Travel to Ecuador, Galapagos: Galapagos Photographic Adventure

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Galapagos Photographic Adventure

			DAYS: 11 GRADE: I, Easy Hiking define PRICE: $4795 per person * $535 Internal Flights and Park Fees * HIGHLIGHTS: Historic Quito Small group size Two photographic tour leaders Customized tour of the Galapagos Islands for Photography enthusiasts New itinerary focusing on the Northwestern Archipelago. ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels/Lodges Yacht/Ship MEALS: As noted  [B-Breakfast, L-Lunch,   D-Dinner] Prices, Departure Dates and Included Services Send to a Friend Print this Itinerary

Join professional nature photographers, Diane Kelsay and Bob Harvey with native Ecuadorian guides on an exploration of the natural and cultural wonders of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. Discover a blend of indigenous and Spanish culture in Quito, South America's oldest capital city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the Galapagos, your voyage of discovery is on the M/Y Samba, a classic steel-hulled motor yacht built for just 14 passengers. As you travel from island to island, our expert naturalist guide points out the unique behavioral and physical characteristics plants and animals have developed as they evolve and adapt to each unique island habitat. No where else on Earth can you observe, photograph and commune so closely with exotic wildlife while you venture among cinder cones, lava flows, white sand beaches, rocky cliffs and shorelines. During the 8-day voyage we'll visit many of the major sites in the Northwestern archipelago under the tutelage of seasoned photography professionals allowing you to fine tune your photography techniques and learn new ones. Every skill level is welcome and encouraged to join this one of a kind photographic journey. View past explorations and read more about Bob and Diane here: Nature Photography Adventures. 

As if sculpted from the cold nights air, illuminated colonial monuments stand in Quitos historic plazas.

DAY 1 :  ARRIVE QUITO
Arrive in Quito and transfer to Patio Andaluz, a 4-star boutique hotel situated in the heart of the refurbished colonial center of Quito. Overnight at Patio Andaluz or similar.

DAY 2 :  QUITO CITY TOUR
Enjoy a full day tour of old colonial Quito, a UNESCO World Heritage Site thats been specially tailored by your Nature Photography Adventure tour leaders. We'll take time to visit such unique and picturesque sites as the Statue of the Virgin of Quito, the Monastery at the Cathedral of Santa Fe, the Basilica del Voto National, as well as the famous Independence plaza; each presenting outstanding artistic photography opportunities.  At night, we'll return to the plaza with our cameras when the Presidential Palace and nearby cathedrals stand illuminated against the night sky. Overnight                                      Patio Andaluz or similar. [B]

	Our expert naturalist guide provides unique insight throughout your Galapagos Photographic Adventure.

DAY 3 :  GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
We'll rise early this morning for our flight out to the Galapagos Islands. After landing on Baltra Island, we'll be met by a representative of the Samba who will help us gather luggage and take a short bus ride to the harbor where we'll board the M/Y Samba.The Samba is classic steel-hulled motor yacht built for just 14 passengers, with an exellent crew and naturalist guide. After lunch and a quick sail, we'll go ashore at Las Bachas.  These white sand beaches on the northern shore of Santa Cruz Island are the most important nesting sites for the Pacific Green Sea Turtles.  We'll have photographic opportunities with marine iguanas, sally lightfoot crabs, blue footed boobies and may find greater flamingos, stilts, and other shore birds. Overnight on the Samba. [BLD]

DAY 4 :  TOWER ISLAND
During the night the crew of the Samba will navigate 6 to 7 hours to Tower Island (also known as Isla Genovesa), where we'll awake to the chorus of one of the largest colonies of tropical sea birds on the planet! Here the cliff tops are crowded with frigate birds, red footed boobies, Nazca boobies, swallow tailed gulls, tropic birds and more, many of them here to court and nest.  We'll go ashore (wet landing) to observe and photograph the courtship antics and displays of red footed boobies and frigate birds and catch the actions of Darwins finches, Galapagos doves, and mocking birds as they seek seeds and insects.

