Galapagos Cruises for Families

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The Galapagos Island chain, positioned about 600 miles west of the region of Latin America, is possibly the best location to witness evolution throughout its purely natural magnificence.

Named, in Spanish, after the species that is definitely the most well-known of the island chain: The Galapagos Tortoise; the Galapagos boasts many groups of small dainty islands all of which are born of below surface volcanoes eruptions.

Located on the equator, the Galapagos gains everyone of the rewards of this global location in that all the 16 islands have sunny weather all through the year! If that wasn’t sufficient they are in the crossroads for two essential trade winds: The North East trade winds (coming from North & Central America) and the South East trade winds (coming from South America). All these winds are in all probability what begun the influx of sustainable life on the island chain – and are believed to have been the agent responsible for the huge forests spreading over the higher mountains of the islands.

These island of extreme natural beauty have ended in the evolution of various varied, and pretty exceptional, habitats which have in turn helped the local wildlife, both plant life and animals the same, to develop in such a way that to put it simply has many researchers stunned.

The rest of the Galapagos archipelago is yet another scenario of unusual, not forgetting gorgeous fauna.

Galapagos Islands Weather

Due to the confluence of cold waters flows from the west, the Galapagos islands has an unusual dry and gentle weather for the tropics and is commonly considered sub-tropical. This makes Galapagos travel a year-round holiday possibility. Galapagos temperature is considered tropical, cooled by the Humboldt Current, and is known by two significant periods:

The warm, wet period

Late December to June is considered the warm and wet period, with March and April typically actually being the hottest and wettest months. Around December, the winds drop and the weather equator changes south in the direction of the Galapagos, causing the westward-flowing current to decrease, lowering the upwelling and letting hotter water coming from the Panama Current to shower the archipelago. Galapagos weather conditions are characterized by rain clouds that form once the inversion breaks down, in addition to the air gets warm and rises, causing regular mid-day showers. Even during this period; but, the low elevations get restricted rain.

The colder, dry season

This season, also known as the “garua season” extends from very late June to December, when it is relatively cool and dry with increased overcast skies and periodic drizzle or mist (garua) during the day. August is the coolest month. Throughout this dry season, Galapagos climate is pleasurable, water temperature is lower and there are typically clouds over the bigger levels. Visibility is frequently lower in the water because of plankton blossom, but this combination of conditions brings in a much bigger action in water and also food is abundant. Simply because Galapagos climate is not very hot during this period, it is also the reproduction period for several sea birds and shore birds, marine iguanas, sea lions and fur seals.

El Niño and La Niña Phenomenon

El Niño is a disturbance of the sea and atmospheric systems of the shoreline of Latin America that produces abnormally hotter water conditions, a switch in the path of the winds, changes in currents, and significantly increased rainfall. The increased rainfall contributes to the dangerous inundating on the Pacific, while, at the same time, producing drought in the western Pacific, as far as Australia. This particular phenomenon is predicted simply by tracking a change in temperature range on the surface of the ocean, wind factors, and water flows next to Ecuador.

The Galapagos were discovered by chance in 1535 by Father Tomas Berlanga, priest of Panama.

Due to the long distances involved, the only sensible way to explore the Galapagos is by live-aboard ships, which travel between islands, largely at night, and make various stops every day. Over 80 vessels are licensed to operate in the archipelago and there are an infinite number of combinations of stops and routes. Most cruises go ashore two times a day: 10 total days on the ship typically means 20 coast landings, 10-20 snorkels, and many panga rides (pangas are small, open outboard-powered ships) to approximately 10 different islands.

Exploring on your own is considerably harder. Getting around independently is tricky and all visitors must be accompanied by a licensed naturalist guide at all landing websites. However four islands (Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Floreana and Isabela) have hotels of varying sizes and standards and a couple of vessel operators offer day-trips.

Following in Darwin’s footsteps calls for a trip from Quito or Guayaquil, on the mainland, to Baltra or San Cristobal. Some cruises leave from Baltra (the dock is a five-minute drive from the air terminal). Others go from Puerto Ayora, the tourist hub on Santa Cruz and a relatively crowded city, with a bank, ATM machine, taxis, pubs and even a theater.

GalapagosInformation.com provides an assortment of tailor-made live-aboard tours on a lot of different vessels carrying from 4 to 16 passengers.

Wildlife activities divergea lot, and each month has its highlights. By way of instance, green turtles begin their own egg-laying in January; penguins socialize with swimmers on Bartolome mainly from May until the end of September; humpback whales begin to arrive in June; July through to the end of September is the best period for many seabird action; peak pupping for sea lions is around August, while their pups play aqua-aerobics with snorkelers in November; and December is the month for hatching giant tortoise eggs. So, always there is something happening.

The seas are usually calmer and clearer now of year (using 60ft-80ft visibility typical) and the water temperature averages 79° F (26°C), so this period is best for snorkeling.

The trendy, drier, windier year (with intermittent drizzle or mist) is from June to November. Sea temperatures at this time of year drop to as much as 66F (19C) and visibility often goes to 30ft-50ft, while sea swells can make some landings catchy.

The Way to Get to the Galapagos Islands

The Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil (GYE) receives flights from U.S. cities of Miami and New York, European cities of Amsterdam and Madrid, and major cities of Central and South America. Mariscal Sucre International Airport of Quito (UIO) receives flights in the U.S. via Atlanta, Houston and New York; from Europe through Madrid and Amsterdam; and out of several Big cities in Central and Southern America. We advise you to arrive at Ecuador at least two times ahead of your Galapagos Cruise starts and grab your international flight home at least 2 days following your stay in the Galapagos. You can take benefit of both of these times by visiting Quito, Guayaquil, or even their surroundings. As soon as you’ve your flight to mainland Ecuador, getting into the Galapagos Islands is simple. Located almost 1,000 km (600 miles) from Ecuador’s coast, the only way to travel is by airplane. Whether Quito or Guayaquil, there are several flights daily that take passengers to the archipelago. You can land on Baltra Island or in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal Island. TAME, AVIANCA and LAN are the airlines that run these paths. If you are flying from Quito, you’ll most likely have a short stop in Guayaquil on your way into the islands. Reserve your Galapagos tour before you purchase flight tickets to make sure correct dates. Check with your Galapagos tour or cruise company for information on booking your trip to the Galapagos including optimal arrival times to the Islands according to cruise/program plans.

Early human action on the islands was very damaging for the wildlife because pirates and buccaneers took giant tortoises aboard such as food. 24% of plant species and 50 percent of vertebrate species are still considered as endangered as a result of human activity in earlier instances. Clandestine fishing of black coral, lobster, shark fin, sea cucumber and sea horse is incredibly destructive to the marine existence. Population growth brought on by tourism is placing a strain on the unique and fragile environment.

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