Loading search...
Its geological and evolutionary history, landscapes and extraordinary wildlife make this beautiful volcanic archipelago unlike anywhere else on the planet. These ‘Enchanted Isles’, where Charles Darwin developed his ground-breaking theory of evolution, are home to prehistoric-looking Land and Marine Iguanas and Giant Tortoises, as well as a host of endemic birds and other wildlife.
Our comprehensive Galápagos cruise itineraries, which we first offered in the late 1980s and are currently proving as popular as ever, offer the keen naturalist a wonderful chance to explore this unique environment under the guidance of our expert naturalist guides.
Naturetrek’s General Manager, Andy Tucker, first travelled to the Galápagos as a young backpacker in the mid-90s. He led a series of Naturetrek Galápagos tours during his first few years at Naturetrek and here takes a look at the current Galápagos scene, what choices are open to the visitor and how things have changed over the years.
Our comprehensive Galápagos cruise itineraries, which we first offered in the late 1980s and are currently proving as popular as ever, offer the keen naturalist a wonderful chance to explore this unique environment under the guidance of our expert naturalist guides.
Naturetrek’s General Manager, Andy Tucker, first travelled to the Galápagos as a young backpacker in the mid-90s. He led a series of Naturetrek Galápagos tours during his first few years at Naturetrek and here takes a look at the current Galápagos scene, what choices are open to the visitor and how things have changed over the years.
What makes the Galápagos such a special wildlife travel experience?
The memories of my first visit — a last-minute booking on a budget boat — are vivid. The other-worldly volcanic landscapes, swimming with a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins with attendant Galápagos Sharks in the open ocean, the famously approachable wildlife, the colony of courting Waved Albatrosses, wonderful, varied snorkelling and gorgeous sunsets. It certainly is a unique place. I had spent two years working as a wildlife guide in the Amazon rainforests of Ecuador and Peru, where wildlife-watching is a sweaty occupation involving shy and retiring subjects. In the Galápagos, the skies are wide and blue and, once ashore, you’re stepping in and around the seabird nesting colonies (Blue-footed, Nasca and Red-footed Boobies), Marine Iguanas and Galápagos Sea Lions, which makes it a photographer’s paradise! When I started to lead Naturetrek groups in 1999, it was a joy to work with expert local guides such as Juan Tapia, and also to tap into the interests and expertise within each Naturetrek group, enjoying not just the birding and marine-life (my specialities) but also delving into the evolutionary past of the Galápagos Islands, the story of human discovery and exploration of the archipelago, the equatorial night sky (resplendent here!), the volcanology, geology and the conservation challenges facing the islands in modern times. Back around the turn of the millennium, I remember guests bringing carrier bags full of film for their cameras. Nowadays all that’s changed, of course, and many guests can reel off well over 10,000 digital shots during a cruise!
What’s the recommendation for organising a visit?
My preference would always be for a small boat (16-berth), and preferably a boat chartered by a specialist tour operator, which gives some assurance that the interests of the other participants will be aligned with your own. This is important. If you’re a keen wildlife person and photographer making a dream once-in-a-lifetime voyage, you really don’t want to be sharing a small space with young families or beer-swilling non-English speakers, which can be the case on ‘mixed’ boats.
What boats do Naturetrek offer?
Until her sad demise last year, we had a wonderful 12-year relationship with Cachalote, a beautiful topsail schooner which many readers will remember fondly. This summer, Cachalote Explorer takes over, alongside Beluga, which we charter for our ‘deluxe’ cruises. Both are 16-berth and air-conditioned, offering great deck space for scanning for seabirds and cetaceans while navigating between islands. The crew on both boats are close-knit and long-serving, taking great pride in the service offered. Beluga offers a little more cabin space, offering a mixture of twins and doubles, as opposed to the bunk-bedded accommodation on Cachalote Explorer. For clients wanting a tailormade holiday, we work with a wider range of boats, with a handful of exclusive, luxury catamarans being particularly ideal for family groups. We’re always very happy to advise.
What’s the best time of year to go?
I think the first thing to say here is that the wildlife and snorkelling is mind-blowing whichever time of year you visit. All of the special wildlife is present year-round, with the exception of the Waved Albatross, which only breeds on two islands: Española in Galápagos, and Isla de la Plata off the coast of Ecuador. If you want to see these magnificent birds close up on land, you’ll need to travel between May and November (they spend the rest of the year on the wing in the Southern Ocean). Otherwise, being tropical with no tightly defined breeding season like we get in northern climes, there’s always something of interest going on. My own preference would be to escape the British winter and enjoy the Galápagos when the ocean is slightly warmer and the sky clear and sunny. This is the time of year in which most of our Galápagos charters operate.
