Sierra Club Outings | Cruising the Galapagos Islands; Ecuador

Cruising the Galapagos Islands; Ecuador
March 29-April 10, 2010

Highlights:

Explore one of the world�s premier wildlife destinations
Marvel at the diversity of life in the islands
Relax aboard a first-class yacht

Includes:

All meals and lodging
On-trip transportation, including airport transfers
All guide services and gratuities

"The natural history of these islands is eminently curious," wrote Charles Dawin of the Gal�pagos. It is an apt description; from its serene landscapes to its comical birdlife, this volcanic archipelago has both puzzled and stunned its visitors for more than 400 years. Here, animals live without fear of human beings due to their isolation from natural predators, a condition created by the very processes of evolution that first stirred Darwin to speculation in 1835.

In fact, a full 50 percent of the species here are not found anywhere else in the world. Such creatures include the three-foot-long vegetarian marine iguana, which is the only known sea-feeding lizard on earth, and the Gal�pagos tortoise, which can grow to six feet in length, weigh 600 pounds, and live for 150 years. The archipelago also boasts Sally Lightfoot crabs, sea lions, lava lizards, and a prolific bird population that includes the magnificent frigate bird, Gal�pagos penguins, and the blue-footed booby, just to name a few. Darwin, of course, was the archipelago's most famous visitor; his chapter on the Gal�pagos in The Voyage of the Beagle remains a classic, and is well worth reading. Twenty-four years later, he published the classic The Origin of Species, which shook the foundations of biological thought and led to profound changes in man's philosophy of nature.

Our home in the Gal�pagos will be a comfortable live-aboard motor yacht. With our naturalist guide, we will explore the different islands, as well as visit the Charles Darwin Research Station on the island of Santa Cruz. During our stopovers, we will have opportunities to do mild to moderate hikes to surreal lava flows and vista points, explore tidal pools, or snorkel in protected coves with sea lions, penguins, flightless cormorants, and tropical fish.

Day 1: Day 1: Arrive in Guayaquil, the major port of Ecuador. You will be met upon arrival and transferred to the hotel.

Day 2: Today we will visit Cerro Blanco, a private reserve outside Guayaquil,to see native flora and fauna and a nearby National Recreational Area. After lunch we will tour Guayaquil with a private guide. We will share a welcome dinner this evening.

Day 3: On to the Galapagos islands! After our flight from Guayaquil to Isla Baltra, we will board our comfortable motor yacht for the duration of our tour on these fascinating islands. Our lodgings while cruising around the islands will be double staterooms with private facilities. The flight to and from the Galapagos Islands is included in the trip price. Tickets for this flight will be issued to you at the airport when you leave for the islands.

Days 4-9: We will visit the major islands of Bartholome, Fernandina, Isabella, Santa Cruz, and North Seymour. Our local naturalist guide will show us the wildlife, explain the history and geology of the area, and lead us to the better snorkeling and hiking areas during our stops in the islands. We will feast on gourmet meals prepared by our dedicated staff on board our yacht.

Day 10: We leave our island paradise and fly to Quito, the capital of Ecuador. In the evening we will go to a performance of the Jacchigua Ballet, an exuberant, colorful and moving presentation of Ecuadorian folk dances and music.

Day 11: Our full day itinerary takes us out of Quito to the Bella Vista Cloud forest, located in the northwest Pichincha Province. This rain forest on the slopes of the Andes is a diverse ecosystem. We will walk and observe a jungle-like habitat with orchids, mosses and epiphytes. The area is known for its of myriad waterfalls and a wide variety of bird species.

Day 12: Today is a busy day! We'll take a city walking tour then head about 14 miles north of Quito to stand on the equator and tour a very fine ethnographic museum with free time in the afternoon to explore the old city and shop. Back in Quito, we will assemble for a fabulous farewell dinner.

Day 13: Transportation to the Quito airport is provided. Please note, the trip starts in Guayaquill, and ends in Quito. Your airline reservations should reflect different start and end cities.

