Galapagos - Adventures of an English “Marine Aquarist”!

[SPR1968]

Here’s a few more shots climbing up the initial steps at Bartolome Island Galapagos

 

[SPR1968]

Bartolome Island Galapagos is quiet baron, although the seas are a gorgeous colour, this is 22nd May 2019 as we climbed higher up

 

[SPR1968]

We reached near the top of Bartolome Island Galapagos and the views were amazing. This is 22nd May 2019.

 

[DarthSimon]

Wow!!!! Thanks again for sharing!! Awesome

 

[Ron Reefman]

Shaun, as always, very cool trip and thanks for the photos.
I can't wait for a vaccine so I can start my travels again. Elaine and I were just getting started with retirement travel and BAM, 'stay at home' hits! Now we print photos from the recent trips we did take and hang them on the wall! ;Woot;Woot;Woot

 

[vetteguy53081]

beautiful Island !

 

[SPR1968]

Wow!!!! Thanks again for sharing!! Awesome

It was indeed Steve, I still can’t believe we were there to be honest

 

[SPR1968]

Shaun, as always, very cool trip and thanks for the photos.
I can't wait for a vaccine so I can start my travels again. Elaine and I were just getting started with retirement travel and BAM, 'stay at home' hits! Now we print photos from the recent trips we did take and hang them on the wall! ;Woot;Woot;Woot

Thank you Ron

Ive tried to write the journal to detail each part of the adventure has it happened and I’m going to read through it again once finished. It will bring it all back for me.

If it helps anyone else plan a trip or inspire them to do so then go for it.

It was a truly amazing experience and there’s still a little more to come.

It would be ideal for you to go on one of the trips like I did on a boat, because there was snorkelling around twice every day

 

[SPR1968]

beautiful Island !

It was simply stunning, and the water was such a beautiful colour

 

[SPR1968]

We headed back down the path from the top of Bartolome Island Galapagos. This is 22nd May 2019, the heat was intense and the sea looked absolutely beautiful

The island is unpopulated by humans and was named after a naturalist friend of Charles Darwin, named Sir Bartholomew James Sullivan, who worked on the HMS Beagle

The usual wild life is present including the Galapagos penguins, reef sharks etc

You can see our pick up point at the bottom of the steps were the inflatables would soon arrive

 

[Scottmac]

We headed back down the path from the top of Bartolome Island Galapagos. This is 22nd May 2019, the heat was intense and the sea looked absolutely beautiful

The island is unpopulated by humans and was named after a naturalist friend of Charles Darwin, named Sir Bartholomew James Sullivan, who worked on the HMS Beagle

Those photos look amazing, lucky you didn't turn 50 this year as travelling would have been *slightly* more difficult!
Did you have much problem getting permits or were certain areas prohibited to the general public?
I too got hooked on natural history with David Attenborough, but I also got my interest in visiting those islands the film Master and Commander.

In the year of doom 2020 , if you fancy an escape much closer to home for you to experience lovely ocean wildlife without flying to the other side of the globe, try a trip to the isles of Arran and Mull off Scottish Western Highlands. I usually take my family every year. It's a gulf stream freeway for Cetaceans, and a haven for sea birds. (Don't be put off by Scot Nat nonsense, a third of the islanders are retired English so you won't have any issues )

Scott

 

[SPR1968]

Those photos look amazing, lucky you didn't turn 50 this year as travelling would have been *slightly* more difficult!
Did you have much problem getting permits or were certain areas prohibited to the general public?
I too got hooked on natural history with David Attenborough, but I also got my interest in visiting those islands the film Master and Commander.

In the year of doom 2020 , if you fancy an escape much closer to home for you to experience lovely ocean wildlife without flying to the other side of the globe, try a trip to the isles of Arran and Mull off Scottish Western Highlands. I usually take my family every year. It's a gulf stream freeway for Cetaceans, and a haven for sea birds. (Don't be put off by Scot Nat nonsense, a third of the islanders are retired English so you won't have any issues )

Scott

It was an amazing place, it really was, and we had no issues with permits Scott, it was an organised trip with Exodus travels and they arranged it all with the local operators.

You can’t just wander around anywhere it’s organised, although I guess if you had your own boat there isn’t much to stop you in most places as most are just islands with ‘wet’ landing areas.

I really do need to get up to Scotland as it’s a beautiful country and I’ll have a look at the area you suggest. I have many Scottish friends here and also in Spain so I’m sort of ‘tuned in’ to the language as well! Lol

 

[Gry]

As far as Im aware even having your own boat you are prohibited from visiting the islands. You need special permits for each and every one of the islands and ports (outside of Puerto Ayora, Puerto Villamil and the ports on Cristobal). Theres heavy fines if you're caught. When we visited we got boarded by the wild life control as they wanted to check that all the permits were in order for our boat and that we were only visiting within the designated time slots on the islands.

