Follow up to a passenger complaint (see article: “Galapagos complaints go unheard” posted on October 30, 2009).
Stemming from frustration that 13 days had passed by and not one of the dozen or so higher ranking Galapagos National Park authorities had the decency to (1) at least acknowledge the email; and (2) respond in one way or another, I took it upon myself to resend the original email … but this time including 84 other GNP representatives.
Within 30 minutes of sending this follow up email, Daniel Silva (Administrator of the Naturalist Guide System) responded the following:
Lamentamos no haber leído anteriormente su denuncia, debido a que por motivos de ranovación de licencias de Guías Naturalistas y posteriormente un pequeño problema con mi sistema de correo electrónico no estuve al tanto de la lectura de todos los correos que me han sido enviados.
Deseo aclarar que estamos en la capacidad de responder su inquietud, por lo que al leer su correo de uno de sus pasajeros estamos ubicando quien se llama “Martin”, ya que algunos Guías Naturalistas de los 500 activos que tenemos se llaman así, y además estuvo en el Sulidae en el mes de octubre en las fechas que se menciona en la denuncia. Nosotros hablaremos con la agencia del Sulidae para que nos indique quien estuvo a bordo, pero seria importante que ustedes como agencia que vendió el tour a esta persona insistan a la compañía del Sulidae para que ellos le den el nombre completo del Guía Naturalista.
Cabe mencionar que la Dirección del Parque Nacional Galápagos, forma nuevos Guías Naturalistas, utilizando los mejores métodos académicos y de formación, inclusive actualizando conocimientos de ellos cuando ya son Guías Naturalistas. Lamentamos este hecho aislado y esperamos satisfacer y responder a su inquietud.
Translated …..
We regret not to have previously read your complaint, due to the renovation of Naturalist Guide licenses and subsequently a small problem with my email system of e-mail I was not up to date with the reading of all the mails that you have sent me.
I wish to clarify that we are in the capacity to respond your complaint, and from reading your mail of one of one of your passengers we are trying to locate an individual called “Martin” – since some of the 500 Naturalistic Guides have that same name – and was aboard the Sulidae in the month of October in the dates that were mentioned in complaint. We will speak with the agency responsible for the Sulidae so that they can indicate to us who was on board, but it is almost important that you, as the agency that sold the tour to this person, insist with the Sulidae so that they give the complete name of the Guide (NOTE: We have communicated with the Sulidae, and to date they prefer not to acknowledge nor respond to our requests on this matter]
It fits to mention that the Directive of the Galapagos National Park National, trains new Naturalist Guides, using the best academic training methods, including keeping them up to date when they are Naturalist Guides. We regret this isolate incident and we hope to satisfy and to respond to your complaint.
Cordial greetings,
Daniel Silva
On a follow-up to a recent comment regarding the flagrant disregard and unqualified characteristics of a supposed ‘Galapagos Naturalist Guide’ I took it upon myself to contact the entity in charge of training & licencing Galapagos Naturalist Guide, the Galapagos National Park (Dirección del Parque Nacional Galápagos).
As I have frequently observed throughout over 10 years in the business, when there are major complaints regarding a cruise operator, a crew member or a naturalist guide – complaints generally fall on deaf ears and little is actually done. It appears that the moto one should adopt is the following
“If everything goes well, nobody has to worry …. but when things goes wrong, start worrying as your complaints will fall on deaf ears and solutions to avoid repetitive incidents will most probably go by the wayside”.
According to their new web site (which is actually quite well laid out and with good information … albeit only in Spanish) they publish the following contact details:
The Galapagos National Park Director (http://www.galapagospark.org/institucion.html)
Director
Edgar Muñoz, Tel. +593 (0)5 25 26 189 Ext. 104, emunoz@spng.org.ec
Other important contacts (http://www.galapagospark.org/contacto.html)
ADMINISTRATION OF THE NATURALIST GUIDE SYSTEM
Administración del sistema de guías naturalistas
Para más información, contactar con:
Daniel Silva, Administración Turística, +593 (0)5 252 6189, dsilva@spng.org.ec
GENERAL CONTACT
Contacto general
Relaciones públicas y medios
Oficina Central
Puerto Ayora
Isla Santa Santa Cruz
Tel. +593 (0)5 252 6189Vanessa García
Tel. +593 (0)5 252 6189
Ext. 102
vgarcia@spng.org.ec
TOURISM ADMINSTRATION
Administración turística
Edwin Naula
Tel. +593 (0)5 252 6189
Ext. 225
enaula@spng.org.ec
VISITATION AND NATURALIST GUIDES
Sitios de visita y guías naturalistas (http://www.galapagospark.org/turismo_sitios_guias.html)
Para más información, contactar con:
Edwin Naula, +593 (0)5 252 6189 Ext. 225, enaula@spng.org.ec
VISITOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Sistema de manejo de visitantes
Para más información, contactar con:
Magaly Oviedo, +593 (0)5 252 6189 Ext. 222, moviedo@spng.org.ec
All of these individuals listed above were contacted via email, with the only one that came back with a read receipt was from moviendo@spng.org.ec. However, not even this one has responded back.
