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The Galapagos islands, located nearly 600 miles west of the continent of South America, is quite possibly the best location to watch evolution throughout its natural splendor.
Called, in Spanish, after the animal that is without a doubt the most popular of the island archipelago: The Galapagos Tortoise; the Galapagos offers many groups of little dainty islands which all are created of below surface volcanoes eruptions.
Positioned on the equator, the Galapagos gains all of the bonuses of such a perfect placement in that all the 16 islands have warm climatic conditions all through the year! If that wasn’t enough they are on the crossroads for two vitally important trade winds: The North East trade winds (coming from North and the South East winds (from South America). These winds are most likely exactly what initiated the influx of sustainable life around the island chain – and are believed to have been the reason for the vast forests covering the higher mountains of the islands.
These island of extraordinary natural charm have led to the evolution a number of diverse, and really rare, environments that have in turn allowed (or otherwise caused) the native wildlife, both flora and fauna the same, to grow in ways that to put it simply has many scientists stunned.
The rest of the Galapagos island chain is yet another scenario of rare, as well as quite beautiful fauna.
When is the perfect time to visit the Galapagos?
There are 2 seasons: December to May is warm and moist and June to December is cool and dry. Yearly precipitation in the lower regions is 2-4in (60-100mm) and the temperature fluctuates between 69°-84°F/21°-29°C.
The Galapagos’s climate is determined by marine flow. The rapid weather change a result of El Niño is usually harmful: as many as 50% of sea lions and marine iguanas can die in the course of this time.
The convergence of three main oceanic flow creates an incredible blend of ocean life to this islands. Regardless of being situated in the equator, the Islands’ micro-climate is surprisingly dry. During the cool period, the Humboldt Current brings moderately cold water, which usually creates thermal inversions which obstruct precipitation.
At this time, a fine mist named “garua” is created as cool, moist air just over the ocean water meets a higher layer of air that is heated up by the sun.
‘El Niño’ is a phenomenon that occurs roughly every 5-7 years. The southeast trade winds slow its speed and cause the ocean temperatures to increase substantially causing storms and rainfall.
The Galapagos were discovered by chance at 1535 by Father Tomas Berlanga, priest of Panama.
Because of the long distances involved, the only sensible approach to explore the Galapagos is by live-aboard boats, which traveling between islands, largely at night, and also make different stops each day. Over 80 vessels are licensed to operate in the archipelago and also there are an infinite number of combinations of stops and paths. Most cruises go ashore twice per day: 10 full days on the boat typically means 20 coast landings, 10-20 snorkels, and several panga rides (pangas are little, open outboard-powered boats) to about 10 distinct islands.
Exploring on your own is much harder. Getting around separately is catchy and all traffic must be accompanied by a qualified 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 provide day-trips.
Some cruises leave from Baltra (the dock is a five-minute drive in the air terminal).
GalapagosInformation.com offers a variety of tailor-made live-aboard tours on a lot of different boats carrying from 4 to 16 passengers.
Wildlife movements differ a lot, and each month has its highlights. For instance, green turtles begin their own egg-laying in January; penguins interact with swimmers on Bartolome mainly from May until the end of September; humpback whales begin to arrive in June; July through the end of September is the best period for most seabird activity; peak pupping for sea lions is around August, while their pups perform aqua-aerobics with snorkelers in November; and December is the month to get hatching giant tortoise eggs. So, always there’s something going on.
The seas are usually calmer and clearer at this time of year (with 60ft-80ft visibility average) and the water temperature averages 79° F (26°C), so this interval is ideal for snorkeling.
The cool, 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 tricky.
How to Get to the Galapagos Islands
The Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport at 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. through Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami and New York; from Europe via Madrid and Amsterdam; also out of several major cities in Central and Southern America. We advise you to arrive in Ecuador at least 2 times ahead of your Galapagos Cruise begins and grab your international flight home at least two days following your stay in the Galapagos. You can take profit of both of these days by visiting Quito, Guayaquil, or even their environment. Once you have your flight to mainland Ecuador, getting into the Galapagos Islands is simple. Located almost 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) off of Ecuador’s coast, the only way to travel is by airplane. Whether Quito or Guayaquil, there are several flights daily that require passengers into the archipelago. You can land on Baltra Island or at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal Island. TAME, AVIANCA and LAN are the airlines that operate these routes. 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 buy flight tickets to ensure correct dates. Check with your Galapagos cruise or tour company for information on booking your flight to the Galapagos including optimum coming days to the Islands according to cruise/program plans.
Galapagos Facts
Abundant wildlife, visitors can get up close and personal to some of the planet’s rarest animals. The Galapagos was home to the only surviving giant Pinta tortoise, “Lonesome George” which unfortunately died in June 2012. The convergence of three major oceanic waters flow allow an incredible mix of marine life to Galapagos. The endemic Galapagos marine iguana is known as the only lizard to float in the sea. Darwin’s research in Galapagos led to the revolutionary concept of The Evolution of Species.
In 1978 UNESCO designated Galapagos since the very first World Heritage site. The film Captain and Commander was filmed around the islands of Bartholomew and Santiago. The title ‘galapagos’, a classic Spanish term for ‘saddle’, was initially used by Bishop Tomas and his team to spell out the giant tortoises but the name stuck. As a result of early existence of both English and Spanish populations in Galapagos, the Islands have both English and Spanish names.
Darwin sailed to Galapagos on board the HMS Beagle in September 1835, when he was 26 years old. Throughout the five weeks he spent there, he went ashore to collect plants, rocks, insects and birds. He detected the unusual life forms and their adaptations to the harsh environment. He noticed it was possible to distinguish which island a tortoise came from by the form of their own shell. His most well-known study is of the several species of finches which inspired his groundbreaking concept The Origin of Species, published in 1859.
GALAPAGOS CRUISES 2024
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