After lunch we'll climb Prince Philips Steps for action shots as red billed tropic birds and Galapagos shearwaters bank and dive close to the steep coastline. The trail continues through a dwarf forest to find nesting red footed and Nazca boobies. Here storm petrels literally storm the island as they make their endless journeys between onshore nests and offshore food supplies.  If time permits we'll snorkel before we dine and set sail for Marchena. Overnight on the Samba. [BLD]

Snorkel with playful sea lions in the crystal clear waters of the Galapagos.

DAY 5 :  MARCHENA ISLAND
Today we'll explore another outer island and gem of the Galapagos archipelago, Marchena Island. Marchena has the highest level of protection and only approved scientific missions are allowed permission to go ashore. Being one of the youngest islands it displays some of the initial stages of plant and wildlife colonization thus making it a key location to conduct research. We'll investigate this stunning shoreline by panga boat and kayak. 

This afternoon snorkel at Punta Mejia, a sensational site with calm deep blue waters and a rugged marine topography, with plenty of shelter for an abundant variety of fishes, rays, and sea turtles. Continuing a short distance on to Playa Negra we may have the opportunity to photograph bottle nosed dolphins working as a team in one of their perfectly choreographed feeding frenzies. 

Playa Negra offers another excellent opportunity to snorkel or kayak, this time around a recently formed lava grotto where its possible to capture images of marine iguanas diving for algae growing on the submerged lava beds. Departing Marchena to the southwest toward the northern tip of Isabella Island, our route takes us over deep nutrient rich waters where we'll have the best chances for sighting whales and dolphins. Overnight on the Samba. [BLD]

A pair of flightless cormorants build their seaweed nest together on the Galapagos Island of Isabella.

DAY 6 :  ISABELA ISLAND
Unique to the standard Galapagos cruises we'll visit Punta Albemarle, the most northern point of Isla Isabela and the location of a pristine nesting colony of flightless cormorants. Since this site is so rarely visited its likely the cormorants will allow us to quietly watch and capture images as they go about courtship and building nests from seaweed.  Some of the largest marine iguanas of the Galapagos are found here and well have ample opportunities to photograph of these prehistoric looking monsters as they slip off into the sea to feast on algae. 

After lunch we approach Punta Vicente Roca an area just south of the equator and an outstanding example of the geologic transformations that created the islands and helped shape the wildlife. Pause to admire the dramatic collection of tuff cones and lava dikes that jut out from the southwest flank of Ecuador Volcano.  We'll also watch for Galapagos penguins, brown noddies, blue footed boobies and other marine life, so you'll want to be ready for all kinds of photographic action! If time permits and the waters are calm, this area is great for snorkeling. The volcanic tuffs coarse and furrowed surface provides an excellent home to an assortment colorful invertebrates and an abundance of red and green algae which attracts hungry sea turtles. Overnight on the Samba. [BLD]

	The Galapagos Marine Iguanas live in harmany with their fellow ecto-thermal reptiles, the smaller lava lizards.

DAY 7 :  FERNANDINA
Start the day with all your batteries charged and all your camera memory available as today we'll visit one of our favorite spots! We begin with a dry landing on the island of Fernandina, at Punta Espinoza, where the focus is on life. Marine iguanas numbering in the hundreds lounge about sun bathing, swimming, and diving for algae. Lava lizards can be seen skirting through the mass of lethargic leviathans, sometimes posing on top of their heads. Flightless cormorants are visible hunting in the shoals and fending off their catch from the aerial attacks of frigate birds while further out in the surf blue footed boobies dive in formation for large schools of fish. Sea turtles, sea lions and colorful red and yellow sally light foot crabs are also abundant on this island menagerie. Due to its youth Fernandina beautifully exhibits many types of lava and our guide Juan Salcedo will expertly point them out and explain the different geologic processes by which they were created. Challenge yourself to capture black on black images and design striking compositions of cactus and mangroves juxtaposed with lava flows. Our small group and dedicated guide allow for maximum time on shore, well beyond the normal limits of any other Galapagos vessel, providing you plenty of time to compose the perfect shot. 