Turning to the section on the Galapagos Naturalist Guides (http://www.galapagospark.org/turismo_guias_naturalistas.html) – a logical place to see how I should proceed to assist this passenger voice her stern complaint – I found the following …
Ellos y ellas tienen la responsabilidad de informar y educar al turista respecto a la historia natural y a la conservación del área respectiva, y de asegurar que las acciones de los turistas a su cargo no contravengan las disposiciones legales establecidas con el fin de que el turista tenga una experiencia placentera y satisfactoria de su visita sin causar efectos negativos a la naturaleza.
Los Guías representan a la Dirección del Parque Nacional Galápagos y son una parte fundamental de apoyo al manejo integral de los ecosistemas insulares terrestres y marinos. Son los “ojos y oídos” de la Institución, para vigilar, proteger y conservar los recursos naturales del archipiélago.
Translated, it states … They have the responsibility to inform and educate the tourist the natural history & conservation of the area, and ensure that the tourist under their guidance do not contravene the legal codes & guidelines to ensure that the tourists’ experience is pleasurable and satisfactory without cuasing any negative effects to the environment.
The guide represent the Galapagos National Park Directive and are a fundamental support for the integral management of the marine and land ecosystems. They are the “eyes & ears”of the Institution to monitor, protect and conserve the natural resources of the archipelago.
The site goes on to state that the GNP (Galapagos National Park) Directive is the entity in charge of training, licensing and monitoring the naturalist guides.
Note: I will keep readers informed if and when responses are received by the Galapagos National Park regarding my communication to them regarding a very irresponsible, unqualified guide that, as the passenger stated was “hazardous” and “unkind and uncaring, and misrepresents the Galapagos”.
The word BEST can aptly be defined as:
adj. Superlative of good.
1. Surpassing all others in excellence or quality;
2. Most desirable;
3. Greatest;
THE ISLANDS ….
#2 GENOVESA
Why? It’s a long journey up to this northeastern island, but well worth the trip (the journey is done during the overnight hours). The English name ‘Tower’ refers to an admiral, not the shape of the island. It is actually a semi-sunken (or collapsed) crater, into which you sail. Genovesa receives the #2 nomination due to its diverse and unique wildlife (many of which are not commonly found in Galapagos), along with the unique panorama. This island is a birder’s paradise.
Darwin Bay, a lovely coral beach, is home to such wildlife as Red-footed Boobies (rare in Galapagos), Marine iguanas (smallest version in archipelago), Sea lions, Hammerhead sharks, Finches, Yellow-crowned night herons, white-cheeked pintail ducks, Galapagos doves, Lava gulls, Swallow-tailed gulls & Frigatebirds.
Prince Phillip’s Steps, is a steep trail to the top of the cliffs. Here you will enjoy such creatures as the reclusive Fur seal, Red-billed tropicbirds, Frigatebirds, Nazca boobies, Red-footed boobies, Storm petrels & Short-eared owls.
The word BEST can aptly be defined as:
adj. Superlative of good.
1. Surpassing all others in excellence or quality;
2. Most desirable;
3. Greatest;
THE ISLANDS ….
#1 ESPANOLA
Why? This southern island is home to the most diverse & unique array of wildlife found in a concentrated area, and one of the most scenic panoramas to compliment.
Heading up the list comes the Waved Albatross [unique to island] (only found on Punta Suarez), but are only found here between April and December (they are not seen between January and March). Following up the list are the Blue-footed & Nazca Boobies, Sea lions, Sea turtles, Marine iguanas [unique species to island], Mockingbirds [unique to island], Lava lizards [unique to island], Galapagos hawk, Finches (Cactus & Warbler), Sally Lightfoot crabs & shore birds (i.e., Oystercatchers, red-billed tropic birds, Storm petrels, Audubon shearwaters etc).
Punta Suarez, the western-most point on the island, is an exquisite site – dramatic cliff scenery and the famous ‘blowhole’.
On the eastern side you find Gardner Bay – one of the longest beaches (2km) in Galapagos, with its dazzling white coral sand (sunglasses & a hat are a must to enjoy this spot). Here you can enjoy other such creatures as Galapagos martins, wading birds like Sanderlings & Waddling tattlers. Activities include hiking, snorkeling & swimming.
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Important data, statistics, contacts for the Galapagos National Park can be found at the Parque Nacional de Galapagos web site [http://www.galapagospark.org]
NOTE: All information on this site is in Spanish [contact Robin Slater at robin@sangay.com if you require a portion translated for you]
INTERESTING SECTIONS RELATED TO TOURISM ….
1979 – 2008 TOURIST STATISTICS
THE IMPORTANCE OF A QUALIFIED NATURALIST GUIDE!!!
IMPORTANT … recent cruise comment from SULIDAE: October 10th to 14th, 2009:
Thank you for all of your help organizing some of my travels in Ecuador. It was great fun.
I wanted to make some comments about the guide that was assigned to the Sulidae for the Galapagos tour. I do not know if there is a Galapagos guide organization that I may contact as well.
Firstly, the crew of the Sulidae were fantastic, helpful, kind, and went above and beyond to make us all feel welcome and cared for. The guide, however, was extremely disappointing, to the point of being hazardous. His name is Martin. Our tour was Oct. 10-14. It was his first experience as a guide, which in and of itself is not a problem. He had only learned English for a couple weeks. He practiced a few things to say, but was not able to answer any of our questions. Some of these questions were as simple as “do we need hiking boots or sandals” or “how long is the walk”. He would start answering something completely different. We were never adequately prepared for the day, because we were not informed.