I believe at some point it was 200 dollars pr person pr day for private boats just to be allowed in the national park on the islands and anchoring up outside of the major ports, and that was on top of registration, "autografo" from the defence ministry, and other fees such as inspection fees and fumigation fees.

Also, its quite funny you stayed at the same hotel I did when I was in Quito It really is a small world after all. You have wonderful pictures of the islands, really makes me miss it. I really want to go back one day. Once was definitely not enough.

 

[SPR1968]

As far as Im aware even having your own boat you are prohibited from visiting the islands. You need special permits for each and every one of the islands and ports (outside of Puerto Ayora, Puerto Villamil and the ports on Cristobal). Theres heavy fines if you're caught. When we visited we got boarded by the wild life control as they wanted to check that all the permits were in order for our boat and that we were only visiting within the designated time slots on the islands.

I believe at some point it was 200 dollars pr person pr day for private boats just to be allowed in the national park on the islands and anchoring up outside of the major ports, and that was on top of registration, "autografo" from the defence ministry, and other fees such as inspection fees and fumigation fees.

Also, its quite funny you stayed at the same hotel I did when I was in Quito It really is a small world after all. You have wonderful pictures of the islands, really makes me miss it. I really want to go back one day. Once was definitely not enough.

I think your correct about the permits, you can’t just turn up in your boat, although the Chinese fisherman do so I guess they can’t police everywhere

The hotel was small, and food very basic, and we didn’t do much in Quito apart from wait for the next day to arrive, in a McDonald’s at one point! Lol

This is the actual boat we were on, we stayed in cabin 7

Cachalote Explorer Yacht Galapagos Islands

The Cachalote Explorer is a motor yacht outfitted exclusively for cruising around the Galapagos Islands. Come see the beautiful nature of the Galapagos Islands

www.cachalotegalapagos.com

 

[ScottR]

You’ve just reminded me that I need to get out more. Would love to see what’s under all of that pristine water.

 

[SPR1968]

You’ve just reminded me that I need to get out more. Would love to see what’s under all of that pristine water.

I didn’t so didn’t go snorkelling!! Lol. I sat in the inflatable on guard.

More pictures to come......

 

[Ron Reefman]

The hotel was small, and food very basic, and we didn’t do much in Quito apart from wait for the next day to arrive, in a McDonald’s at one point! Lol

This is the actual boat we were on, we stayed in cabin 7

Cachalote Explorer Yacht Galapagos Islands

The Cachalote Explorer is a motor yacht outfitted exclusively for cruising around the Galapagos Islands. Come see the beautiful nature of the Galapagos Islands

www.cachalotegalapagos.com

Nice ship. I'm sure you've mentioned them here somewhere, but what outfit put together your trip. My wife, Elaine. and I are going to start more serious travel once the COVID-19 issues calm down.

Have you ever looked into a provider called Road Scholars? They do a trip there as well. We've done 4 trips with them in the 2 years before 2020 and we have been very favorably impressed.

 

[SPR1968]

Nice ship. I'm sure you've mentioned them here somewhere, but what outfit put together your trip. My wife, Elaine. and I are going to start more serious travel once the COVID-19 issues calm down.

Have you ever looked into a provider called Road Scholars? They do a trip there as well. We've done 4 trips with them in the 2 years before 2020 and we have been very favorably impressed.

This is who we used Ron for the Galapagos trip and also other adventures I’ve done. I can’t fault them at all, everything happened as it should, flights, pickups etc.

Adventure Holidays | Activity Holidays & Tours | Exodus Adventure Travels

Winner of National Geographic’s Best Tour Operator Award, Exodus Adventure Travels is the original activity & adventure holidays company.

www.exodus.co.uk

If you click the flag top right they have the USA web page for you

Theyve won numerous awards etc. I’ve not used Road Scholars no

 

[SPR1968]

So just to recap, I got distracted but I’ll finish the adventure...

We headed back down the path from the top of Bartolome Island Galapagos. This is 22nd May 2019, the heat was intense and the sea looked absolutely beautiful

The island is unpopulated by humans and was named after a naturalist friend of Charles Darwin, named Sir Bartholomew James Sullivan, who worked on the HMS Beagle

The usual wild life is present including the Galapagos penguins, reef sharks etc

We arrived at the small jetty and waited for the inflatables to come and pick us up and take us back to the boat

The lady sat down on the jetty is Gill. We met at the hotel in Ecuador which was the meeting place for the UK guests, only Gill myself and Ben, so we travelled all the way from Ecuador, airports, planes etc together

Myself and Ben spent many hours chatting with her and generally sat together around the dining table on board for all the meals. A lovely lady. There were 2 round tables in the dining room on board, and for the whole trip everyone took exactly the same seat about 8 of us. It just seemed the right thing to do and we got to know each other very well