A Diary of Our Galapagos Islands Adventure

There is a coral beach here and the water is much cooler than I imagined and rough. There is so much to see. We spot some Red Footed Boobies and Nasca Boobies (masked boobies) Swallow Tailed gull with there crayon box colored feet and red rimmed eyes and of course sea lions. I never got tired of taking their pictures. There was a large male lion and I found out quickly that he was a little saucy...best to keep your distance. He is pretty intent on guarding his brood.

We had the opportunity to go out a little ways ni the panga and snorkel to spot Hammerhead Sharks. I have a shark phobia so I declined but for those who did go they spotted four hammerheads swimming below. Exhilarating !!

We had fun in sea kayaks...my first time!!

Now we have an idea what treats are in store. This morning is a wet landing at Bachas Beach .On the way over our guide points out some mating green sea turtles. We visit a beautiful coral beach with a salt water lagoon on the other side . There was a Magnificent Flamingo in the lagoon, which came close enough to photograph and some Marine Iguana on the beach.

We see the Brown Pelican here as well . They are very common in the Galapagos .The Galapagos population of brown pelican is considered to be an endemic subspecies.

Day Four – Isabela Island

Last night we cruised for about 17 hours and this morning we awakened to Isabela. This is the largest of the Galapagos Islands and was formed when six volcanoes flowed together. Five of the volcanoes are still active and one erupted just a couple of nights ago.

By panga we cruise along the rocky coast and spot .We are especially excited to sea the Galapagos penguin. This is the smallest of the warm weather penguins. It stands only 16 to 18 inches (40 to 45 cm) tall and weighs only 5 pounds (2 to 2.5 kg). We are so excited to see them!!

We have a dry landing at Tagus Cove.
It has been quite a morning. We see Blue Booted Boobies , Frigate birds and Noddi Tern.

Day 5 - Santiago - Puerto Egas


This morning after a wet landing on the island, we have a chance to do some snorkeling.

The island is covered with lava flows and arid vegetation.

We see the fur sea lion here. He is pretty amazing and my favorite!! He has a flat bear like face . They were hunted to the verge of extinction but happily there numbers have risen. They are harder to spot as they hide from the sun during the day . We saw them lazing along the cool cliffs.

Our other big discovery was the Sally Lightfoot crab , By far the most beautiful crab I've ever seen ...if crabs can be beautiful. They can get out of harm's way quickly, which is where they get the name "Lightfoot.

Day 5 Afternoon Bartolome

This afternoon we land on this pock marked island. It's hard to believe anything can live here. It seems like we've landed on the moon. We climb to the summit of a once active volcano and as we climb we see all the evidence of the once deadly volcano that erupted here ...lava tubes and spatter formations. From the top we have a great view of Sullivan Bay and Pinnacle Rock . It is breathtaking and worth the 30-minute hike!!

Day 6- Santa Cruz Charles Darwin Research Center
We had a short journey last night and most of us appreciate it . The seas have been very rough for most of our trip.

Today we go to the Charles Darwin Research Station. The Charles Darwin Research Station conducts research for Galapagos conservation, focusing in two major areas: 1. Terrestrial conservation, the main issue is management of invasive species and how to restore the native biodiversity and ecosystems.
2,Marine Conservation.,the challenge to marine conservation is overexploitation.

Visitors learn about natural history, issues concerning the islands, and see the Tortoise breeding and rearing project at work.
We visit three breeding corals and see the successful project has had to date.

This morning was our first dry landing .That's where we take the panga to shore and dock and don't get in the water . We landed at Prince Philips Steps. There 's steep rock staircase that we climb and a trail to the nesting ground of Red Footed Boobies and lots of other birds.

Our group of ten followed our guide and clicked pictures like mad when we spotted our first Red Footed Boobie and Frigate birds up close..I expected them to fly away so I took pictures from very far away .I just couldn't believe how they innocently watched us ,just as curious about us as we about them!!

The island itself is a rugged rocky place ...it looks like it is from the beginning of time, when in actual fact it's quite new, as islands go, having been formed by a volcano.

On the morning of departure, an agent from Ecoventure met us at the airport in Quito for our flight to San Cristobal. AEROGAL tickets were given to us at the counter upon check-in for the flight.

We all had a badge for the various boats we would be on and by the time we landed we already knew a few of our future ship mates.

We were happy we traveled light as only one checked suitcase (maximum 44 lbs.) and one carry-on bag are allowed per passenger.

Our adventure was on the 20-passenger ship called the Letty for a 7-night cruise. . We booked the trip directly with Ecoventura which is the company that owns the Letty along with her two sister ships. It was less expensive than an outside agent.

We were quite pleased with the Letty .The food was very good and lots of it. They had a nice friendly crew and everyday the chef met us onboard when we returned from an excursion with a snack.

The boat itself is rated as a Superior first-class 20-passenger motor-yachts, M/Y Eric, Flamingo I and Letty, were custom-designed for Galapagos excursions.

A Captain, eight dedicated crewmembers, and two experienced English-speaking naturalist guides attend to the details of your Galapagos cruise. Each naturalist takes a group of no more than 10 passengers on all shore excursions and shares extensive insights into the Islands ' diverse wildlife. Small wooden boats, locally called pangas, ferry passengers to shore for island visits.

As excited as I was to see the wonders of the Galapagos Islands, I have to admit however, for me 5 nights would have been enough!! I was so seasick. The longer trips spend as long as 17 hours out at sea each night. And it was rocking!!!

Twenty of us travelers came together to experience this enchanting adventure. We shared experiences, pictures laughs and wonders. And we left friends.

There is nowhere I know of in the world where you can be so up close and personal with all animals and they have so much to teach us!!

It is a revelation to see how when man or beast does not hunt wild animals they respond in the most beautiful way. They are so innocent and trusting.

The first day we set out from San Cristobal and away into the sunset. It was fun getting settled in our cabin and meeting the crew and our shipmates.

That evening the bar was open and we all gathered on the top deck to view an absolutely fabulous sunset and Kicker Rock!!