The language barrier was challenging, but not the worst part. He told us in so many words that he was being a guide for the money. He can make 3 times as much money than he used to. Many times we would be waiting for him, ready to go on shore at the appointed time, and he was still sleeping. In the evenings, his “talk” about the itinerary for the next day consisted of reading times and places off the white board, with no explanation, back story, history, etc. If we asked a complicated question such as “what animals might we see?”, once he finally understood the question, he would have to look to one of the crew, and ask them.
The main fault was that he did not appear to care. One of the passengers was struggling severely with sea sickness. The crew was empathetic, and brought her her meals on deck so that she would be more comfortable. The guide simply laughed at her. Another passenger was stung while snorkeling, was in major pain, and climbed up onto the panga with a very red and throbbing arm. The guide again laughed and carried on pointing out fish from the boat. The crew and other passengers finally told the guide that we needed to bring her back to the main boat so she could be treated.
The most dangerous of slip ups on the part of the guide was during another snorkeling expedition. We were taking the panga to the area designated for snorkeling. On the way, there were penguins and other animals. One of the passengers asked if we could snorkel there for a few minutes, then carry on to the next place. The guide said sure. One of the passengers was about to jump in, and the first mate yelled to the guide that we couldn’t snorkel there – there were sharks, and it was feeding time.
Any time we came close to another guide, we were saddened by the amount of information they were passing to their group, and by the enthusiasm with which they partook in their explanation. It is really a shame to have missed so much information about the incredible islands and animals.
I am saying this only because I firmly believe this man should not be a guide. He is unkind and uncaring, and misrepresents the Galapagos. We learned much more from the crew, who spoke no English, because they were knowledgeable and passionate about their islands!
Is there a Galapagos tour guide operation that I may contact?
Thank you for your time.
Cheers,
Jill Ahlstrand
I have seen and read many articles on ‘Galapagos on the cheap‘ or how to visit the islands on a tight budget.
Many of these articles and blogs have valuable tips and suggestions on how to save some dollars. However, most of them omit (accidentally or on purpose) some issues and factors involved.
Regardless of how you visit the Galapagos Islands (i.e., pre-booked package or independently) you are going to run into the following fixed costs:
1. ROUND TRIP GALAPAGOS AIRLINE TICKETS
All flights originate in Quito, make a stop over in Guayaquil and continue out to the Galapagos Islands. The same holds true for the return flight (i.e., Galapagos to Guayaquil, and then on to Quito). Flight rates vary depending on the time of year.
The rates are higher in HIGH SEASON, while lower in LOW SEASON. The two low seasons (May 1 to June 14 & September 15 to October 31) and two high seasons (November 1 to April 31 & June 15 to September 14).
The rates also vary depending on the flight route required: (1) FROM: Quito or Guayaquil; and (2) RETURN: Quito or Guayaquil. There are two basic tariffs: (1) Adults (anyone 12 years of age or older); and (2) Child (anyone under 12 years of age).
ROUTE: Quito – Galapagos – Quito
HIGH SEASON: ADULT $419 / CHILD $217
LOW SEASON: ADULT $363 / CHILD $189ROUTE: Quito – Galapagos – Guayaquil
HIGH SEASON: ADULT $396 / CHILD $205
LOW SEASON: ADULT $346 / CHILD $180ROUTE: Guayaquil – Galapagos – Quito
HIGH SEASON: ADULT $393 / CHILD $202
LOW SEASON: ADULT $343 / CHILD $177ROUTE: Guayaquil – Galapagos – Guayaquil
HIGH SEASON: ADULT $369 / CHILD $190
LOW SEASON: ADULT $325 / CHILD $168HIGH SEASON: November 1 to April 31 & June 15 to September 14
LOW SEASON: May 1 to June 14 & September 15 to October 31NOTE 1: Rates are subject to change but valid at time of publication (October 2009)
NOTE 2: All Galapagos land-based & live aboard/cruise operators have priority on air space (they pre-block seats for their packages)
2. INGALA TOURIST CONTROL CARD
Anyone person visiting the Galapagos (Ecuadorian National and foreigners alike) must pay USD $10 per person for the INGALA Tourist Control Card. With many of pre-purchased packages (land-based or live aboard) this fee is included at the time of confirming your reservation; while some require that this fee be paid directly in the airport of departure (but passengers are pre-registered with INGALA).
3. GALAPAGOS NATIONAL PARK ENTRANCE FEE
Regardless of whether you travel to Galapagos independently or with a pre-booked package, all tourists are required to pay the Galapagos National Park entrance fee (in US cash only upon arrival in Galapagos). This fee is USD $100 per adult and USD $50 per child.
Now I turn to the two options on how to spend your time in the Islands …..
LIVE ABOARD/CRUISE vs. LAND-BASED
LIVE ABOARD: Most travelers go on a live aboard (cruise) that takes them to various islands, sailing at night and arriving in the morning at different visitation sites. The biggest advantage is that passengers are exposed to a wider variety of farther afield islands that generally have unique wildlife not commonly found on islands within day tour range. The cruise cost generally covers all expenses, such as all meals, water, tea, coffee, accommodation, bilingual naturalist guided visits, transfers in Galapagos (Galapagos airport to boat and visa versa), and snorkel equipment (on most boats). Extras are such items as alcoholic & extra beverages, tips/gratuities.
