Northern Fur Seals

Advice On Going To The Galapagos Islands

Of all the planet's's great wildlife destinations, Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, located some 600 miles off the coast of northern South America, qualify as one of the most impressive for any person inquisitive about natural history or photography. Cruises are the usual method of Galapagos Islands travel, and offer the adventure traveler easy accessibility to many watchable species of exotic wildlife on this isolated archipelago.

It was here, in the early 19th Century, that Charles Darwin faced the puzzling array of life that later led him to develop his Origin of Species, one of the most influential texts ever written.

Today, the visitor on a Galapagos cruise finds a virtually storybook domain of incredibly tame wildlife. Imagine yourself snorkeling face-to-face with sea lions, fur seals, and sea turtles,or viewing at arm's length rookeries of nesting seabirds, marine and land iguanas and giant tortoises! At night, aboard your boat, marvel at the phosphorescent tropical sea and the blazing stars of the Southern Hemisphere's skies.

Choosing the Best Ship

Ship sizes range from approximately 16 tourists to over 100, maintained to world safety standards. Most ships are air-conditioned, with in-suite heads and showers, comfortable public lounging areas (both inside and outside), and bilingual crews. Levels of accomodations and facilities go from basic to luxurious.

it's best to visit the islands in small groups with a low leader/client ratio; if possible, look for ships possessing a leader/customer ratio of only 1:8 to 12. Most Galapagos cruises have Zodiac-style landing craft for shore journeys, and landings are scheduled to prevent the presence of other boats' groups. Having to challenge for wildlife watching with hundreds of other travelers on the beach isn't a perfect way to spend a vacation!

Most sailing is done at night, so as to maximize your time to visit these fascinating islands. All yachts have snorkeling equipment on board and, when you're not ashore on the islands, you can snorkel with sea lions and even penguins. There are embarkations on Saturdays and Sundays, throughout the year.

Guides on all Galapagos cruises must be approved and trained by the Ecuadorian Park Service. But many staff leaders not only have this basic ratification, but also possess college degrees, frequently in a biological science. This insures that you will receive broad and correct information regarding the complex biological processes that the islands are famous for. Most tour guides are fully multilingual (so are a lot of the boat crews), and in several cases converse in a third language. You may be assured that your guides are the highest quality.

Best Time to Go

Since the isands lie right on the Equator, the weather in the Galapagos is fairly stable all year long. Nevertheless the Humboldt Current from Antarctica creeps northward in July and August, cooling the ocean of the Galapagos one or two degrees. This can result in a mist over the islands during some stretches, and a little cooler snorkeling. As far as animals go, something is breeding almost year-round, so there's lots of activity by the birds and other animals.

How to Get There

International air carriers arrive daily into either Quito or Guayaquil, Ecuador. After overnighting in one of those 2 towns, you can board another airplane (usually purchased seperately from your international ticket) for the 1.5 hour flight to the Galapagos. After paying a modest park entrance fee, you will be brought to your boat for your cruise to begin.

Planning Your Holiday

on spending at least 2 nights in Quito or Guayaquil, Ecuador on your cruise: one for the night of your arrival and one on returning from the islands. But do not miss other fascinating things worth doing in Ecuardor! A short journey to the Otavalo Indian Market, high in the Andes is a good way to pick up some quality leather and wool goods for gifts. Even though it will add a few days to your holiday, a preferred add-on is to Peru's traditional lost citadel of Machu Picchu.

If you're interested in wildlife and the task the Galapagos Islands played in the development of scientific thought put this spot on your must-do list!

John Randall is pro photographer and guide focusing on adventure travel. He's a experienced veteran of many Galapagos cruises.

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