FEATURE GALAPAGOS
My Diary... ONBOARD THE MV ECLIPSE By Renette Hartridge
Day One Quito/Guayaquil/Baltra/ Santa Cruz Island/Las Bachas Beach
we climb to the highest point on Bartholome Island, on the way up encountering different volcanic formations, including spatter cones and lava flows. Once we reach the summit the reward is wraparound views of iconic Pinnacle Rock and Sullivan Bay.
The Aerogal flight from Quito to Guayaquil takes 30 minutes. There’s a short layover then a 90-minute onward flight to Baltra airport. I am met by Ocean Adventure guides, then it’s a short bus journey to the harbour, followed by a panga (inflatable rubber boat with solid hull) ride to board Ocean Adventure’s Galapagos expedition vessel, MV Eclipse. We take a Panga to a powder-white beach, a favourite nesting site for sea turtles. During our beachcomber nature walk we view Frigate birds and pelicans gliding and diving for fish.
Day Two Santiago Island and Bartholome Island We enjoy an al-fresco breakfast on deck while headed for James Bay on Santiago Island. The sounds of Galapagos Hawks welcome us to a lunar-like beachscape with black-sand framed by eroded volcanic rock. On our beachcomber nature walk we
see a lot of Jurassic era-like marine iguanas basking on volcanic rock. At Fur Seal Grotto we see a seal cow with her new-born pup that whelps pitifully and attracts the attention of Galapagos Hawks! I swim and snorkel from the black beach, alongside a juvenile sea-lion posing as an aqua-aerobics instructor. In the afternoon
Day Three Rabida Island Rábida is a small island with red volcanic cliff faces and a red-sand beach colonized by sea lions. Exploration options include hikes, Panga rides, kayaking and snorkeling. Rábida lives up to its reputation as one of the best snorkeling sites in the Galapagos: we encounter a white-tipped reef shark, (yikes!) sea turtles, a marine iguana eating algae under water, and manta rays.
Day Four Isabela Island, Targus Cove and Elizabeth Bay Targus Cove was once an anchoring place for pirates, buccaneers and whalers. A trail leads to scenic views of the cove and Darwin Lake. I opted for a kayak and saw large numbers of blue-footed boobies, brown noddy terns and pelicans on the rocks. I paddle right next to three massive mating sea turtles in a ménage a trios! Blue-footed boobies swoop and dive for fish, yards from my kayak. The channel between Fernandina and Isabela Islands is a good place to spot cetaceans and we see a school of leaping dolphins. In the afternoon, anchored in Elizabeth Bay, we take a panga to a sheltered mangrove area and view torpedo-fast penguins, docile sea turtles and golden and spotted-eagle rays.
Day Five Fernandina Island, Punta Espinoza and Punta Vicente Roca La Cumbre Volcano on Fernandina Island erupted in 2009 but our early-morning beachcomber walk amidst the lava fields and intertidal pools is uneventful! Punta Espinoza is a protected nesting ground for marine iguanas and we see gazillions of them, numerous sea turtles, sea lions, flightless cormorants and lava herons fishing, and the Galapagos’ apex predator, the Galapagos hawk. In the afternoon activity options
are aquatic-focused: Punta Vicente Roca is a great snorkeling site for sea turtles, penguins and the mammoth Molo Molo (sunfish).
Day Six Santa Cruz Island, Charles Darwin Research Station and Puerto Ayora CDRS gives an insight into the activities of scientific and park management efforts to preserve the Galapagos Archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We see Galapagos giant tortoises, both at the breeding centre and in their natural habitat grazing on the lush green vegetation in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island. Some are more than a metre high!
Day Seven Espinola Island, Gardner Bay and Punta Suarez
conditioned staterooms) Galapagos expedition vessel operated by Ocean Adventures, based in Quito, Ecuador. The MV Eclipse is a 210-ft vessel that accommodates a maximum of 48 passengers. All cabins have sea views. The seven-night itinerary showcases
the most iconic sites within the protected areas of Galapagos National Park, giving guests maximum interaction with the extraordinary flora and fauna. The MV Eclipse anchors offshore at
Gardener Bay is a beautiful white-sand beach with aquamarine-colored surf. It is home to a large colony of sea lion and it is also an important nesting site for sea turtles. Isolated from the other islands Punta Suarez has a lot of endemic fauna. I take a three-hour hike inland and see a sea lion pup being born! The 10-12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses on Española island represent the entire population of this species on the planet. We watch their spectacular courtship dance.
Day Eight Black Turtle Cove
This incredible journey of a lifetime to the islands that time forgot has flown by! My final excursion is a panga ride in Black Turtle Cove, a complex mangrove maze with tranquil salt-water inlets that are the resting site for sea turtles, rays and black tipped reef sharks.
A midday transfer takes me to Baltra airport for a flight to Guayaquil, with an onward connection back to Europe.
MV Eclipse Ship Background
The Sanctuary MV Eclipse, is a mid-size (24 spacious, air-
The Cost
A seven-night Galapagos Expedition Cruise on MV Eclipse starts at $5100pp to $6400pp for a deluxe stateroom with large windows and a shower and bath on the boat deck. Rates are inclusive of all shore excursions, meals, soft drinks and juices, use of snorkelling equipment and wet suits, transfers between the airport in Baltra and the dock and use of the VIP lounge at Baltra airport.
The Details
T +593 (0)2 225 0826 E galapagos@
sanctuaryretreats.com
www.sanctuaryretreats. com/cruises •
www.sellinglonghaul.com • June 2011 45
two visitor sites per day. For land visits guests are divided into groups of a maximum of 12. Galapagos National Park guides accompany the small groups, albeit on land or in the water. Guests spend around three hours at
each site to explore and photograph the unique wildlife. There is usually an opportunity to swim, snorkel or kayak at each stop. Naturalist guides are the on-board experts who present nightly briefings on the day’s discoveries and a guide to the following day’s activities.
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