks. We also saw marine iguanas, flamingos, great blue herons and other birds. There was also snorkeling, our guide told me not to bother to take too many pictures since there would be better snorkeling later. I was already impressed by the snorkeling.

Islas Plaza

Our first full day started at the small island of South Plaza ( 1.3 km²), one of the two tiny islands that make up Islas Plaza. North Plaza is off-limits due to scientific research. When you visit this island you will be greeted by barking sea lions and nursing pups. You should be careful around sea lions, more people are bitten by sea lions than sharks every year in the Galapagos. The island also contains a bachelor colony of sea lions, or as our guide call it the loser colony since these are the sea lions that lost the fight to form harems.

Along with the unique marine iguanas found only on the Galapagos, there is also prickly pear land iguanas which are usually seen beneath the prickly pear cacti. Unlike the green iguanas of the mainland, land iguanas in the Galapagos are yellow.

There is also several species of birds on the island including blue-footed and masked boobies and the prettiest gull species, the endemic swallow-tailed gull. This gull has a charcoal coloured head with a white and gray body highlighted by red feet and a red eye ring.

It can get crowded on this island; its small size, day trips from Santa Cruz, and the other tour boats mean people have to wait their turn to walk the trail from the seal lion colony, across the prickly pear cacti fields to the bachelor colony with seabirds nesting on the nearby cliffs.

After returning to our boat for lunch and a two hour trip to the next island our guide informed us that one of the sea lions pups we had saw that looked sick was probably an orphan, mother probably eaten by a shark or whale.

Santa Fe

Although larger than Isla Plaza you will not see as much wildlife on Santa Fe. The island is home to a sea lion colony and you will see prickly pear land iguanas and Galapagos mockingbirds and if your luckily the crested land iguana endemic to only this island. The treasures of this island are underwater. After lunch several people went scuba diving while I was again kicking myself for never learning to scuba dive (someday, I promise myself I will). I was initially amazed by the snorkeling at Black Turtle Cove on Santa Cruz, the snorkeling at Santa Fe was FAB-U-LOUS. Along with numerous fish, in both numbers and species I saw a white-tipped shark, sea snake, marine iguanas feeding underwater and if your lucky sea lions might join you in the water. The people who went diving saw hammerhead sharks and sea turtles. I saw a sea turtle swim by our boat after I got out of water, when I jumped in to get a better look it quickly swam off, I think I might have startled it. Some people found the current strong and several people said the water was cold and you should only spend half an hour in the water. Personally I think people have a strange idea what cold is, I must have spend about 4 hours in the water, two hour sessions both times. I found the water wonderful.

Before supper there was a short hike which included a close look at the sea lion colony. Our next destination was Isla Espanola, the southernmost island in the archipelago, a long trip that would be done overnight.

Isla Espanola

Our guide decided that today our group will be the first boat on the island. A 5:30 wakeup call and we were on the island at 6:00. Several sea lions were on the landing and several blue-footed boobies were nearby. The marine iguanas on this island are brightly coloured due to the species of algae they eat on this island. Some scientists think they might be a separate species.

Along the trail you will come to Boobieville where you will see blue footed and masked boobies and shallow-tailed gulls while a blowhole sends spray 50 metres into the air with every wave.

The main reason to visit this island are the nesting waved albatrosses, one of only two breeding locations in the world. You might see the elaborate courtship dance and bill-clattering. Although graceful in the air, these large birds generally only crash land and taking flight consists of jumping of the cliff. Our guide called the area Albatross Airport.

A late breakfast and we motored to our next location. About one hour away is Gardener Bay, a one kilometre sandy beach that you have to share with the sea lions. The endemic hood mockingbirds are very inquisitive, one landed on my wife's shoulder. Nearby is Turtle Rock with excellent snorkeling again plenty of fish including sting rays.

Our next destination was Floreana, another overnight motoring.