LAND-BASED: Land-based options involve setting up a base (or hotel) in one of the towns: (1) Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island (the most popularly chosen); (2) Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristobal Island; or Puerto Villamil, Isabela Island.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Regardless of how you arrange your trip, you need to keep in mind that the day you arrive in the Islands (i.e., the day you take your flight from Quito or Guayaquil to Galapagos) you will arrive roughly between 09h30 and 11h30 in Baltra (most flights) or San Cristobal (limited flights). By the time you get out of the airport and get into the nearest town (i.e., Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz Island) or Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (San Cristobal Islands), check into your hotel/hostal, it will be early afternoon. You therefore only have a partial afternoon the first day to roam around.
On the last day in Galapagos (i.e., the day your flight takes off from Galapagos and returns back to mainland Ecuador) you will need to check-in for your flight at least 60 minutes (ideally 90 minutes) prior to flight departure. Flights generally take off from Galapagos between 10h00 and 12h00. Taking into consideration the time to transit from the closest town (about 1 hr transit from Puerto Ayora in terms of flights from Baltra, and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno in terms of flights from San Cristobal), you will need to leave your hotel around breakfast time. Again, you can’t really consider this a day in Galapagos to enjoy anything … other than your breakfast!
HOTEL / ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
In Puerto Ayora, Puerto Villamil & Puerto Baquerizo Moreno there are a selection of lodgings ranging in from USD $15 to $45 per night – although there are others that range from USD $50 to $150 the night. Budget options can tend to fill up during high demand periods (much like budget cruise options).
If you haven’t pre-arranged a hotel, you will need to budget time to hunt for a good bargain. Most of the hostels & hotels are located on the main street of Puerto Ayora (Ave Charles Darwin).
FOOD & RESTAURANTS
To cut down on expenses, it is more economical to purchase basic staples from the supermarket (although the selection is limited and the prices are higher than on mainland Ecuador. Restaurants in Galapagos can be fairly expensive (about double the average price of mainland Ecuador equivalent options).
TOURS & ACTIVITY OPTIONS
This is where some of the details tend to be omitted (accidentally or on purpose) when describing land-based day tours (or island hopping tours as they are also commonly refer to).
The most important facts to bare in mind are the following:
(1) You will spend more time traveling to/from the visitation sites (especially those by sea) than you would on live aboard/cruise options. It is a slight misconception that land-based tours are better for those that do not spending time or travel on boats.
(2) One also spends less time at the actual visitation site (compared to a live aboard) and usually only visit one site in a day (where as a live aboard generally has one site in the morning and one site in the afternoon).
(3) The quality of the naturalist guide (level of English & knowledge), and the safety & reliability of services provided.
(4) The most important fact is that one is very limited to the islands and/or sites within travel range for day tours (see map below)
CLOSING NOTE
Although it not impossible to cut corners and costs when traveling in Galapagos, you need to keep in mind that during peak periods (dates that are under high demand), the leg work required to find available good, budget options tends to get a bit harder to find.
If spending as little as possible is the main objective, it is possible – but requires time & investigation. If being exposed to a wide range of wildlife and islands, along with a quality naturalist guide to accompany you – then you need to be prepared to invest more into the trip.
The most important factor in cutting costs is ….. F L E X I B I L I T Y. This especially applies to your travel dates.
BOAT: ANGELIQUE
CLASS: Tourist Superior
Details: https://www.sangay.com/galapagos_boat_ANGELIQUE.html
Last minute spaces: http://www.sangay.com/last_minute_offers/category/b-tourist-superior-boats/angelique/
CRUISE DATE: May 18th to 25th, 2009
PASSENGERS: Bram & Grabriela
We (young couple, aged 28-29) very much enjoyed our stay on the Angelique. It is a boat that offers basic comfort and cleanliness, and quite good meals. It is not luxurious but for us it was absolutely fine. The 7/8 day tour we took was amazing, and although i have of course not been on other tours, it seems that we visited all the important and most beautiful spots on the eastern islands.
Cabins
The boat has eight cabins. They are a bit small, but big enough to stay in, and anyway on the Galapagos who wants to stay in a cabin. We stayed in one next to the engine (cabin 8). It has advantages and disadvantages. The smell of diesel oil is quite overwhelming and the noise of the engine is loud (although you get used to both nuisances fairly quickly). On the other hand, as you are near the back of the boat, the cabins are the most stable at night when the boat travels, and that helps you getting a good night rest. In the front of the boat your bed moves with the waves enthusiastically! As the nights are relatively short anyway, we were (in the end) happy to be where we were. I suppose the cabins one step closer to the front would be the most comfortable ones (I think that would be cabins 5 & 6).
Food
The food provided on the boat was basically what you would expect from a simple buffet in a normal, 2 or 3 star european hotel. Breakfast was a cold continental buffet breakfast (the English people will perhaps be slightly disappointed), and lunch and dinner were warm buffet. Of course, there was no great variation in the food on offer, but honestly what can you expect them to provide you with on a bunch of small islands?
