The Galapagos Islands
(with colonial Quito and a touch of the Andes)

• Itinerary

From Quito, which has a colonial old town, we fly to the Galapagos, Darwin's enchanted islands. For eight days we wander the Archipelago in our private yacht. Our yacht is the fast, stable and elegant Archipel II, with eight double berths, allowing a maximum of 15 passengers plus guide. We have a crew of 12, and an Ecuadorean naturalist trained by the Charles Darwin Station, which we'll visit. Groups and boats of this size are ideal for visiting the Islands, enabling us to waste little time getting ashore, and also allowing us to stop at smaller, lesser known sites, often with few or no other boats.

The Galapagos are unique in the tropics for the surprisingly few species they harbor, but the species that are here are unique, large and showy, and very tame. These volcanic islands arose from the seafloor in the last 10 million years; all organisms had to float, fly, or be carried to the islands. Because of the cold Humboldt Current that bathes the islands, the air is dry and desert conditions prevail in the Archipelago most years. There are fifteen larger islands and hundreds of smaller islets; we visit ten larger islands.

Each island has a distinctive collection of organisms, relating to island size, prevailing currents, proximity to other islands, and past lower sea levels. This unique itinerary gives us a chance of seeing all the endemic Galapagos birds, including the 13 "Darwin's Finches" and Waved Albatross at their remarkable colony on outlying Hood Island.

We'll drive to the highlands of three islands, see Giant Tortoises in the wild as well as at the excellent Darwin Station, and boat to far-western Isabella and Fernandina Islands, with their recently active volcanoes, where we'll see the Flightless Cormorant, Galapagos Penguins and Flamingoes. Whales and dolphins are often found in these waters.

For photographers it is paradise; the animals are unafraid of humans and everything from iguanas to boobies and albatrosses allows close approach. We'll snorkel amongst dazzling fishes and be face-to-muzzle with sea lions. See the itinerary for island-by-island details.

Leadership

Mark Smith has led nature tours throughout the world for The Nature Conservancy, Audubon Society, and privately. After his studies at OSU, he worked as a researcher and educator for a variety of organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, the National Science Foundation, Portland Public Schools, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Mark has led about 20 tours to the Galapagos. He has special expertise and interest in vertebrates, including marine fish, insects, botany, ecology and island biogeography, and broad interests in all natural history subjects and cultural anthropology.

Also leading will be a Galapagos naturalist guide, trained by the scientists at the Charles Darwin Station and National Park Service.

Accomodations

Lodgings include a fine hotel in Quito before and after the voyage, and seven nights aboard our private yacht in the Galapagos, where each berth has two beds or a double bed, and attached bathrooms.

Preparation

By March, 2008 travelers will be sent a package of perparation materials, including articles, bird lists, reading and equipment lists, maps, etc.

Activities and Expectations

In the Galapagos our yacht is optimum size for a serious natural history group, the smaller size allowing us access to all possible sites (large boats are excluded from many) and rapid disembarkation. Most open ocean transit between islands occurs at night. These are tropical waters in a calm season, but some islands are over 100 miles apart and it is sometimes choppy on the open ocean. Walks are always slow and never far, but sometimes over rocky, seldom hilly, terrain. Guides will be available to assist. Waters are near 70° F and a short, thin wetsuit is helpful in enabling us to stay in the water longer while snorkeling or swimming. We will have four or five opportunities to snorkel. Non-swimmers can safely enjoy snorkeling with the aid of life jackets and a guide. Mark is an expert swimmer and lifesaver. Galapagos daytime high temperatures may be in the low 80's, but are often cooler. We typically walk early morning and evening, swim or snorkel late morning and afternoon, and siesta after lunch.

Costs and Reservations

A deposit of $500 is required to reserve one of the 15 spaces available. Make checks out to Mark Smith and send to:

Mark Smith
PO Box 3831
Portland, OR 97208

Include your address and phone, and the name of the trip. You will be sent a letter acknowledging your deposit and materials to help you prepare. The final payment is due 60 days before departure. Mark's phone is 360-566-0458, and email: pamd@wittravel.com.

Ecuadorean Andes and Amazon Pre-trip: July 28 to Aug. 2

This tour is offered before the Galapagos.

