We traveled to the Galapagos Islands from Quito. Here, the two of us had a memorable time, along with 7 friends – 9 in all!! We had the time of our lives!! Seeing this incredibly beautiful part of the world on a Galapagos Cruise was a dream come true!!
We flew into San Cristobal Island. From there, we were taken directly to our cruise ship which would be our home for the next 5 days. On San Cristobal we had our first encounters with the Galapagos sea lion and crab!!
We first settled down on our Galapagos Cruise ship called The Galapagos Legend. Subsequently, we were taken on our first excursion to the Interpretation Center in San Cristobal. Here, we were told about the origins of the islands, its significance to the world, threats and conservation efforts.
In our opinion, the best way to go about the Galapagos Islands is by cruise ship. The other option is to do a land-based trip, by staying at either San Cristobal Island or Santa Cruz Island, both of which have airports. However, this option will mean that you are limited to visiting islands that could be reached within a day. Further, you spend a great deal of time going from island to island. On the other hand, a cruise boat travels at night time. This means that you wake up at a new destination each day ready for a full day of activities.
Facts That Makes A Galapagos Cruise Interesting
- It is the most bio-diverse place on earth.
- 97% of the islands are considered a National Park.
- It is the only place to see penguins in the Northern Hemisphere.
- Since Galapagos is right on the equator there are 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night all year long.
- It is an Archipelago, made up of 20 islands, 42 islets and 250 rocks. The oldest island is Espaniola which is around 3.5 million years old, and the youngest is Fernandina which is only 1 million years old.
Facts About Galapagos Continues
- The world famous Giant Tortoises can be found there. In fact, Galapagos is named after the tortoise.
- Charles Darwin spent 5 weeks in the islands where he did most of his research before advancing his theory of evolution.
- It is the first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- The Galapagos Marine Iguana is the only lizard on the planet that has adapted to life in the sea.
- There are more sea lions than humans in the Galapagos Islands.
First Stop On Our Galapagos Cruise - Espaniola Island
Beautiful Morning at Gardner Bay
Our Galapagos Cruise ship first sailed overnight to Espaniola Island, an uninhabited island. The beauty of the island was very evident from the glorious view we had of it from the ship.
After breakfast, we were taken in small motor boats, known as “pangas”, to Gardner Bay, a beautiful beach in Espaniola. This beach is supposed to be one of the nicest in all of Galapagos! Our naturalist/guide explained that the formation of this beach had happened organically. There were literally hundred of sea lions lying on the beach. Amazingly, all animals we encountered were totally immune to our presence. This was due to the fact that all animals are left alone with strict regulations as to how visitors can interact with them. Whilst on the island we came across many string rays and many species of birds, including a big hawk.
We then went snorkeling and saw some glorious sights of marine animals and plants of different colors!! Some of us even had the thrilling expereience of swimming alongside sea lions!!
It was so nice to be on a Galapagos Cruise – undoubtedly the best way to see The Galapagos Islands!!
The authorities go to extreme lengths to ensure that humans do not disturb the environment at all!!
Here’s a sampling of some of the rules, which are strictly enforced;
- all visitors have to be accompanied at all times by an accredited naturalist,
- no one is allowed to get to less than 6 feet of any animal,
- feeding of animals is strictly forbidden,
- no noise could be made around animals,
- visitors can only walk on designated pathways,
- selfie-sticks are not allowed,
- no one is allowed to jump about in close proximity to animals, and
- littering on the islands is strictly forbidden.
Enjoying Hike At Suarez Point
After lunch we went to another part of the island called Suarez Point. Here, we went on a hike around the place for nearly 3 hours. Although most enjoyable, the going was quite difficult. Consequently, most of us walked with the aid of walking sticks! Certainly, this hike was a high point of our Galapagos Cruise holiday! We got to see many species of land and marine wildlife up close. It was so great to see marine iguanas, blue footed boobies and waved albatrosses, all endemic to the Galapagos Islands. Further, we were lucky to also see some albatross eggs. Listening to our naturalist talk about the animals and the flora on the island was fascinating. During this hike, we also witnessed a blow hole in full action!!!