Occasionally, weather or other conditions may force us to make changes to the itinerary. We will make every attempt to hold to our itinerary, but the safety of the group is our number-one concern. While wildlife on the Galapagos Islands is abundant, we cannot guarantee that you will see all of the species listed.

Additional Background
Ecuador (as the name implies) lies draped across the equator in the northwestern corner of South America. It shares a border with Peru to the south and east, and is bounded by Colombia to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Quito, the national capital, sits centered at the northern end of the country in an Andean valley only 14 miles south of the equator. Guayaquil, Ecuador's other main city (and its only major port), basks on the southern coast just north of the Peruvian border.

Please note, the trip starts in Guayaquill, and ends in Quito. Your airline reservations should reflect different start and end cities.

Lodging is in hotels when on land and in double cabins (8 in total) when on the boat. The food in Ecuador is fresh and healthy - fresh produce, fish and meat and you will be amazed at the innovative cuisine on the boat. Vegetarians can easily be catered for.

This is a moderate trip and can be undertaken by anyone in good health and physical condition. Hikes will be limited to a few miles. Overall elevation gains and losses will be minimal, though some trails are steep in spots. The average land temperature will be about 70-80 degrees.

There are no special equipment requirements. You will need clothing suitable for casual warm weather hiking and boating. A suggested clothing list will be sent to participants upon signing up for this trip. The leader will carry a first aid kit for emergency use. You should provide your own personal first aid kit for minor needs such as bandages, moleskin, insect repellent, sun screen, etc. Consult your physician for recommended immunizations. Your passport should be valid for at least six months from the starting date of this trip. If you don't have a passport, apply for one as soon as possible. This can be done through your local post office.

The Galapagos Islands have been designated a national park by the Ecuadorian government and are closely monitored. However, the islands still face serious conservation problems. By the time the islands gained National Park protection in 1959, the Galapagos already had an unfortunate legacy of introduced animals and plants that are detrimental to the native flora and fauna. Dogs, cats, pigs, goats, rats, guava plants, and the chinchona (quinine) tree are among the non-native species that compete with native wildlife for limited food resources. Dogs and cats have seriously depleted native populations by raiding the nests of birds, iguanas, and tortoises. Of great current concern is the situation on Isabela Island, particularly in the region around Alcedo Volcano. Here, an exploding population of feral goats now numbers approximately 40,000. Their voracious appetite for plant life in the region is threatening the very survival of the Alcedo subspecies of the Galapagos tortoise, and causing deforestation and erosion.

Since 1965, conservation personnel have been working to increase the populations of endangered species. Tortoise nests are protected, and eggs and young are brought to Santa Cruz to be raised in captivity until they are less susceptible to predation. The Charles Darwin Research Station conducts and facilitates research in the Galapagos Islands and the Galapagos Marine Resources Reserve of Ecuador. The Darwin Station is part of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands, an international non-profit organization dedicated to scientific research in the Galapagos Islands since 1959.

This trip requires a $200 per-person deposit. An additional payment of $300 per person is due six months prior to trip departure. International trip prices are subject to change and are based on double-occupancy or group accommodations as described above. Single rooms may not be available or may cost more than the listed price. If you have any questions regarding double occupancy, please contact the trip leader.

The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.

The Sierra Club accurately and fairly budgets and prices our trips. However, unforeseen costs such as devaluation of the dollar compared to other currencies and fuel surcharges assessed by our international providers may necessitate adjustment in trip price. We will make every effort to mitigate and absorb these fees. If a price increase is necessary, however, you will have 14 days after announcement to cancel without penalty.

Angela White lives in Truckee, California, just North of Lake Tahoe. Over the past 10 years, she has led, assisted, or cooked on Sierra Club service, lodge, backpack, Hawaii, and international trips. She has also hiked, skied, and biked all over the Tahoe Basin and kayaked Lake Tahoe. Her fascination with Central and South America has inspired her to take Spanish language lessons.