Charles Darwin’s 200th Birthday Special Expedition
19th April – 7th May 2009
Land cost £3,995
Cost £3995 per person (plus international flight approx £670)
OUTLINE ITENERARY:
19 April - Depart UK
20 April - Arrive in Guayaquil
21 April - Galapagos – Baltra and Santa Cruz
22 April - Bartolome (Sullivan)
23 April - Genovesa (Tower)
24 April - Daphne and Seymour
25 April - South Plaza and Santa Fe
26 April - Espanola (Hood)
27 April - Floreana
28 April - Santa Cruz and Puerta Ayora
29 April - Isabella
30 April - Pta Moreno and Elizabeth Bay
1 May - Urbina Bay and Tagus Cove
2 May - Fernandina
3 May - James (Santiago)
4 May - Rabida and Sombrero Chino
5 May - Caleta Tortuga
6 May - Guayaquil and flight back to UK
7 May - Arrive back in UK
To celebrate Charles Darwin’s 200th Birthday we are organising a special expedition to the Galapagos Islands with a 14-day cruise around the archipelago taking you beyond the bounds of ordinary tourism.
Our trip, will include visits to all the most spectacular visitor sites in the archipelago and is timed to coincide with the nesting of Waved Albatross, Great Frigate Birds, Blue Footed Boobies and Nasca Boobies, ensuring a natural history trip of a lifetime in one of the world’s most intriguing natural history destinations.
The group size is limited to 12 people and will be fully escorted from the UK by Santiago Bejarano, one of the most respected naturalist guides in the archipelago.
The Beagle, named after the HMS Beagle in which Charles Darwin made his famous voyage to the Galapagos, is a magnificent 105 foot steel-hulled schooner with teak decks and a luxurious interior. The yacht, which is usually captained by its owner, is in a class of its own among sailing yachts in the Galapagos offering spacious en-suite cabins, a comfortable salon, delicious Ecuadorean cuisine and superb service.
19 Apr Set off from our local airport for Ecuador and the coastal city of Guayaquil, meeting up with Santiago Bejarano and the rest of our group in Amsterdam.
20 Apr Arrive early in the morning. Transfer to our hotel. Time to relax before our late afternoon city tour of Guayaquil, a thriving, steaming tropical city. Overnight in Grand Hotel Guayaquil.
21 Apr - Galapagos – Baltra and Santa Cruz At 9am the next morning we will take our flight to the Galapagos Islands, arriving to Baltra airport at around noon. From here we will be transferred to our private yacht, The Beagle. In the afternoon we will visit the beautiful beach of Bachas on the northern coast of Santa Cruz, giving us the opportunity to see our first Greater Flamingos, Black-necked Stilts and Pin-tail Ducks. It also gives us the chance to practice snorkeling from the beach.
22 Apr - Bartolome – Sullivan With its distinctive Pinnacle Rock, superb lava flows and parasitic cones this island is the perfect introduction to the Galapagos and one of the most famous views of the archipelagos. Understanding the geology of the islands was crucial to Charles Darwins understanding of the way the wildlife evolved in the archipelago. A great place to snorkel with Galapagos Penguins.
23 Apr - Genovesa – Tower One of the most spectacular sights in the archipelago are the thousands of male Great Frigate Birds displaying their large red pouch as part of their mating display – our visit takes place at the height of this mating season guaranteeing a fantastic spectacle. Also on the island are Red-footed Boobies, Nazca Boobies, finches, Short-eared Owls and Storm-petrels.
24 Apr - Daphne A fantastic ash cone off the coast of Santa Cruz, this island is the place were Darwin’s theory is currently being proved and studied as part of a 25 year long study on Darwin’s Finches. Our visit will give us the opportunity to see a selection of these finches.
Seymour A beautiful island with the chance to see land and marine iguanas, sea lions, Galapagos Fur Seals, Magnificent Frigate Birds and Blue-footed Boobies.
