Galapagos Islands Vacation

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The Galapagos Island chain, located about 600 miles west of the region of South America, is possibly the best possible destination to witness evolution throughout its purely natural beauty.

Named, in Spanish language, after the animal which is without any doubt the most well-known of the island chain: The Galapagos Tortoise; the Galapagos boasts a number of groups of little dainty islands which are created of undersea volcanoes eruptions.

Placed on the equator, the Galapagos gets all the bonuses of such a global placement in that all the 16 islands have warm temperature all through the year! If that wasn’t sufficient they are on the crossroads for 2 really important trade winds: The North East trade winds (from North & Central America) and the South East trade winds (from South America). These winds are in all probability what initiated the influx of sustainable life around the island chain – and are believed to have been responsible for the vast forests covering the higher hills of the islands.

These island of overwhelming natural splendor have led to the evolution of many varied, and pretty unique, environments that have in turn allowed the native wildlife, both flora and fauna alike, to grow in manners that quite simply has numerous experts surprised.

The rest of the Galapagos island chain is yet another scenario of completely unique, inter-dependent, not to mention pretty stunning fauna.

When is the right time to go to the Galapagos?

Thanks to the confluence of freezing waters flows coming from the west and the south, the Galapagos islands has an uncharacteristically dry and gentle weather for the tropics and it is in general classified as sub-tropical. As a result Galapagos vacation a year-round vacation option. Galapagos weather conditions are considered equatorial, cooled by the Humboldt Current, and is recognized by two main periods:

The warm, wet period

Late December to June is considered the warm and wet period, with March and April usually remaining the hottest and wettest months. Close to December, the trade winds fall and the weather equator adjusts south towards the Galapagos, creating the westward-flowing current to decrease, lowering the upwelling and letting hotter water from the Panama Current to bathe archipelago. Galapagos weather conditions are characterized by rain clouds that form in the event the inversion layer breaks down, and also the air warms up and rises, resulting in daily mid-day showers. Even in this period; however, the low levels obtain only minimal rainfall.

The colder, dry season

This time of year, also known as the “garua season” goes from very late June to December, when it is relatively dry and cool with increased overcast air and occasional drizzle or mist (garua) through the day. August is the colder month. During this dry season, Galapagos weather is nice, the water temperatures are lower and there are often clouds around the greater levels. Visibility is normally lower in the water due to plankton bloom, but this mix of situations brings in a much more activity in the water and food is abounding. Because Galapagos climate is not very hot during this season, it is also the breeding interval for several sea birds and shore birds, marine iguanas, sea lions and fur seals.

El Niño and La Niña

El Niño is a dysfunction of the sea and atmospheric systems of the coast of Latin America that creates unusually hotter water temperature ranges, a shift in the direction of the wind, alterations in currents, and greatly more rainfall. The increased rainfall contributes to the harmful flooding on the eastern Pacific, while, at the same time, leading to drought in the western Pacific, all the way to Australia. This phenomenon is predicted by keeping track of variations in temperature range on the top of the ocean, wind factors, and currents near Ecuador and Peru.

The Galapagos were discovered by chance at 1535 by Father Tomas Berlanga, Bishop of Panama.

Because of the long distances involved, the only sensible way to explore the Galapagos is by live-aboard ships, which traveling between islands, mostly at night, and also make various stops each day. Over 80 boats are licensed to operate in the archipelago and there are countless combinations of stops and paths. Most cruises go ashore twice a day: 10 full days on the ship typically means 20 coast landings, 10-20 snorkels, and several panga rides (pangas are little, open outboard-powered ships) to approximately 10 different islands.

Exploring on your own is much more difficult. Getting around independently is tricky and all traffic must be accompanied by a qualified naturalist guide at all landing sites. But four islands (Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Floreana and Isabela) do have hotels of varying sizes and standards and a few boat operators offer day-trips.

Some cruises leave from Baltra (the pier is a five-minute drive from the air terminal). Other people move out of Puerto Ayora, the tourist hub on Santa Cruz and a comparatively busy town, with a bank, ATM machine, taxis, pubs and even a cinema.

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

Wildlife actions vary greatly, and each month has its highlights. For instance, green turtles begin their egg-laying in January; penguins interact with swimmers on Bartolome mainly from May until the end of September; humpback whales begin to arrive at June; July through the end of September is the ideal period for many seabird activity; peak pupping for sea lions is around August, while their pups play aqua-aerobics with snorkelers at November; and December is the month for hatching giant tortoise eggs. So, always there is something about to happen.

The hot, humid, slightly rainy season (with occasional tropical showers) is from December to May (March and April are usually hottest and wettest). The seas tend to be calmer and clearer at this time of year (with 60ft-80ft visibility typical) and the water temperature averages 79° F (26°C), therefore this period is best for snorkeling.

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

Sierra Negra Volcano: Hiking enthusiasts are certain to adore the chance of this steep ascent to the rim of Sierra Negra Volcano. The hike up takes around two hours with great vistas all around. Horse riding provides a different perspective of the gorgeous location.

Urbina Bay – Sitting at the bottom of Alcedo Volcano, the property around Urbina Bay rose significantly in the 1950s, leading to much stranded aquatic lifestyle. Now, you can wander across areas of soil that were once in the bottom of the ocean, marveling at dried coral and shells. Snorkeling enables you to explore the intriguing underwater world, spotting schools of fish, rays, and turtles. Hawks fly overhead, and the sandy beaches are rife with all the large leathery-looking land iguanas and, in the wet season, giant tortoises.

Bolivar Channel: Many Isabela island cruises sail throughout the Bolivar Channel, a station that separates Isabela Island and the neighboring Fernandina Island. The coldest waters at the Galapagos region, it is common to find whales and dolphins swimming near to your cruise ship.

Tagus Cove: named after a British boat, sits close to the Bolivar Channel. Flex your muscles with a hike, taking in the jagged coastal rocks, volcanic landscapes, dry vegetation, and views of the glistening Darwin Lake. There are plenty of lovely sandy beaches also, perfect for relaxing and soaking up some sun post hike.

Vicente Roca Point: In the north of Isabela Island, Vicente Roca Point is a top spot for boating and snorkeling. The twin coves shelter an array of odd species, such as sunfish, seahorses, and puffer fish. Bird lovers won’t be disappointed either, with terns, blue-footed boobies, and penguins, among others.

Galapagos Animals

The Galapagos penguin is the sole available in the northern hemisphere and to breed in the tropics.

A Galapagos tortoise can weigh up to 595lb (270kg) using a carapace of 4ft (1.2m) and outlive many people.

The endemic Galapagos fur sea lions would be the smallest one of the world’s seven species of fur sea lions

The Galapagos Marine Iguana is the only marine lizard to exist on the planet.

The Galapagos Islands are home to the world’s biggest cormorant and also the only one unable to fly.

Galapagos has one of the planet’s rarest ecosystems where the herbivores at the top of the food chain are reptiles.

Galapagos Swallow-tailed gulls are the sole gulls on earth to feed at night time.

The Galapagos boasts the world’s biggest and just red-footed booby colony.

There are 23 species of reptile in the Galapagos and all but two of those are endemic to the archipelago.

The Galapagos is one of the very few regions of the planet where turtles are still a frequent sight.

In 30cm in length and using a large pair of venomous jaws, the endemic centipede (Scolopendra galapagoensis) is one of the Islands’ most feared animals.

A lichen survey in June 2010 from the Charles Darwin Foundation discovered over 60 brand new species from the Galapagos with an estimated ten species new to science.

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