Other observations are:
- the boat was in good shape (we felt safe all the time);
- the rooms had good airco and electricity;
- the roof terrace on the boat is amazing to relax on after a long day, and though the other boats may be more modern, the top deck of the Angelique is nicer than any of their afterdecks;
- it was kept quite clean by very friendly and helpful staff.I suppose the Angelique ranks in between the budget boats and the fancy boats (the reference to a simple 2/3 star hotel is accurate, I think). All in all, if you are looking for a boat with basic amenities, the Angelique is an excellent choice. If you are looking for luxury, this is not the boat for you, but if you just want a nice, safe boat and an enjoyable trip, it is perfect.
You have spent time researching, investigating and planning your Galapagos Islands cruise. Now that this step is taken care of, it is time to focus on the practical aspects …. and one of them being, “What do I need to pack for my time in Galapagos?”.
Documents
You need to ensure that you have all the required documents for the trip. This includes everything from your personal passport, International airline tickets, credit cards, travel/health insurance (highly recommended) and required visa and/or vaccines (where necessary).
Essential items
Sun cream / sun block
Hat or cap
Bathing suit / swimming suit
Sandals & light walking shoes
Shorts & lightweight trousers
T-shirts
Sweatshirt / light jacket
Extra towel
Sunglasses
Other important items
Day pack
Binoculars (optional)
Camera (and film or memory sticks)
Batteries
Underwater camera or housing
Water bottle
Alarm clock
Travel adapters & chargers
Snorkeling gear (optional but recommended if you have your own)
Ziploc bags (to keep items dry)
Motion sickness medication (for those prone to sea/motion sickness)
First Aid kit (i.e., Peptobismol, Immodium, Andrews, band aids, burn cream, pain relief medication, insect repellant etc)
The tourist boat Cormorant II (aka Galapagos Journey II), with licence no.TN-01-00-226, suffered mechanical damages while navigating near Punta Flores, on the north coast of Isabela Island. Aboard were 14 passengers and 8 crew members.
The Galapagos National Park patrol boat, Guadalupe River, was realizing a relief of personnel at the Bolivar Canal base (Isabela Island) when they received a distress call from the Cormorant II at aproximately 02h30 today.
The National Park park rangers immediately made their way to the site and successfully rescued all passengers and crew members, but the strong currents and waves that have been present in the past few days in the archipelago completely destroyed the catamaran, losing all material, documents and equipment that was aboard.
The crew members of the Guadalupe River provided first aid to various passengers that required minor attention. All the rescued individuals were transfered to the Itabaca Canal (north point of Santa Cruz Island) where they were received by the cruise operator.
Representatives of the Galapagos National Park will conduct a survey of the possible environmental damages, as at the time of the incident, the catamaran was carrying 1000 gallons of fuel in her storage tanks. The representative of the Cormorant II, Ángel Gustavo Villacís, will need to execute the necessary guarantees and mitigation procedures.
Original source (in Spanish) from El Comercio: http://ww1.elcomercio.com/noticiaEC.asp?id_noticia=307762&id_seccion=8
The Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) will be the next province of Ecuador to convert into a free wireless (wi-fi) region, thanks to the wireless connection pilot project REDGAL.
This past Friday, the digital newspaper “El Cuidadano” announced that tests are currently being conducted on network connections to provide free internet to all of the Galapagos Islands population, using equipment that allows for large coverage with a bandwidth between 1.5 and 2.0 Mbps.
The project was spearheaded by the Galapagos National Institute (Instituto Nacional Galápagos) at the end of August 2008.
Original source is in Spanish, found here: http://tecnodatum.com/2009/03/galapagos-tendra-internet-inalambrico-gratuito/
The airport of Lago Agrio (Nueva Loja) is currently closed until December 14, 2009. All operations are currently suspended in order to repave the runways.
According to DAC (Direccion General de Aviacion) this process also includes the construction of a two-level building that will house the arrival and departure areas.
The cost of the remodeling runs at USD $4,921,786.00.
The only flights to Lago Agrio come from Quito, through VIP and TAME airlines.
During this period, passengers are flown into Coca (Pto.Francisco de Orellana) and make a 90 minute transit by bus north to Lago Agrio.
Lago Agrio Airport
IATA: LGQ – ICAO: SENL
Airport type: Public
Location: Nueva Loja, Ecuador
Elevation AMSL; 982 ft / 299 m
Coordinates: 00°05′33″S 076°52′10″W / 0.0925°S 76.86944°W / -0.0925; -76.86944
ENTRY: September 18, 1835
Weighed and stood alongside until noon, when we anchored close to a low rugged point, near the north-east end of the island: employed two boats in examining the shore, and landed a party to look for terrapin: Mr. Darwin and Mr. Stokes went to the top of a neighboring hill. Throughout this day it blew so fresh a breeze, that double-reefed topsails were as much as could be carried: but I think this strength of wind only prevailed under the lee of the island, where the wind rushed down in squalls, after having been intercepted and checked by the high land. All the hills appear to have been the craters of volcanoes: some are of sandy mud, others are lava. There is plenty of wood hereabouts, though stunted and dry. On no part of this shore is there a chance of finding water; all is stony, without any soil which could either collect or carry if off.
Our party brought eighteen terrapin on board. In size they were not remarkable, none exceeding eighty pounds. This animal appears to be well defended by nature; but, in truth, it is rather helpless, and easily injured. The shell is slight, and becomes weaker (in proportion to the animal’s size), as the tortoise grows older.
INFORMATION & MAPS BELOW from www.aboutdarwin.com
The Entire Survey of the Galapagos Islands
How accurate are these maps?