In the afternoon we're headed to Urbina Bay (perhaps the roughest wet landing) back on Isabela Island, the site of a 1954 earthquake that uplifted nearly a mile of new shoreline. This new land became the perfect nesting area for land iguanas and now it hosts some of the largest in the Galapagos. The impressive yellow, orange/brown iguanas love to roam the low lands looking for flowers, fruits, leaves and shoots of their favorite plants. In the past, we've also had extremely good luck capturing images of spiders and spider webs, marine fossils (a rarity among these igneous islands) exposed by the uplift, and skeletal pieces along the shoreline. It's also possible to spot tortoises as we walk the trails here. Overnight on the Samba. [BLD]

DAY 8 :  ISABELLA ISLAND
Our exploration continues on Isabela Island, the largest of the Galapagos Islands comprised of five shield volcanoes connected by eons of lava flows. The island stretches nearly one-hundred miles in length and tops out at five-thousand feet in elevation on the caldera rim or Sierra Negra volcano. This morning we'll explore by panga rather than on foot, pointing our craft into the serene mangrove-lined channels where lava meets salt water at Elizabeth Bay. Here we'll discover an unlikely pairing; penguins that originated from colder southern climates swimming next to mangroves which only inhabit tropical zones. These tranquil waters are also home to spotted eagle rays, sea turtles, and many other marine invertebrates which find shelter in the tangle of mangrove roots. 

Punta Moreno is an excellent local for practicing composition and design as we try to capture both the stark nature of the young lava flow and the inspiring beauty and tenacity of plants colonizing it. We'll assist you in the proper techniques for shooting black on black, a tricky feat with the possibility for stunning results. As we venture further onto the lava field well encounter rich oases where lava tubes have collapsed and support pools of brackish water surrounded by lush growth and possibly flamingos or other waterfowl. There will also be great opportunities to design abstract images from both lava patterns and from the large cactus we'll encounter. Overnight on the Samba. [BLD]

Galapagos tortoises have evolved unique shell shapes in response to the unique pressures exhibited on each individual island.

DAY 9 :  ISABELLA ISLAND
You'll awaken this morning in the harbor at Puerto Villamil on the southeastern tip of Isabela. Before breakfast well visit the tiny Islet of Tintoreras and follow a shoreline trail past to picturesque grottos with clear views downward into waters where white tipped reef sharks like to rest. Penguins, sea turtles, and blue footed boobies are also common denizens of this remote outpost. After breakfast, well visit the islands Tortoise Breeding Center to learn about how isolated populations of tortoises uniquely evolved in response to the distinct pressures and opportunities available on each individual island. This will be our best opportunity to shoot portraits and close-ups of these gentle giants, hopefully catching them during their morning feeding.

Further inland stands Sierra Negra, the largest active caldera in the Galapagos. Well hike to see new lava flows (the last eruption was in 2005) and take stunning landscape shots from our perch high on this fuming giants rocky rim. Tonight well celebrate the adventurous week that we had together with our guide Juan and the rest of the crew of the Samba. Pack your bags, settle up your bar tab, and pass on any tips to the guide and crew this evening before disembarking in the early morning. Overnight on the Samba. [BLD]

DAY 10 :  RETURN TO QUITO
From the main harbor of Santa Cruz Island, well travel by bus in the early morning to Baltra airport. Along the way well visit Los Gemelos, two deep collapsed lava craters surrounded by a forest of daisy trees. 

Arriving in Quito well be met by our mainland guide and transferred back to the hotel. This evening there will be time to make one last exploration of the old central plaza and collect any final souvenirs before our groups farewell dinner. Overnight at Patio Andaluz or similar. [B]

DAY 11 :  DEPART
Transfer to the airport for your return flight home or extend your trip to explore more of South America's natural wonders. [B]

Questions? Ask Our Program Directors.

. C o n t a c t Jeff Stivers 1(800)345-4453