We woke up to watch the crew setting the anchor off Playa Tortua Negro beneath another lovely sunrise. (The day length, with sunrise and sunset promptly at six, was much the same as at home in Maine during the spring equinox, but with no twilight.)
First order of business after breakfast was a panga ride—a “no landing” trip alongside sheer cliffs. We toured around Tagus Cove to see flightless cormorants, blue-footed boobies galore, lots of Sally Lightfoot crabs, and penguins, cute little fellows who looked like bathtub toys. Then we undertook a dry landing to walk around Lake Darwin, a brackish lagoon in the shelter of a cinder cone. We climbed the neighboring cone for views of the Wolf Volcano and our little boat. We were serenaded by finches and mockingbirds, and my husband spotted a Galapagos dove.
Then snorkeling in Tagus Cove, sharing the waters with sea lions and sea turtles, and schools of tiny, silvery fish. The sea turtles looked so relaxed, hanging there in the water like huge serving platters, or moving with an occasional flip of a flipper. They looked very much like the surfer-dudes floating in the Australian current in Finding Nemo. Evidently these fellows take the current to Costa Rica in the summer, and come back in the fall when the current reverses. I’m very glad we were there when they were. Max, from Stuttgart, saw a shy little reef shark, and Paige, from Vancouver, managed to catch sight of a penguin flashing by underwater.
After lunch the boat motored to Fernandina Island, where we panaga-ed to Punta Espinosa. There we surveyed the two types of lava—pahoehoe (ropy) and aa (needle-sharp clinkers)—both jet-black. Fernandina sports an even bigger species of land iguanas, four feet long at least. Along the shore we found stacks of marine iguanas, sea lions playing in the surf, and, of course, Sally Lightfoot crabs, which were as decorative as ever.
We had landed at 2:00 in the afternoon, in the heat of the day—it was hot—so as to avoid sharing the path and the beach. At 4:00, panga after panga brought in 90 passengers from a Lindblad Explorer ship. Now we appreciated why Diego often spent hours on his cell phone while we were underway, negotiating with other ships for landing times so that we could have a private viewing of a site.
I spoke with at least a half dozen other travel companies, looking for a Galapagos cruise that fit our schedule and budget. Some companies could manage one or the other, but Erin was the only one who could do both. She found us the perfect cruise, at a fantastic price! And she has been quick and patient with responses to my many questions. So far, Adventure Life has been a fantastic company to work with!
Sandi T
3 weeks ago
Erin was patient, thorough, responsive, knowledgeable.
Karen Bukolt
3 weeks ago
Erin was responsive, knowledgeable, helpful, and ran through a few different choices with us. She got us a fabulous price on a trip, and made everything easy to do. And QUICK!!
Tina
1 month ago
From the initial meeting and planning process with our trip planner Jess, through to the finalizing of our itinerary, trip details and questions, I was very impressed with the professionalism, thoroughness, organization and attention to details. I would highly recommend Adventure Life to anyone looking to plan a unique travelling experience, knowing that the expertise and experience provided will result in a seamless trip of a lifetime.
Lynn Farquharson
1 month ago
Excellent suggestions I line with my desires on a Galapagos very last minute cruise.
Swift and professional guidance and assistance in booking the trip. Helped me realising a substantial saving.