Beagle Survey Route Lines (in red) -
These route lines are fairly accurate, as FitzRoy provided plenty of survey information in his personal journal. This, combined with the narrative in Darwin’s Beagle Diary at the Galapagos Islands, make figuring out where the Beagle went fairly easy. The only section that I am not sure about is to the north where the “strong currents” existed near Abingdon Island. Here I assume the Beagle was not able to sail directly to other islands, but rather took a very erratic route as is hinted at in FitzRoy’s narrative.
Small Boat Survey Route Lines (in yellow) -
There is hardly any information regarding the specific routes of the smaller survey boats used at the Galapagos Islands. The text I studied just states that an island was surveyed by smaller boats, and no other detail is provided. Since I do not have access to the original survey maps drawn by the crew, I have relied only upon FitzRoy’s Journal.
I have made a few assumptions about the routes of the smaller boats. First of all, FitzRoy was a very patient, detail oriented, and meticulous captain. I am assuming, when ordering the survey of an island, he would expect a very complete one. The routes I have indicated, therefore, explore every large cove and shelter along the coastline of islands, and also circumnavigate each of the islands FitzRoy ordered to be surveyed.
Topography of the Islands -
On all these maps the graphics used to show the topography of the islands makes them appear far more mountainous than they actually are. This representation is just a side effect of the graphics program I used to create the islands.
Now, onto the adventures in the Galapagos! In the afternoon of September 15th a tiny point of land was seen on the horizon. This was the first sighting of the Galapagos Archipelago by the Beagle, and it turned out to be Mount Pitt, a large hill on the north-east end of Chatham Island.
“… we were anxiously looking out for land, when what appeared to be an islet was seen from the mast-head. This seeming islet turned out to be the summit of Mount Pitt, a remarkable hill at the north-east end of Chatham Island.” — Capt. Robert FitzRoy’s Journal.
The very next day H.M.S. Beagle reached Hood Island, shown above. Early in the morning Edward Chaffers (Master) and Arthur Mellersh (Midshipman) set out on a boat to survey the island’s shoreline.
By noon another boat was launched to survey the central islands of the archipelago. Later in the afternoon H.M.S. Beagle reached Chatham Island. Darwin was intrigued by the rocky shore of black lava, and the raw hostile environment.
H.M.S. Beagle arrived at Chatham Island on the 17th, sailing north along the western shoreline and surveyed several bays along the coast and spotted an American Whaler in Stephen’s Harbor. The next day the Beagle arrived at the north-east end of Chatham. Capt. FitzRoy and others went on a short inland excursion. Darwin, Covington, and John Stokes (assistant surveyor) were also put on shore to explore on their own. It was a very, very hot day, about seventy degrees over the water, but much hotter on the island due to radiating heat off the lava rock. Darwin examined the huge tortoises here and collected about ten plants, most of which he thought were unimpressive little things. Eighteen tortoises are brought on board the Beagle as food.
Over the next few days the Beagle sailed around to the eastern side of Chatham and then surveyed southward along the coast. A fresh source of water was located on the south-east part of the island at a place later to be called Bahia de Aqua Dulce. The crew took on a water supply and continue to the southern end of Chatham Island where Chaffers and Mellersh came back on board.
Capt. FitzRoy finished up the survey of Chatham Island by September 22nd, and more tortoises were brought on board for food. The next day the Beagle sailed out towards Barrington Island and spent the night between Hood and Charles Islands.
The next day was spent surveying the waters around Charles Island which was populated by a small colony of about 250 political prisoners from the Republic of Equator (established in 1829). Darwin went on shore with Covington to collect plants and birds and climbed the highest hill – about 1,800 feet above sea level. He also examined a few curious lava chimneys. During his stay on the island Darwin was informed by Mr. Nicholas Lawson, an Englishman in charge of the prison colony, that one can tell which island a tortoise came from by looking at it’s shell, (at the time Darwin did not grasp the significance of this news!). Another small boat, under the command of Edward Chaffers, was launched to survey the little islands off the south-east coast of Charles Island. In the afternoon the Beagle anchored at Post Office Bay.
On the 25th Mr. Lawson came on board the Beagle. Later in the day he took Capt. FitzRoy and others on a tour of the prison colony on Charles Island. Chaffers returned to the Beagle the next day after surveying the southern end of Charles Island.
The next day was spent exploring the interior of Charles Island.
“I industriously collected all the animals, plants, insects & reptiles from this Island. [on Charles Island] It will be very interesting to find from future comparison to what district or ‘center of creation’ the organized beings of this archipelago must be attached.” Charles Darwin’s Beagle Diary, September 26/27, 1835.
On September 28 H.M.S. Beagle set sail for Albermarle Island, shown above, and in the evening anchored off the south-west shore.
Over the next few days survey work was done along the south-west tip of Albermarle Island. Arthus Mellersh and Philip King (midshipman) were let off on a boat to survey Elizabeth Bay. The crew was astonished at the sight of huge swarmsof ugly lizards (marine iguanas), 3-4 feet in length, all along the coastline.
“The black Lava rocks on the beach are frequented by large (2-3 ft) most disgusting, clumsy Lizards. They are as black as the porous rocks over which they crawl & seek their prey from the Sea.” Charles Darwin’s Beagle Diary, September 17, 1835.