Air Travel

Pam Davis of Willamette International Travel is the tour air-ticket agent; Mark has worked with Pam for 15 years. Participants are encouraged to make bookings through Pam, which helps to coordinate our flights and keep leaders informed. Reach Pam at:

Pam Davis
Willamette International Travel
1314 NW Irving St., #101
Portland, OR 97209
1-800-821-0401 or 503-224-0180 .
Fax: 503-242-3861
E-mail: pamd@wittravel.com

Cancellations

Cancellations made 90 days prior to departure receive full refund less $50. Cancellations made between 90 and 60 days prior to departure forfeit $500. Cancellations made 60 and fewer days prior to departure forfeit 70% of ground costs. Trip cancellations insurance is available from Willamette International Travel.

GALAPAGOS ITINERARY

This Galapagos itinerary is unusual for its in-depth coverage of the islands. Not only will we see all the usual fancy larger birds and reptiles, but by visiting some of the more obscure locations, including drives into the highlands of two islands, we have a chance of seeing all the birds endemic to the Galapagos.

Day 1	Saturday, August 2	North America to Quito, Ecuador
Flights arrive into Quito from North America in the late evening. After being met at the airport we are taken to our Quito hotel. Quito lies at 9,000 feet and has a population of one million. In a deep valley bounded by the Andes, with an ideal climate and an extensive and well-preserved Spanish colonial old town dating from the 16th century, Quito is a fascinating city and a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site. Participants of the Andes/Amazon pre-trip also arrive in Quito this evening.
Day 2	Sunday, August 3	Quito
A day to explore colonial Quito, or to visit spectacular 11,000 ft Yanacocha Reserve on Pichincha Volcano, less than one hour from Quito. Here we can take beautiful hikes with grand vistas of the volcano. The flowered tropical alpine meadows host many flashy hummingbirds and other species. A half day each of the volcano and city would be possible. This evening at our hotel we meet the other members of our group who have been on the Ecuador mainland pre-trip.
Day 3	Monday, August 4	Quito/Galapagos
We leave Quito and, after a quick stop in Guayaquil on the Ecuador coast, continue to Baltra in the Galapagos where we arrive about 12 noon. Baltra is a low, flat island composed of uplifted submarine lavas. Between the airstrip and the dock area we may catch a glimpse of our first Darwin's finches and other wildlife. We board our boat directly and cruise north half an hour to North Seymour Island where we'll observe Fur Seal and Sea Lion colonies, a Swallow-tailed Gull colony and nesting Magnificent Frigatebirds. Good opportunities exist here to photograph Blue-footed Boobies. Throughout this Galapagos voyage our boat will generally be in transit at night, so that we wake up at a new paradise each morning. The order of visits to the various islands might differ from the order in this itinerary, depending on the schedule of other boats, but we will likely visit all the sites described.
Day 4	Tuesday, August 5	San Cristobal and Isla Lobos
We awake to see the white sands of tiny Isla Lobos, just offshore of giant San Cristobal. We'll swim and snorkel, and enjoy a short hike among the Blue-footed Boobies and Frigatebirds, before boating a short way to the city of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, with a population of over 10,000. After lunch we board our bus for the short drive into the 2000 ft highlands of San Cristobal, passing orchards of fruit trees and coffee plantations. Special species of these cool heights that may be difficult to find on other islands include the Finches: Medium Ground, Large and Small Tree, Woodpecker, Vegetarian and Warbler Finches.
Day 5	Wed., August 6	Española (Hood) Island
This morning we enjoy a leisurely long walk at Gardner Bay, where we can study and photograph Sea Lions and their pups, while the bulls cruise the shoreline. The snorkeling from the beach is excellent. This afternoon we land at Punta Suarez on the western end of Hood Island, where we spend time observing the Hood race of Marine Iguanas with their beautiful red, green and black coloration, large colonies of Blue-footed and Nazca Boobies, Galapagos Doves, the endemic Hood Mockingbird, three species of Darwin's Finches and the very rare Galapagos or Waved Albatross which breeds only here, and on a few small rocks off the coast of Ecuador. Large numbers of Galapagos Sea Lions, Sally Lightfoot Crabs, Yellow-crowned Night Herons and other unique species can be found. We'll visit the giant, photogenic blowhole at the base of a cliff. An endemic species of colorful Lava Lizard is found only here, one of the largest Galapagos species of Tropidurus Lizards.
