Galápagos ...
The Trip of a Lifetime
from GALAPAGOS TRAVEL
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Galápagos ... The Trip of a Lifetime
from GALAPAGOS TRAVEL |
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TOURING THE ISLANDS Typical GALAPAGOS TRAVEL 11 Day Cruise Itineraries The Galápagos National Park has given us two great 11-day routings (in addition to our 15-day routing), both exploring the key islands of Española, Floreana, Tower, Isabela, Fernandina and Santa Cruz. Each will also call on a number of the central islands offering a more complete perspective on the unique Galápagos flora & fauna. One itinerary is for workshops beginning on Tuesdays, and the other is for workshops beginning on Fridays.
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About Our: About: Special Stuff: Special Trips: |
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Island and Visitor Site highlights on our itineraries... BALTRA • This relatively small central island holds the principle Galápagos airport, plus the main fueling port for Galápagos yachts, plus a very small military base (making it one of just 5 inhabited islands in Galápagos). BARTOLOME • One of the most popular visitor sites for the panoramic views (gained by climbing 360-plus wooden stairs). The view is educational as well as inspiring; the volcanic features include lava formations as well as spatter cones, cinder cones, and tuff cones. There are also wonderful examples of pioneering plants and some beautiful stands of endemic lava cactus. The shoreline around Pinnacle Rock might be your best chance to snorkel with penguins. DAPHNE MAJOR • Here Drs. Peter & Rosemary Grant continue documenting evolution of the Darwin finches; their research is featured in the Pulitzer Prize winning BEAK OF THE FINCH. While not able to land on this small island, a circumnavigation will give you a bit of insight into the life of a scientist in the field, and what goes into their work.
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RABIDA • This is one of the best snorkeling sites in the islands. The red sand beaches also make a striking backdrop for the ever-present sea lions. The lagoon often has a few flamingos, with the mangroves a common nesting area for brown pelicans. SAN CRISTOBAL • This is the easternmost island in the archipelago (and also the provincial capital). • Cerro Brujo is a very striking, eroded tuff cone. One of the first places visited by Charles Darwin, the beach and lagoon are home to brown pelicans, blue-footed boobies and swallow-tailed gulls, plus some shore birds. San Cristóbal is also home to the endemic Chatham Mockingbird. • Kicker Rock is a similarly eroded tuff cone, this time rising almost 500 feet from the ocean. The yacht will cruise around Kicker Rock as the sunlight plays off the contours of the cliffs and formation (complete with blue-footed boobies, Nazca Boobies, and frigatebirds). |
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SANTA CRUZ • Puerto Ayora is the scientific heart of Galápagos, including the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS), as well as the primary population center. • A trip to the highlands (by van) traverses all 7 vegetation zones of the Galápagos. In addition to two enormous pit craters, other volcanic formations include some of the largest known lava tunnels in the Galápagos. Not surprisingly, the lush highland vegetation is home to a variety of land birds, including vermillion flycatchers, Galápagos Flycatchers, woodpecker finches & dark-billed cuckoos. Tortoises are often seen in the wild here. • Black Turtle Cove is a mangrove-surrounded series of coves and inlets. Exploring by panga (zodiac) we often see mating green sea turtles, plus rays and white-tipped reef sharks. • Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill) is a small hill on the north coast, with a wonderful view. It is the nesting site to a growing number of land iguanas, many of which have been repatriated from the CDRS. Below the hill there is a hypersalinic lagoon that is often frequented by flamingos. • An early morning visit to longtime resident Jacqueline De Roy’s house allows us a glimpse of local life, plus an opportunity to see and compare dozens of finches at very close range! Afterwards enjoy a bit of time in Puerto Ayora. SANTA FE • This island is home to a unique species of land iguana; some of these iguanas can be 5 feet long! The stands of giant prickly pear cactus here are specially adapted to a larger size as a form of protection against the iguanas. |
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Evening lectures by the Tour Leader will be on a broad range of Galápagos-specific topics, likely including Island Formation & Biogeographical Setting, Seabirds, Whales, Pinnipeds, Fishes, Sharks & Rays, Reptiles, Geology, Charles Darwin, Evolution, Conservation, and History of the Galápagos Human Inhabitants. Routing variations may occur depending on flight schedules, the yacht, or based on modifications made by the Galápagos National Park Service (in an attempt to minimize tourist traffic on all visitor sites.) |
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About Our: Trips | Yachts | Itineraries | Departure Dates and Prices | Guidebook |
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GALAPAGOS TRAVEL Toll free from the US and Canada: 800-969-9014 |
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Except as noted, this page and all its contents are © 1995-2006 GALAPAGOS TRAVEL. |
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