Galapagos Legend Cruise Ship Reviews

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The Galapagos islands, located roughly 600 miles west of the continent of Latin America, is possibly the very best location to observe evolution in all of their natural splendor.

Called, in Spanish, after the animal that is unquestionably the most popular of the island chain: The Galapagos Tortoise; the Galapagos offers a number of clusters of little dainty islands all of which are born of below surface volcanoes eruptions.

Located directly on the equator, the Galapagos gets everyone of the bonuses of such a perfect placement in that the 16 islands have warm climate all through the year! If that wasn’t enough they are in the crossroads for two really important trade winds: The North East trade winds (from North & Central America) and the South East winds (coming from South America). All these winds are in all probability what initiated the influx of self-sufficient life on the island chain – and are believed to have been responsible for the vast forests spreading over the higher slopes of the islands.

These island of intense natural beauty have resulted in the evolution a number of diverse, and rare, environments which have in turn made it possible for (or otherwise pushed) the regional wildlife, both flora and fauna as well, to change in manners that basically has some researchers shocked.

The rest of the Galapagos chain is also a scenario of unusual, as well as fairly gorgeous wildlife.

When is a good time to travel to the Galapagos?

There are two seasons: December to May is warm and moist and June to December is usually dry and cool. Yearly rain fall in the lower regions is 2-4in and the temperatures ranges around 69°-84°F/21°-29°C.

The Galapagos’s weather conditions are influenced by marine flow. The unexpected weather transformation due to El Niño can be devastating: as many as 50% of sea lions and marine iguanas can perish during this time.

The convergence of 3 major oceanic currents creates a tremendous mix of sea life to this islands. Even being located in the tropics, the Islands’ micro-climate is remarkably dry. During the cold period, the Humboldt Current provides cold waters, that creates thermal inversions that prevent rainfall.

At this time, a fine mist known as “garua” is formed as cool, wet air just above the ocean water meets a superior level of air that is warmed up by the hot sun.

‘El Niño’ can be described as a rare event that takes place about every 5-7 years. The southeast trade winds slacken and cause the sea temperatures to elevate significantly causing thunder storms and heavy precipitation.

The Galapagos Islands are probably the most famous wildlife-watching destination in the world.

This remote archipelago is a land of stark lava formations, cactus forests, lush green highlands, turquoise bays and quintessential tropical shores. But, on top of that, it is overflowing with wildlife at every turn. Within minutes -occasionally seconds- of landing onto this dot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, you can be face-to-face with more strangely fearless and curious creatures than anywhere else on Earth.

Roughly 620 miles from the coast of Ecuador, and slap-bang around the equator, Darwin’s “Enchanted Isles” consist of a cluster of 13 “proper” volcanic islands (larger than four square miles) and six smaller islands and more than 100 islets. Each one has its own unique atmosphere, identifying landscape and inimitable wildlife.

You may view everything from penguins living in the tropics and boobies with glowing blue toes to tool-using woodpecker finches and man frigate birds turning their wrinkled throat sacs into extraordinary, entirely inflated red balloons. One day you could be seeing time-worn giant tortoises in the misty highlands, and the next you could be snorkeling with sea lions from crystal-clear water. You could be sunbathing on black lava rocks next to prehistoric-looking marine iguanas or sitting with waved albatrosses as they play their bill-circling, swaggering courtship displays (they look rather like Samurai warriors doing Lord of the Dance).

All this said, 170,000 vacationers visited the Galapagos last year therefore, unsurprisingly, it is beginning to feel a little crowded. It’s a high-profile place and lots of people want to view it for themselves. The consequence of such an attack is that wildlife tourism is more closely controlled in the archipelago than anyplace else in the world. You’re only allowed to visit tiny pockets of this federal park, you can disembark (from small boats) only at designated landing spots, you need to walk just on clearly marked paths in strictly disciplined small groups, also you must come with local certified guides. Regulating tourism with this kind of military efficiency might feel extreme, but it is vital under the conditions. In the end, though, there has to be a limitation and in the long run, visitor numbers will need to be capped.

Sierra Negra Volcano: Hiking enthusiasts are certain to adore the chance of this steep ascent to the rim of Sierra Negra Volcano. The increase up takes around two hours, with great vistas all around. Upon reaching the top you can feast your eyes on the planet’s third-biggest caldera, surrounded by lush vegetation and home to several types of finch. Horse riding provides a different perspective of the gorgeous location.

Moreno Point and Elizabeth Bay: bursting a little further north, Moreno Point offers excellent dinghy excursions, complete with terrific bird-spotting opportunities. As an alternative, you can enjoy panoramic hiking through the lava stones and look for whale-tip sharks from the oceans. Climb to a little dinghy to explore the little islets off the shore of Elizabeth Bay, watching unique mangrove woods, observing penguins along with blue-footed boobies on the craggy rocks, and getting close to sea lions and various fish species with some snorkeling experiences.

Urbina Bay – Sitting at the base of Alcedo Volcano, the land round Urbina Bay rose significantly from the 1950s, leading to much stranded aquatic life. Now, you are able to drift across patches of soil that were once in the base of the sea, marveling at dried coral and shells. Snorkeling lets you explore the intriguing underwater world, seeing schools of colorful fish, rays, and turtles. Hawks fly overhead, as well as the sandy beaches are rife with all the big leathery-looking property iguanas and, in the rainy season, giant tortoises.

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

Tagus Cove: named after a British ship, sits close to the Bolivar Channel. Take a calm ride in a small boat below the seas, keeping your eyes peeled for nesting pelicans and blue-footed boobies, as well as penguins, brown nodes, and cormorants. Flex your muscles with a hike, taking from the jagged coastal stone, volcanic landscapes, dry vegetation, and views of the glistening Darwin Lake. There are plenty of lovely sandy beaches too, perfect for relaxing and soaking up some sun post hike.

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

Galapagos wildlife experiences are plentiful on excursions of Isabela Island, and you are sure to be thrilled whether you opt for a Galapagos small ship cruise, a little luxury yacht, a dinghy trip, or something else entirely.

Galapagos Animals

The Galapagos penguin is the sole to be found from the northern hemisphere and to breed in the tropics.

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

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

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

Galapagos has one of the planet’s rarest ecosystems in which the herbivores on 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 largest and only 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 those few areas of the planet where turtles continue to be a common sight. Over 400 species of fish have now been recognized in the Galapagos, with 41 species unique to the islands.

At 30cm in length and using a large set of jaws that are venomous, the endemic centipede (Scolopendra galapagoensis) is among the Islands’ most feared creatures.

A lichen poll in June 2010 from the Charles Darwin Foundation uncovered more than 60 brand new species in the Galapagos with an estimated ten species new to science.

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