There was a good breeze on the 3rd in the morning and the Beagle set sail for Banks Cove near the northern tip of Albermarle Island. Along the way the Beagle was nearly stuck between Albermarle and Narborough Islands due to extremely calm winds. They eventually passed through Canal Bolivar between Narborough and Albermarle Islands and anchored at Banks Cove.
A small party explored inland on October 1st to look for fresh water, but they only located a few small watery holes in the rocks. All Darwin found was an elliptical crater near a small cove that had a small salty lake with an island in middle. Due to the shortage of potable water, rationing was started on the ship today. Darwin described land iguanas on the island in some detail. Many giant iguana were caught and killed for food. The next day was passed at Banks Cove.
H.M.S. Beagle sailed around the northern tip of Albermarle on the 3rd, and anchored off Punta Flores. In the morning the Beagle sailed towards Abingdon Island, but due to very strong and erratic currents they ended up forty miles off course to the west.
A few days were spent trying to get back on course but the currents were very irregular in the area and caused much delay. More strong currents prevented the Beagle from reaching Abingdon Island, so Capt. FitzRoy ordered a course change towards the northern shore of James Island. Along the way the Beagle passed near Tower Island in the morning and Bindloe Island at sunset.
H.M.S. Beagle anchored at the northern tip of James Island on October 8th. Some of the crew went on shore and met up with a party of Spanish settlers salting fish and extracting oil from tortoises.
Edward Chaffers, Charles Johnson (midshipman) and six others set off on a boat to survey Bindloe, Abingdon and Tower Islands.
Darwin’s Discovery:
Some of the specimens Darwin collected from the Galapagos:
One buzzard, two owls, three flycatchers, one Sylvicola, three species of mockingbirds, one species of finch, one swallow, one dove, 13 species of finches (Darwin remarked how fascinated he was by the beak gradations, but the variation of finches confused Darwin a great deal), one turtle, one tortoise, four lizards (sea and land iguanas and two other types), four snakes, and very few insects.
Charles Darwin was very anxious to go exploring so he, Syms Covington (Darwin’s servant), Benjamin Bynoe (acting surgeon) and H. Fuller (Bynoe’s servant) stayed behind on James Island. They went with the Spaniards to a circular salt lake to collect salt. Darwin commented that all the plants and animals had rather dull coloration, and were not particularly beautiful. The Beagle set sail for Chatham to get fresh water but the currents slowed them down.
“Amongst other things, I collected every plant, which I could see in flower, & as it was flowering season I hope my collection may be of some interest to you. – I shall be very curious to know whether the Flora belongs to America, or is particular. I paid also much attention to the Birds, which I suspect are very curious.” Charles Darwin, Letter to Revd. John Henslow January 1836.
By the evening of the 9th H.M.S. Beagle was back at the southeast corner of Chatham Island and the next morning a party went on shore to get fresh water. A few days were spent at this island taking on more fresh water, cutting fire wood and hunting tortoises. FitzRoy noted how much cooler and wetter it was on this side of the archipelago compared to the western side where it was dry and hot.
While on James Island Darwin commented on tortoises hissing and dropping like a rock when passed, and on him riding them and not being able to keep balance. He described the variations of lizards, but Darwin did not hint at why variations should exist in these species. He did field tests with one iguana by tossing it in a pool of water in some lava rocks, noting that it returned directly to where he stood every time. He theorized that the lizard knows dry land is a safe place to be, and that water was dangerous. As for insects, Darwin was sadly disappointed at how few there were. He remarked on the odd fact that nearly all the birds have dull coloration (the flycatcher being the only bright one). He was also told that there are certain trees and plants that are found on one island but not at any of the others – a very strange curiosity! Darwin said it never occurred to him that islands so close together could have dissimilar plants and animals. He simple did consider it to be an important point at the time. This was why he did not label each animal to the island it was found on, especially the Galapagos finches. He also commented on the extreme tameness of the birds. Two small tortoises were brought on board as pets today.
The Beagle left Chatham Island on the 13th and after fighting heavy winds in the morning and nearly crashing into the cliffs, the Beagle set sail for Hood Island. On the way to Hood they almost got stuck on some dangerous shoals. A small boat was set down to pin point the exact location of these dangerous shoals. The next day the Beagle anchored at Hood Island and after surveying until noon they headed for the southern tip of Charles Island. By sunset they were anchored at the western end of Charles Island.
The Beagle later sailed to Post Office Bay and some crew members went on shore to locate salt deposits. Some more of the crew went onshore – this time to gather fire wood, dig up potatoes and hunt pigs. In the afternoon, a schooner arrived at Charles Island and dropped off a bag of letters from England. H.M.S. Beagle left Charles Island in the evening and headed for Albermarle Island.
“All the small birds that live on these lava-covered islands have short beaks, very thick at the base, like that of a bullfinch. This appears to be one of those admirable provisions of Infinite Wisdom by which each created thing is adapted to the place for which it was intended.” — Capt. Robert FitzRoy’s Journal.
They arrived on the 17th and the Beagle surveyed north along the eastern shore of the island. At noon the Beagle took a detour to Punta Cordova and picked up Darwin and the others left on James Island the week before. Darwin brought aboard quite a large haul of plants, animals, rocks and insects. In the afternoon the Beagle returned to Albermarle Island and spent the night sailing north along the coast.