25 Apr - Espanola Santiago’s favourite islands and one of the highlights of any visit to the Galapagos thanks to the islands colony of Waved Albatross which by the time of our visit will have arrived from the coast of Peru and Chile to nest. Here we will witness some spectacular courtship displays as well as seeing the islands unique and colourful marine iguanas and large Lava Lizard and its own endemic species of mocking bird. There will also be nesting Blue-footed boobies and Nazca Boobies.
27 Apr - Floreana The best place to see Flamingos and stilts on the Galapagos with great snorkelling and a fascinating human history and the chance to visit one of the sites where Darwin disembarked at Post Office Bay on the island.
28 Apr - Santa Cruz ( Puerto Ayora) A chance to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and see Giant Tortoises in the breeding programs at the research station and later in the wild in the highlands, along with finches and fly catchers.
29 Apr - Isabella Island Another chance to see Giant Tortoises. The Galapagos has 11 different species of Giant Tortoise with five different species on the island of Isabella. We get the chance to see them at a new breading site built by the Galapagos National Park Service and the Charles Darwin Research Station. The island is also a great place for Galapagos Penguins and marine iguanas.
30 Apr - Pta Moreno An idyllic island comprised of rugged lava flows and brackish water lagoons. We will see flamingos here in a spectacular setting on the outskirts of Cerro Azul a formidable shield volcano and one of the youngest in the islands.
Elizabeth Bay Spectacular mangrove cove that will give us the opportunity to enjoy one of the best breeding grounds of the Galapagos Penguin as well as the chance to see green sea turtles in the Archipelago,
01 May - Urbina Bay A newly uplifted area with colorful land iguanas and lush vegetation on the foot hills of Alcedo Volcano that host the largest population of Giant Tortoises along with a population of Flightless Cormorants, the Galapagos Hawk and finches.
Tagus Cove Another of the famous sites visited by Darwin which was very well described by him in the voyage of the Beagle. A great place to see Flightless Cormorants, the Galapagos Penguin and spectacular volcanic scenery.
02 May - Fernandina Along with Espanola and Tower this is the other ‘must see’ place in the Archipelago. The largest and most pristine of the islands and home to the largest population of marine iguanas and the best place to see nesting Flightless Cormorants. It is also a good place to see the Galapagos Snake, Hawk and Lizard. In the afternoon we will sail to the northern side Isabella Island which hopefully will afford the chance to see some whales and dolphins thanks to the constant upwelling of the Cromwell Current.
03 May - James Island A chance to take a close look at one of the sites visited by Darwin (Bucaneer Cove) the place where he spent the majority of his land visits in the Galapagos. In the afternoon we visit Puerto Egas, the best place for Galapagos Fur Seals, plovers, herons and oyster catchers.
04 May - Rabida A beautiful red sandy beach with sea lions and nesting Brown Pelicans. A great opportunity to snorkel with sea lions and eagle rays which are common in the waters around the island.
Sombrero Chino Here we will have our last chance to swim with Penguins in crystal clear waters. It a fantastic location for sea lions and an incredible volcanic landscape
05 May - Caleta Tortuga Early in the Morning we will take a dingy ride into a spectacular mangrove cove to observe some Blue-footed Boobies and Green Sea Turtles as our last visit in the islands. After breakfast we head for Baltra and our plane back to Guayaquil. Afternoon free to relax before our farewell diner. Overnight in Guayaquil.
06 May Guayaquil fly to UK
07 May Arrive back home
NOTE:
Land cost includes:
- Domestic flight from Guayaquil to the Galapagos Islands.
- All accommodation and meals. The price is based on 2 people sharing a double room (a single supplement is available for the Guayaquil portion.
- All boat cabins must be shared, except by special arrangement.
- The services of a local naturalist guide and all transport in mainland Ecuador and the Galapagos.
Land Cost Does Not Include:
- International airfare,
- National Park Entrance Fee ($100 per person)
- Departure Tax from Ecuador ($31.60 per person)
- Alcoholic beverages.
