Galapagos: An Intimate Look at Darwin’s Islands

There can be few birders and naturalists who have not dreamed of one day visiting the Galapagos Islands with their bounty of rare, unique, and extraordinarily tame wildlife. The islands host fascinating seabirds, endemic land birds, iguanas, giant tortoises, and a flora all their own. Traveling in a small group aboard one of the finest vessels in the islands, our adventure will find “The Enchanted Isles” at their very best. This is an intimate and wonderful birding tour of the Galapagos.

Ever since Darwin visited the islands in 1835, the Galapagos archipelago has been a showcase of evolution. Six hundred miles from the coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos are of marine volcanic origin, never having been connected to a continental landmass. Thus, both plants and animals inhabiting the islands are derived from species that, by one means or another, crossed vast stretches of ocean to colonize the newly formed land. The Galapagos are a hotbed of endemism, and much of the wildlife is not only found nowhere else on Earth, but is further restricted to one or just a few islands.

Our tour of “Las Islas Encantadas” — The Enchanted Isles — s designed for birders who may only visit the islands once and would like to see as many of the endemic birds (and, naturally, the fascinating mammals, reptiles, and flora) as is reasonably possible. Because two key species, Waved Albatross and Great Frigatebird, only nest on the islands from April to September, we have picked this season in which to visit. The climate is also quite comfortable at this time of year (it’s the cooler garua season), and it generally remains dry and cool. Our itinerary takes in a fine mix of the most important islands — including a visit to the highlands of Santa Cruz, an important location for the Giant Tortoise, Galapagos Rail, Paint-billed Crake, and Large Tree-Finch — as well as several of the fascinating smaller islands, possibly including North Seymour.

We have selected a large first-class 75-foot catamaran for our tours. This vessel features a comfortable dining area and lounge with a fully equipped bar. It’s a wonderful, mobile base for our birding and traveling between the islands.