The Beagle continued surveying the eastern side of Albermarle Island and in the afternoon of the 18th set sail for Abingdon Island to pick up Chaffers, Johnson and the other six crew members who had been surveying the area.
They continued sailing towards Abingdon Island and while the currents were still elusive, they were not as strong as they were before. After picking up the smaller survey boats on the 19th, the Beagle sailed to Wenman and Culpepper Islands to the north.
October 20th was spent surveying Wenman and Culpepper Islands. In the evening the crew raised all sails and under a good strong wind steered for the Island of Tahiti, 3,200 miles away.
“Seeing this gradation and diversity of structure in one small, intimately related group of birds, one might really fancy that from an original paucity of birds in this archipelago, one species had been taken and modified for different ends.” Charles Darwin, Journal of Researches, 2 edition, page 380.
Coming Soon to Galapagos & Sangay Touring®
Capacity: 16 PASSENGERS
2010 CRUISE RATES
USD $3200 per adult
USD $2300 per child
USD $4200 single cabin
PROPOSED ITINERARY (subject to change)
Saturday AM: Baltra Island
PM: North Seymour IslandSunday AM: Gardner Bay (Hood Island)
PM: Punta Suarez (Hood Island)Monday AM: Punta Cormorant (Floreana Island)
PM: Post Office Bay (Floreana Island)Tuesday AM: El Chato-Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz Island). Hay que confirmar si es El Chato o no
PM: Charles Darwin Research Station (Santa Cruz Island)Wednesday AM: Punta Moreno (Isabela Island)
PM: Elizabeth Bay (Isabela Island)Thursday AM: Urbina Bay (Isabela Island)
PM: Punta Espinosa (Fernandina Island)Friday AM: Puerto Egas (Santiago Island)
PM: Bartholomew IslandSaturday AM: Black Turtle Cove – Baltra
FLIGHT DETAILS
TAME EQ 192 (Direct flight – NO stop in GYE)
QUITO: 09h30 GALAPAGOS: 11h30TAME EQ190 (Direct flight – NO stop in GYE)
GALAPAGOS: 12h00 QUITO: 14h00
S/V MANDALAY – A floating legend of romance and history
S/V Mandalay was commissioned by American multi-millionaire Edward F Hutton in 1923, whose request was to “Build me a ship, the finest private yacht in all the world”. Designed by Cox and Stevens, her hull was built by the Danish shipbuilders of Burmeister and Wain and was christened Hussar. She was launched as a three-masted barquentine of 236 feet overall and over 20,000 square feet of sail. For nearly ten years, her owners lived in “great comfort and splendor as [they were] conveyed about the world”. The Hussar was the height of luxury and opulence but eventually superceded by Mrs. Hutton’s wish for an even more magnificent yacht.
In 1935, the Hussar was sold to Norwegian shipping magnate, George Vetlesen and his wife Maude Monell and renamed Vema. During World War II, Maude donated Vema to the American war effort and the vessel was put into service as a merchant marine cadet training ship.
Once the war was over, Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory program chartered Vema for a highly successful research voyage that eventually led to her being purchased by the university in 1953 and a near 30-year career as an oceanographic research vessel. She logged over a million sea miles and helped redefine the understanding of plate tectonics and continental drift. It was onboard Vema that the world’s first ocean-floor map was drawn up and invaluable data were collected in marine geology and the earth’s magnetic field.
In 1982, the founder of Windjammer Barefoot Cruises, Capt. Mike Burke, acquired Vema and renamed her Mandalay. After a major refit, the yacht re-emerged as a sleek pleasure cruiser for around 70 passengers and joined the Windjammer fleet to cruise the Windward Islands for more than 20 years.
Sangay (phoenetic: sang [ai] or sang-eye) is the most continuously active volcano in the world and the most hardcore mountain in Ecuador to climb because of the demanding nature of the approach and the prevailing appalling weather.
Different interpretations for the name of the mountain exist. Some say it is from the Quichua word samkay, meaning “to frighten, scare, or terrorize”; others, primarily people living in the east, say it is from the word shanga, meaning ‘good-natured.” The reason for this wide disparity is that despite Sangay’s high level of activity, it has not damaged any of the surrounding areas.
The isolated Sangay volcano, located east of the Andean crest, is the southernmost of Ecuador’s volcanoes, and its most active. The dominantly andesitic volcano has been in frequent eruption for the past several centuries. The steep-sided, 5230-m-high glacier-covered volcano grew within horseshoe-shaped calderas of two previous edifices, which were destroyed by collapse to the east, producing large debris avalanches that reached the Amazonian lowlands. The modern edifice dates back to at least 14,000 years ago. Sangay towers above the tropical jungle on the east side; on the other sides flat plains of ash from the volcano have been sculpted by heavy rains into steep-walled canyons up to 600 m deep. The earliest report of a historical eruption was in 1628. More or less continuous eruptions were reported from 1728 until 1916, and again from 1934 to the present. The more or less constant eruptive activity has caused frequent changes to the morphology of the summit crater complex.
Photo by Minard Hall, 1976 (Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito).
Country: Ecuador
Volcano Type: Stratovolcano
Volcano Status: Historical
Last Known Eruption: 2009 (continuing)
Summit Elevation: 5230 m 17,159 feet
Latitude: 2.002°S 2°0′9″S
Longitude: 78.341°W 78°20′27″W
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