The Galapagos Islands and Ecuador: Zoology, Ecology and Ornithology
of the Pacific

Itinerary

Day 1

Check in at Heathrow for flight with Iberia via Madrid to Quito, Ecuador. Evening arrival transfer to the Swissotel, Quito, within easy access to the Old City.

Day 2

500 years of colonial architecture have ensured that Quito was the first city to be made a World Heritage site. We visit its plazas and churches - El Congreso, La Catedral, La Compania, Guapulo and La Iglesia de San Francisco. Overnight at the Swissotel, Quito.

Day 3

Visit snow capped volcanoes of the Andes, and Otavalo's famous market. Its multicoloured plaza offers beautiful textiles, native paintings, straw hats and other Ecuadorian curiosities. Lunch in a colonial Hacienda. Afternoon visit to Cuicocha Lake and to Cotacachi. Overnight at the Swissotel, Quito.

Day 4

Fly from Quito to Baltra Island, Galapagos. Transfer to Puerto Ayora where we join our private 108 ft. expedition motor cruiser CORAL I. We have chartered this elegant 36 berth cruiser exclusively for our group. Arranged on three decks, she has two observation areas, plus lounge and dining saloons. All cabins have air conditioning, twin or double beds and private bathrooms/toilets.

Day 5

Cruise to Española Island. Dry landing (Dry Landings are made by dinghy onto a Jetty). at Suarez Point to visit the sea lion colonies. Birds include the hooded mocking bird, red- billed tropic bird and a colony of waved albatross. Afternoon visit to Gardner Bay. Wet landing on a coral beach amid a colony of sea lions. There are Galapagos hawks, American oyster catchers, Galapagos doves, 3 species of finches, yellow warblers, lava lizards, marine iguanas and great places for swimming and snorkelling.

Day 6

Santa Maria Island. Wet landing on the beach (Wet landings are necessary where there is no jetty. The dinghy will be brought as near to the shore as possible and clients step overboard into ankle-deep water). We recommend carrying your shoes and putting them on after wading to the beach. The lagoon holds the biggest population of flamingos in the Galápagos. The island has endemic plant life such as the Galápagos millwork, passion flower and mangroves. Continue to Santa Fe Island where one can spot endemics like Galapagos hawks, land iguanas, finches and the Galapagos mockingbird, sea lions and marine turtles.

Day 7

North Seymour Island. Dry landing to see swallow-tailed gulls and sea lions, plus blue-footed boobies, magnificent frigate birds, marine iguanas and land iguanas. Walk to Dragon Hill, which offers views of the bay.

Day 8

Rábida Island. Dry landing. There are sea lions, flamingos and brown pelicans, as well as boobies and 9 species of Darwin's finches. Continue to Santiago Island, to view hunting herons, great blue and lava herons, oyster catchers, and the yellow-crowned night heron. We see hammerhead sharks, white tip & Galapagos sharks, golden and white-spotted eagle rays, wahoo, groupers, red-tailed and dog snappers, sea lions and turtles.

Day 9

Fernandina Island. Dry landing at Española Point. Here are marine iguanas mingling with Sallylightfoot crabs, as well as flightless cormorant nesting sites, Galapagos penguins, Galapagos hawks, and sea lions. Also visit Isabela Island to view nesting sites of blue-footed boobies and brown noddies.

Day 10

Bartolomé Island. Visit lava bombs and cinder cones. From the summit view the surrounding islands, and the eroded cone of Pinnacle Rock. There are marine iguanas and lava lizards here. red mangroves, tiquilla, and cacti add to the floral experience. You may snorkel to see penguins, white- tipped sharks and turtles, from a safe distance.

Day 11

Santa Cruz Island. Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora. Here we can admire giant tortoises that are part of the breeding program. Free time to walk around town. Flight to Guayaquil for overnight at the Hampton Inn.

Day 12

Day at leisure before transfer to Guayaquil Airport for flight with Iberia Airlines via Madrid with connecting flight to London.

Day 13

Morning arrival at Heathrow.

Optional Pre-Tour: Amazon Rainforest

For those that have the time, we have arranged an optional pre-tour visit to the Rainforest of the Amazon Basin in Ecuador. After a short 30 minute flight from Quito down the eastern Escarpment of Andes to Coca, there is an fascinating boat trip down the Rio Napo, the largest tributary of the Amazon to La Selva Jungle Lodge, a comfortable thatched lodge overlooking Lake Garzacocha

For anyone interested in ecology this is an extraordinary experience - the vegetation and the bird life are from another world! From La Selva there are canoe rides and walks deep into the rain forest among stately kapok trees, endless palms and colourful creepers. Bird life is profuse, with toucans, mealy and blue headed parrots in profusion.

Please call us for prices.