Are Naturetrek cruises all locally led these days?
Yes, back in the late 90s, the standard of guiding in Galápagos was a bit hit and miss. To ensure quality we always used to send a UK-based leader to accompany each group. In more recent years, however, local guiding standards have risen markedly, as they have in many other regions around the world, and for many years now we’ve been working with a small but high quality group of Ecuadorian naturalists including Juan Tapia, Darwin Alvarez, Rissel Moretti and Gustavo Munoz. With these guides, you find excellent English, a deep knowledge of and passion for the Galápagos Islands and a wonderful camaraderie on board.
I suffer from motion sickness & I don’t swim. Would I enjoy a Galápagos cruise?
It is true that the rock of the ocean will be noticeable on a 16-berth, 110-foot boat, although weather conditions are never rough. February is a good choice of month for those with motion sickness concerns, as the trade winds really slacken off from January to April. And I’ve seen plenty of people ‘find their sea legs’ over the years, sometimes with a little bit of help from a Stugeron tablet, or an antinausea wristband. Snorkelling sessions are a daily feature of life on a cruise, but the crew are often happy to lay on additional panga (Zodiac) rides for non-swimmers. Recently, a handful of lodges have opened on the islands of Santa Cruz and Isabela and we’ve organised a number of tailormade Galápagos holidays which avoid boats altogether!
Is tourism damaging the islands?
In my 20+ year liaison with the islands, I’ve certainly seen some changes but most of these are for the better. I think that the control that the national park now holds over cruise routes and the number of boats at anchor at any given visitor site is hugely beneficial, both for the islands and for the visitor experience. Arguably, there has not been a better time to visit. Allied to that, the Galápagos National Park Service, working with the Charles Darwin Foundation, drew together an ambitious 10- year plan back in 1997 to eradicate feral goats, donkeys and pigs from Isabela, Santiago, Pinta and Floreana. The removal of goats from Isabela (just a small population of radiocollared ‘Judas’ goats remains for monitoring purposes) has had a profoundly positive effect on the vegetation on the island, to the very great benefit of the Giant Tortoises and Land Iguanas.
Any final tips when planning a trip?
Speak to someone who knows the islands personally, and pick a tour operator and boat with care. Take a snorkelling lesson in your local pool before leaving home. Don’t underestimate the strength of the equatorial sun, and cover up appropriately with adequate sun block, cotton clothes and sunhats/sunglasses. A ‘shortie’ wetsuit will keep you snug and protect from the sun while snorkelling (although this can often be hired on board). Invest in an underwater camera. Spend time on mainland Ecuador to make the most of your investment of £900 in airfares to get to Quito and back. It’s a wonderful country!
The memories of my first visit — a last-minute booking on a budget boat — are vivid. The other-worldly volcanic landscapes, swimming with a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins with attendant Galápagos Sharks in the open ocean, the famously approachable wildlife, the colony of courting Waved Albatrosses, wonderful, varied snorkelling and gorgeous sunsets. It certainly is a unique place. I had spent two years working as a wildlife guide in the Amazon rainforests of Ecuador and Peru, where wildlife-watching is a sweaty occupation involving shy and retiring subjects. In the Galápagos, the skies are wide and blue and, once ashore, you’re stepping in and around the seabird nesting colonies (Blue-footed, Nasca and Red-footed Boobies), Marine Iguanas and Galápagos Sea Lions, which makes it a photographer’s paradise! When I started to lead Naturetrek groups in 1999, it was a joy to work with expert local guides such as Juan Tapia, and also to tap into the interests and expertise within each Naturetrek group, enjoying not just the birding and marine-life (my specialities) but also delving into the evolutionary past of the Galápagos Islands, the story of human discovery and exploration of the archipelago, the equatorial night sky (resplendent here!), the volcanology, geology and the conservation challenges facing the islands in modern times. Back around the turn of the millennium, I remember guests bringing carrier bags full of film for their cameras. Nowadays all that’s changed, of course, and many guests can reel off well over 10,000 digital shots during a cruise!
What’s the recommendation for organising a visit?
My preference would always be for a small boat (16-berth), and preferably a boat chartered by a specialist tour operator, which gives some assurance that the interests of the other participants will be aligned with your own. This is important. If you’re a keen wildlife person and photographer making a dream once-in-a-lifetime voyage, you really don’t want to be sharing a small space with young families or beer-swilling non-English speakers, which can be the case on ‘mixed’ boats.
