There's a lot to write about and a lot of photos as well. I'll try and keep both to a bit of a minimum. To be honest, I could probably write a couple of paragraphs for each individual day, you just cram so much in to those 15 days. For those that haven't read about the last time I went (I'm actually not sure I wrote about it anyway) it's 15 days inside the national park, which basically covers the whole archipelago. As far as I'm aware, that's still the longest you're allowed to be in the national park unless you're a resident or researcher etc. They try to minimise the amount of tourism there at any one time, while also needing the tourism to maintain the conservation work and research. You can't stay on any of the islands of interest. There's two islands that you can stay on, which are already inhabited, but there isn't a huge amount to see. Some people try and see the islands this way... Stay in accomodation, and take 1-2 day tours out to one of the islands. You won't get to see a lot doing it this way, you'd waste so many days and often you wouldn't land on each island early enough, or stay late enough. By staying on a boat the whole time, and travelling at night, means you can be on the islands not long after sun rise, and see the animals when they are most active. The weather there is very hot and often humid, and you often find the wildlife is trying to keep cool and much less active during the heat of the day. Generally our itinerary was something like: Wake up about 5am. Breakfast at 5:15. on to an island at 6:00. Back around 8:00 (fresh fruits and juice etc waiting). Off for a snorkel from the Dinghies at 8:20. Back on board the boat at about 10 (snacks waiting again). Lunch around 12. Bit of break time till about 2pm. Either a dinghy ride around cliff edges, or mangrove estuaries etc, or a second snorkel (all depends on location/conditions). Back on board at around 3:30-4pm. And on to do a final island walk at 4:30pm. Back on board at 6pm. Dinner at around 6:30pm. Lecture time at about 7:30. And finally a briefing for the following day at about 8pm. Usually that contains the types of animals you're likely to see, what shoes are needed, whether or not you're doing a dry or wet landing, and perhaps some lens advise or similar. There really isn't a lot of down time, and it really only feels like you can see it properly with 15 days. I actually wonder how much people get out of it with a few days there. You wouldn't get to experience the varied island landscapes or even all the main types of wildlife the area has to offer. Even on a day where you feel like you have seen it all before, something seems to always happen. Something spectacular that makes you wonder why you ever doubted it's awesomeness. The more chances you give yourself, the more chance you have of seeing something special.
The boat I stayed on was the same as last time. Tip Top IV. There was 16 passengers on the boat, and about 11 crew. It's a good size group to share the experience with, you seem to always get to know the other people really well, more so than other group tours i've been on, and you seem to come home with a really odd feeling that you have made some true friends that you're likely to never meet again. They provide two guides with each tour, most only have a single guide for this many people. And often on boats of 100 people. But having two experts there with you means you can always find out information, and it also means they don't have to be quite as worried about keeping you all together during walks. This time I had two new guides, Etienne and Elizabeth. They are a husband and wife team. Amazingly knowledgable, like my guides last time. They were both born in the Galapagos, however Etienne spent a lot of years in Belgium growing up. They have both now been guides in the Galapagos for over 30 years. They seem to be able to answer literally any question on galapagos flora or fauna, the lectures each night are truly insightful and not just like watching Attenborough's Galapagos, which is wonderful, but it's really just an overview in comparison.I really can't say enough about the company, or the guides that help to provide such an amazing experience.
Ok I'll shut up now, and post some pics. There's one bird in this lot that had never been seen in the Galapagos before, well, at least seen and documented. Etienne almost fell out of the dinghy when he saw it. He's been writing a book on Galapagos birds and asked me for my shots, so hopefully it ends up in the book. It's called a Black Crowned Night Heron.
Frigate Birds
Blue footed booby dance
Frigate bird
Sea Lion
Flock of Boobies
Black Necked Stilt
Black Necked Stilt
Marine Iguana
Oystercatchers
Oystercatcher
Brown Pelican
Brown Pelican
Brown Pelican & Humans
Land Iguana
Land Iguana
Baby Sea Lion
Sea Lion
Yellow Worbler
Swallow tailed gulls
Galapagos Hawk
Galapagos Hawk
Galapagos Hawk
Galapagos Flycatcher
Hermit Crab
Female Vermillion Flycatcher (maybe)
Marine Iguanas
Brown Pelican
Brown Pelican
Brown Pelican
Black Crowned Night Heron
Black Crowned Night Heron
Sea Lion
Yellow Warbler
Brown Pelican trying to eat a Surgeon fish
Brown Pelican trying to eat a Surgeon fish
Brown Pelican trying to eat a Surgeon fish
Kicker Rock
Me + Kicker Rock
Brown Pelican
Dragonfly
Yellow Warbler
Blue Footed Boobies
Blue Footed Boobies
Blue Footed Boobies
Blue Footed Booby
Blue Footed Boobies
Sea Lions
Lava Lizard
Blue Footed Boobies @ Punta Pitt
Juvenile Nazca Booby
Baby Booby
Blow Hole
Albatross
Albatross
Nazca Boobies
Albatross
Albatross
Albatross
Albatross
Blue Footed Booby
Painted Bill Crake
Giant Tortoise
Yellow Worbler with lunch
Yellow Worbler
Brown Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Brown Pelican
Juvenile Striated Heron
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Marine Iguana
Young Sea Lions fighting
Sea Lions - Mum and pup
Brown Pelican
Dinghy Ride
Sea Turtle
Common Dolphin
Medium Tree Finch
Yellow Warbler having a bath
Fur Seal
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Marine Iguana
Marine Iguana
Yellow Warbler
Sally Lightfoot Crab (Juvenile)
Santiago Island, Galapagos
Nazca Booby
Short-eared Owl
Mockingbird
Baby Booby
Frigate Birds
Male Frigate Bird
Male Frigate Bird
Tropic Bird
Short-eared Owl
Red Footed Booby
Red Footed Booby
Lord Commander Frigate Bird
a
quickr pickr post