Tour Details

DATE:

24 November - 6 December 2011

PRICE:

From £4,350 from London

INCLUDES:

Airfare from London, twin or double bedded room/Standard outside cabin with private bathroom, full board, all excursions with local guides, all entrance fees, UK departure tax, expert leader.

Single supplement £1550.

NOT INCLUDED:

Airline ticket taxes other than UK departure tax (UK passenger service charge, security tax,,foreign departure taxes, fuel surcharges), insurance, visa if required, drinks, tips to crew, drivers & local guides.

*May be joined without flights. Ask us for the land-only price

ACCOMMODATION:

In Quito and Guayaquil, the accommodation is 4 star. The CORAL I is a 40 meter German-built yacht in the 'superior' category. Refurbished in 2004 she is very comfortable, with sixteen outside guest cabins, arranged as 8 Upper Cabins and 8 Standard Cabins. The Upper Cabins, arranged as two on the Main and six on the Upper deck, all have large windows. The Standard Cabins, on the Lower Deck, have portholes and access to Upper Decks by means of companionways.

FITNESS LEVEL:

Moderate/Active - We have graded the fitness level required for participation in this tour as Moderate/Active. Whilst in the Galapagos we will be far from first world medical assistance. In Quito we shall be at altitude (2850m) and many people feel the effects of this on arrival. There are no hikes in this tour however whilst on land we will be walking around a busy city for several hours at a moderate pace and it is important that everyone is able to keep up with the group. Whilst in the Galapagos we shall almost always be walking on uneven ground, with the most extreme being jagged lava flows, so clients need to be steady on their feet.

Shore excursions in the Galapagos are reached by inflatable dinghy and a good sense of balance is required to get in and out of these. Landings on islands are sometimes made in shallow (ankle-deep) water rather than onto a jetty and guests need to be able to climb overboard and wade onto the beach. For this reason we feel this tour is unsuitable for the frail or for anyone who routinely uses a walking aid such as sticks, a walking frame, or a wheelchair. Travel to high altitudes is not generally recommended for those with a history of heart disease, lung disease, or sickle cell disease. If unsure whether this tour is suitable for you, please check with us.

Trip Lecturer

 Ben Sheldon, Professor of Field Ornithology and Director of the Edward Gray institute, Oxford, researches evolution, ecology and behaviour in wild populations.

Ben studied zoology at Cambridge, obtained a PhD at Sheffield, and then held a succession of postdoctoral fellowships at the Universities of Uppsala and Edinburgh. He moved to Oxford as a Royal Society University Research Fellow in 2000, became Head of the EGI in October 2002 and became the Director of the EGI and the first holder of the Luc Hoffmann Chair in Field Ornithology in 2004.

Research Activities
Ben has broad interests in evolutionary biology, ecology and behavioural ecology. Much of his work has addressed the ecological and evolutionary causes of variation in natural populations, particularly utilising experimental manipulation with analysis of long-term data

Fast facts

• Sovereignty: Ecuador is a Republic
• Language: Spanish
• Currency: US Dollars
• Timezone: Quito is 5 hours behind London. The Galapagos is 6 hours behind

• Immunisations: The NHS website Fit For Travel recommends that all travellers to Ecudaor confirm primary courses and boosters are up to date as recommended for life in Britain - including vaccines given to special groups because of risk exposure or complications (e.g. hepatitis B for health care workers, influenza and pneumococcal vaccines for the elderly). Additionally, the following courses or boosters are usually advised: diphtheria; tetanus; hepatitis A; influenza A (H1N1); typhoid; yellow fever. Other vaccines sometimes advised: rabies; hepatitis B; tuberculosis. Ecuador does have Malarial mosquitoes in some parts of the country however almost all the areas we are visiting are considered a low to risk, so antimalarials are not usually advised. The exception is our day trip to Otovalo, which is within the Malarial zone. Check with your doctor as to whether antimalarials are necessary. Note that a Yellow fever certificate is required if entering from an area with risk of yellow fever transmission (not for those arriving direct from the UK).

  *Note This advice is intended to be a guide only, as we are not qualified to give out medical advice. Travellers should always consult their own GP before they travel to get up-to-date information which is relevant to their own circumstances.

• Visas: UK, EU and US passport holders do not require a visa to enter Ecuador as a tourist. Nationals of a few countries (such as China) do require a visa in advance, so please check with your local Ecuadorian consulate before travel.
• Flying time: 14 hours including change of planes in Madrid.
• Will my phone work: Ecuador uses the 1900 and 850 MHz bandwidth as per the USA so only triband or quadband UK phones will work there (as long as your provider has authorised its use abroad). In the Galapagos, there will be reception on the first and last day near the Island of Baltra but reception is unlikely after this. The ship has a telephone where family and friends can reach you in an emergency.

Extensions in South America

For those with more time, we have arranged an optional group pre-tour to the Amazon Rainforest. We would also be delighted to arrange private excursions within Ecuador, Peru, Chile or Argentina to coincide with the dates of the tour.