What boats do Naturetrek offer?
Until her sad demise last year, we had a wonderful 12-year relationship with Cachalote, a beautiful topsail schooner which many readers will remember fondly. This summer, Cachalote Explorer takes over, alongside Beluga, which we charter for our ‘deluxe’ cruises. Both are 16-berth and air-conditioned, offering great deck space for scanning for seabirds and cetaceans while navigating between islands. The crew on both boats are close-knit and long-serving, taking great pride in the service offered. Beluga offers a little more cabin space, offering a mixture of twins and doubles, as opposed to the bunk-bedded accommodation on Cachalote Explorer. For clients wanting a tailormade holiday, we work with a wider range of boats, with a handful of exclusive, luxury catamarans being particularly ideal for family groups. We’re always very happy to advise.
What’s the best time of year to go?
I think the first thing to say here is that the wildlife and snorkelling is mind-blowing whichever time of year you visit. All of the special wildlife is present year-round, with the exception of the Waved Albatross, which only breeds on two islands: Española in Galápagos, and Isla de la Plata off the coast of Ecuador. If you want to see these magnificent birds close up on land, you’ll need to travel between May and November (they spend the rest of the year on the wing in the Southern Ocean). Otherwise, being tropical with no tightly defined breeding season like we get in northern climes, there’s always something of interest going on. My own preference would be to escape the British winter and enjoy the Galápagos when the ocean is slightly warmer and the sky clear and sunny. This is the time of year in which most of our Galápagos charters operate.
Are Naturetrek cruises all locally led these days?
Yes, back in the late 90s, the standard of guiding in Galápagos was a bit hit and miss. To ensure quality we always used to send a UK-based leader to accompany each group. In more recent years, however, local guiding standards have risen markedly, as they have in many other regions around the world, and for many years now we’ve been working with a small but high quality group of Ecuadorian naturalists including Juan Tapia, Darwin Alvarez, Rissel Moretti and Gustavo Munoz. With these guides, you find excellent English, a deep knowledge of and passion for the Galápagos Islands and a wonderful camaraderie on board.
I suffer from motion sickness & I don’t swim. Would I enjoy a Galápagos cruise?
It is true that the rock of the ocean will be noticeable on a 16-berth, 110-foot boat, although weather conditions are never rough. February is a good choice of month for those with motion sickness concerns, as the trade winds really slacken off from January to April. And I’ve seen plenty of people ‘find their sea legs’ over the years, sometimes with a little bit of help from a Stugeron tablet, or an antinausea wristband. Snorkelling sessions are a daily feature of life on a cruise, but the crew are often happy to lay on additional panga (Zodiac) rides for non-swimmers. Recently, a handful of lodges have opened on the islands of Santa Cruz and Isabela and we’ve organised a number of tailormade Galápagos holidays which avoid boats altogether!
Is tourism damaging the islands?
In my 20+ year liaison with the islands, I’ve certainly seen some changes but most of these are for the better. I think that the control that the national park now holds over cruise routes and the number of boats at anchor at any given visitor site is hugely beneficial, both for the islands and for the visitor experience. Arguably, there has not been a better time to visit. Allied to that, the Galápagos National Park Service, working with the Charles Darwin Foundation, drew together an ambitious 10- year plan back in 1997 to eradicate feral goats, donkeys and pigs from Isabela, Santiago, Pinta and Floreana. The removal of goats from Isabela (just a small population of radiocollared ‘Judas’ goats remains for monitoring purposes) has had a profoundly positive effect on the vegetation on the island, to the very great benefit of the Giant Tortoises and Land Iguanas.
Any final tips when planning a trip?
Speak to someone who knows the islands personally, and pick a tour operator and boat with care. Take a snorkelling lesson in your local pool before leaving home. Don’t underestimate the strength of the equatorial sun, and cover up appropriately with adequate sun block, cotton clothes and sunhats/sunglasses. A ‘shortie’ wetsuit will keep you snug and protect from the sun while snorkelling (although this can often be hired on board). Invest in an underwater camera. Spend time on mainland Ecuador to make the most of your investment of £900 in airfares to get to Quito and back. It’s a wonderful country!
Nazca Boobies
Marine Iguanas (John Wilsher)
Galapagos Sea Lions
Sally Lightfoot Crab
Blue-footed Boobies
Galapagos Penguin
Pinnacle Rock
For more information on our tours to the Galapagos, please click here.