During the morning hike on the lava strewn coast of Santiago Island we were treated to the sight of colourful marine iguanas, birds such as yellow warblers, plovers, anis, ostercatchers, finches, pelicans and a new species of sea lion - the fur sea lion.
We stepped close to the edge of blow holes and arches, mesmerized by the water rushing through the holes, the sound of the blows and misted air. The bright orange sally lightfoot crabs scurrying about provided a sharp and welcome contrast to the ever present black lava.
Those of us who thought that there was nothing new to be seen while snorkeling were quickly proved wrong. At Sombrero Chino (Chinese Hat), some of us were in close proximity to a family of white tipped sea sharks. They were beautiful to watch. We swam alongside penguins, rays, and marine iguanas. Our previous sightings of marine iguanas were on shore, not while in their element, swimming under water.
The sea lions were really playful, appearing out of nowhere and coming within inches or should I say centimeters of our masks. A little startling to say the least.
I learned that it is the convergence of currents from Australia, Panama and coastal South America that provide such a nutrient rich area allowing for penguins, iguanas, sea lions and turtles to occur in the same place. The galapagos is truely an amazing place.
We enjoyed a beautiful cruise to our mooring spot alongside Bartolome Island. At one point Pablo, the captain, announced that we should all go up top. We were approaching Rabida Island, a collapsed and weathered crater with a lake in its centre. Imagine our surprise, when we spotted bright pink flamingos, on the far side of the lake!
As the sun set, we passed Pinnacle Rock, a volcanic needle standing tall alongside Bartolome Island. It appeared to be guarding the bay. We were lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of the boat.
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
1 day ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
2 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.
Jennifer Howard Schroeder
3 days ago
Kevin got right on our request and had us booked within the week