Galapagos Cruises

The Galapagos Islands, together with the140,000 sq km (54,000 sq miles) marine reserve surrounding them, form a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. This helps to protect hundreds of endemic species on and around the islands. There are understandably strict rules governing visits to the National Parks, and visitors must be accompanied by a guide.

Isla Santa Cruz has the largest human population – over half the total Galapagos inhabitants live in Puerto Ayora. Visitors might see turtles, white-tipped reef sharks, golden rays and spotted eagle rays at Caleta Tortuga Negra, and lava gulls, great blue herons and white-cheeked pintails at Las Grietas. Inland and along the southwest coast is a tortoise reserve with many endemic species of flora such as the Galapagos guava and tree scalesia. Near the capital is the Charles Darwin Research Station. On islands around Santa Cruz you can find sea lions, Nazca and blue-footed boobies and land iguanas.

Isla San Cristobal is home to the provincial capital – Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. It might be the oldest of the volcanic islands, but this has not been proven. Long colonized, the island is home to many introduced species, but there are still many unique Galapagos species to see. These include lava lizards, mockingbirds and the large-billed flycatcher some rare plants near Puerto Chino – an area which also offers good swimming and snorkelling.

The largest island of the archipelago is Isla Isabela, comprised as it is of five and a half volcanoes. They were probably distinct at some point in history, but now they have merged together. Punta Albemarle is home to some every large marine iguanas as well as flightless cormorants, and it is also the only place in the northern hemisphere where penguins can be observed in the wild. In the calm waters of Bahia Elizabeth you can see golden rays, spotted eagle rays, white tipped sharks and green turtles. There is also evidence of Galapagos’s human history – sailors painted and carved the names of their vessels at Caleta Tagus, and there are the remains of a WWII radar station, again at Punta Albemarle.

Diving is only permitted with a licensed guide, and most sites require some previous experience. Diving lessons are available for beginners, and there is a decompression chamber in the islands. Snorkelling is very rewarding, and although anyone can do it visitors should always swim with at least one other person. Currents are seldom a problem, and shark attacks virtually unknown. The Galapagos Islands Explorer includes a guide to ten of the most popular dive sites indicating what marine life can be seen at each – sun fish, whale sharks, bottle-nosed dolphins, red-lipped batfish, and black coral bushes hiding seahorses and hawkfishes can be found around the archipelago.