Floreana

This was the first inhabited island in the archipelago and even today has a small town of about 70 people called Puerto Velasco Ibarra. While some cruise boats stop there ours did not. Our first stop was Punta Cormorant a beach which has a greenish ting due to small green beads of crystal called olivine. A trail nearby leads to the largest flamingo colony in the Galapagos. The trail continues to another beach, a white sandy beach called Flour Beach which is the site of sea turtle nests. The turtles only come a shore to lay their eggs at night but if you are there during the right season you might see the tracks leading from the waters edge up to the high beach above the high tide mark.

Another shore trip is Post Office Bay which contains a barrel where people drop off and pick up postcards. If your lucky you might find one from your home town, pick it up and hand deliver it when you return home. I dropped off a card for a friend in Ottawa, but there were no cards addressed for St. John's, Newfoundland. This post office barrel started in 1793 by a British whaling captain. Not far from the post office barrel the trail continues past the remains of a Norwegian fish operation dating to the 1920's then to a lava tunnel. Bring a flashlight to explore the tunnel and since part of the tunnel contains water you can swim underground.

Near Post Office Bay there is also some more great snorkeling at Corona del Diablo (Devil's Crown), a jagged circle of rocks where you might see sharks, sea lions, seabirds, and multitudinous colourful fish.

After snorkeling the boat headed back to Santa Cruz Island and Puerto Ayora for tomorrows visit to the Darwin Research Station and then our flight back to the Ecuadorian mainland. Along the way we saw a school of dolphins.

Problems?

Any trip will have its problems including this one. People love hearing the horror stories but I'm leaving this for the bottom of the page because I want to emphasize how SPECULATE this trip was; the islands, the wildlife, and the snorkeling but there were problems.

Your guide is suppose to meet you at the airport to take you to your boat. When we arrived there was no sign of the guide. A guide from another boat owned by the same company took care of us. Only then did we find out that there are two morning flights to the Galapagos, none of the boats leave until both flights have arrived. We also found out that the name of the boat had recently been changed. Although I was in e-mail contact with the company and had dropped in to their Quito office two days previous no one informed us of the name change. My wife was certain that they had overbooked and was going to put us on a lower class boat. It was the correct boat, the boat looked like its picture plus things on the boat like life jackets had the old name, we even saw the old name plate that had been removed. Not a good start but after a delicious lunch, have I mentioned portion size were kind of small, we visited Black Turtle Cove and things were looking up.

Cabins on all but the luxury boats are small but you be spending most of your free time in the lounge or the sun deck. I expected the small cabin but not the electrical shock from the bathroom light switch. We resorted to using a toothbrush to turn on-off the light. The air conditioner in the cabin worked too well at the beginning of the cruise and not well enough near the end, there were no controls.

The boat had been overbooked but a British couple suffered from horrible sea sickness and left the boat the day we arrived. Most boats take 7 night/8 day cruises stopping back at Santa Cruz Island at the half way point to drop off and pick up passengers. That means you can book a 3 night/4 day cruise, a 4 night/5 day cruise or stay for the entire trip. This couple were suppose to stay for the entire 8 days but left after 4 days but our boat was full.

Someone else paid for the single supplement but had to share a cabin. Another single person was told she would room with another women but ended up sharing with a man.

These were all minor problems and would only ruin the trip of a very picky person. The big problem happened at the end of the cruise, thankfully. A couple was accused of not paying for the cruise. They had booked the cruise from Belgium using a bank transfer of money from their home bank to Galasam's Miami bank branch (the same way we paid for the cruise). The Belgium couple had receipts for the bank transfer but the tour operators accused them of faking the documents and for being thieves then called the police. This all happened as we were getting ready to leave for the airport. The husband had to stay behind to pay for the cruise using a credit card (with a 10% surcharge) while the rest of us left for the airport - including his wife. His wife ended up staying behind at the ferry terminal, the airport is on another island. About 10 minutes before the flight the Belgium's showed up, his taxi broke down about 10 minutes outside town and he knew no Spanish. He was over 15 minutes waiting for another taxi. I believe his first plan was to cancel the credit card transaction once he arrived in Quito. As you can well imagine this left a bitter taste in all our mouths. To be accused of being a thief even when you have the receipts. Although I only suffered minor problems I certainly can't recommend this company.

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