Life Aboard Our Galapagos Cruise Ship - The MV Legend
Life aboard our Galapagos Cruise ship called the MV Legend, was really great and a whole heap of fun. The food was outstanding. One of the dinners and a breakfast were served on the top deck, out in the open. Witnessing the sunset and rise, eating fabulous food and hanging out with our group and other new friends we met on the ship, will be unforgettable to all of us.
The ship had a small gym, a pool and a Jacuzzi. There were great sitting areas all around which made it quite homely for the hundred or so passengers. We were given briefings on all excursions well before venturing out each time. Additionally, there were many educational talks given by the different naturalists on board. They told us about the many facets and wonders about the Galapagos Islands, its abundant wildlife and its pristine environment. We spent many a night at the ship’s lounge sipping drinks and chatting away till late at night. Last but not least, our cabins were quite spacious and very comfortable.
The Amazing Floreana Island
We sailed overnight to Floreana Island. A small portion of this island is inhabited. However, we only went to the uninhabited parts.
After breakfast we went around in a panga and saw some of the marine wildlife. We were lucky to see sea lions, marine iguanas, blue footed boobies, sea turtles and a variety of birds. Afterwards, we got off on the beach and were taken to see the oldest post office in the Pacific. This post office was set up by Captain James Colnett in 1793. The system is unique. Whalers and fur sealers used to leave letters in a barrel to be collected by others who were on their way out to the addressed locations to be delivered by hand!! Unbelievably, to this day that tradition continues!!
We were then allowed to go for a swim in the pristine waters by the beach. Some of us went snorkeling around the many rocks which were very close to the shore. A great time was had by all!!
Our Galapagos Cruise Adventure At Cormorant Point
After lunch and a quick snooze, we went to another point in Floreana Island called Cormorant Point. Here, we hiked around for about 2 hours. During the hike we were lucky to see some wild flamingos in a large shallow lagoon. Apparently, it was unusual to see flamingos at this time of year. We then came to a powdery white beach which was fabulous. We walked through a forest amongst nice smelling palo santo trees to get to this beach. Whilst at the beautiful beach, we saw a whole bunch red crabs and a magnificent frigate bird in flight!!
Our Visit To Santa Cruz - One Of The Bigger Inhabited Islands
The Famous Charles Darwin Centre
We all had another fun-filled night on board the MV Legend!
Our next stop on our Galapagos Cruise adventure was the big inhabited islands called Santa Cruz. We were taken to the famous Charles Darwin Centre in the morning which took nearly an hour to get to by private coach. We all had our first sights of giant tortoises which can be found roaming around all over the island.
At the Darwin Center, it was fascinating to see and hear about all the research that was being carried out by scientists from throughout the world. We also learnt about the extensive breeding and relocation services that were being undertaken. It was so informative and pleasing to hear about the extraordinary steps being taken to preserve some of the endangered species. Afterwards, we saw some of the wildlife that were endangered including some species of giant tortoises and a species of land iguanas.
The Highlands Of Santa Cruz And Another Excursion
We were then taken to the highlands of Santa Cruz where we saw totally wild giant Galapagos tortoises. Afterwards we had some free time to roam about the main town in the island. Here, most of us purchased souvenirs and gifts for folks back home.
Towards evening, we went on another excursion on pangas to see some of the marine wildlife around Santa Cruz. We saw many marine iguanas and several species of endemic birds. Above all, we also witnessed a great sunset in the Pacific.
The Last Day Of Our Wonderful Galapagos Cruise
The last night was fun night with a lot of merry making! This was no doubt as a consequence of some rather heavy drinking!! It was our last night and it was quite sad to say our farewells to all our new found friends from around the globe.
The next morning we went on our last excursion on pangas on our way to the airport!! This was a thrilling experience as we saw a baby shark which is supposed to be a very rare sight.
Our flight was from nearby Baltra Island which took us to Quito, the capital of Ecuador!! Here, we spent one more night before heading back to the USA.
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