Day 6	Thursday, August 7	Floreana
This morning we zodiac around Champion, a small islet where the extremely rare Charles (Floreana) Mockingbird survives, having been irradicated by rats and cats on the larger Floreana. This is one of the four endemic mockingbirds of the Galapagos, and we should see them all. Nearby is Punta Cormorant, with two beautiful walking beaches and a salt lake frequently with close flamingoes, shorebirds, and White-cheeked Pintails. After lunch we visit Post Office Bay, where whalers in the early 1800's left their mail for homebound ships to carry. The tradition continues, and we'll look through traveler mail and deposit some ourselves. This afternnon we land at the small port town of Floreana, Puerto Velasco Ibarra, where we board a small bus and drive five miles into the lush, agricultural highlands. Oranges, papayas and cattle are raised. At the end of the road we walk to a small spring beside rocky outcrops and viewpoints where pirates and settlers carved rooms and figures into the rocks. This is one of the sites where in the early 1900's intrigue and murder unfolded between German colonists. A few books have been written on the subject. As we walk these interesting trails we'll likely find the Medium Tree Finch, confined to Floreana.
Day 7	Friday, Aug. 8	Genovesa (Tower) Island
This morning we explore the island of Santa Cruz, the geographical center of the Archipelago and currently the administrative center of the islands. This is the home of the Charles Darwin Research Station, the national park headquarters and the largest human settlement in the Archipelago, Puerto Ayora. We will tour the Darwin Station to observe the Giant Tortoise races of the various islands in outdoor enclosures, and to learn of the various scientific and conservation programs underway in the Galapagos. Shopping is possible in the village. Hiking through the surrounding forests of giant Opuntia and columnar Jasminocereus cactus will harbor many Darwin's Finches, Mockingbirds and Warblers. A visit to the highlands will show a dramatic change in vegetation zones as well as the Twins, two volcanic craters in the Scalesia forest. We'll observe several Giant Tortoises of the Santa Cruz race, perhaps wallowing in the mud. Special avian possibilities include Galapagos and Vermilion Flycatchers, Large and Small Tree Finch, Woodpecker and Warbler Finches, and Galapagos Rail and Paint-Billed Crake.
Day 8	Saturday, August 9	Isabela and Fernandina
Isabela Island is by far the largest of the Galapagos. At over 80 miles long and 50 miles wide it accounts for half of the area of the Galapagos. Six young volcanoes, the tallest over 5,000 feet, loom above us this fine morning. At Black Turtle Beach, the extensive mangroves are one of the last strongholds of the endangered Mangrove Finch. Herons and sea turtles are often photographed from the beach, while a zodiac ride along the cliffs finds boobies and Noddy Terns at their nests. Snorkeling can be excellent, this region having more nutrient-rich waters facing the open Pacific to the west. In the afternoon we visit Punta Espinosa on Fernandina, one of the world's most active volcanoes with a dozen eruptions in the last 150 years. We'll hope to see the Flightless Cormorant, Galapagos Hawk, Galapagos Penguin, and perhaps Land Iguanas.
Day 9	Sunday, August 10	Santiago (James) and Bartolome
An early morning landing at Puerto Egas on James Island for the unique Galapagos Lava and Striated Herons, Galapagos Hawks and a variety of land and shorebirds. Snorkeling is excellent in the coves among the Fur Seals and Marine Iguanas. The sandy beach is great for swimming with Sea Lions. In the afternoon we climb to the summit of Bartolome, a study in volcanic formations and affording grand vistas across Sullivan Bay, Pinnacle Rock and James Island. The snorkeling is superb, sometimes with penguins. Our final evening in the Galapagos deserves a toast and a banquet.
Day 10	Monday, August 11	Santa Cruz, Baltra, Quito
Early we take our pangas (small boats) into Black Turtle Cove. Among the clear, shallow water and mangroves we may see Eagle and Lemon Rays, Nurse Sharks and Green Turtles. Flamingos and shorebirds are frequently seen. From the cove it is a short cruise to Baltra, where we say goodbye to our wonderful crew and board our late-morning flight to Guayaquil and on to Quito. We arrive in Quito around 4:00 PM and have options to further explore the city.
Day 11	Tuesday, August 12	Quito to USA
Some travelers will likely depart around 7:00 AM for the US, making connections and arriving home this same evening. A variety of extensions on the Ecuadorian mainland are possible.