Background:
This intrepid group of travelling birders hail from the great state of Delaware. I had guided most of the group previously, through Northern Ecuador from West to East. This year, I wanted to offer them the missing pieces of all the Ecuador has to offer. This 8-day Galapagos tour was the precursor to 22 days through the Southern reaches of the country.
My third trip to the Galapagos, this tour offered better water conditions for viewing, and we enjoyed a larger variety of migrant shorebirds and waders than I had in the past. The larger Islands of Fernandina and Isabela were not on the itinerary, eliminating the opportunity to see Flightless Cormorant or Mangrove Finch (off limits now). However, by focusing on the Eastern and Southern Islands, we gained many endemic finches, a visit to the Galapagos Storm-Petrel colony, and some superior underwater experiences.
The Yate Fregata is a great boat! Listed as Tourist Superior Class 3 (the only higher class is Luxury) the boat has fine accommodations, good food, and a smooth ride. The guides in the Galapagos Islands are consistent within the boat class, and we enjoyed some flexibility among a larger group of non-birders. Being a 16-passenger maximum capacity, we had plenty of room to maneuver for our personal interests, without infringing upon the likes and wants of the other guests. With a spacious, covered, upper deck, lounge mats, seats, and plenty of beer aboard, we were all able to enjoy our leisure time, as well.
Itinerary:
Day 1 – Arrive in the PM direct (How’d THAT happen) from Quito. Transfer to the boat via airport buses, and motor to Bachas.
Day 2 – Morning visit to Bachas beach on Baltra Island. Late morning/early afternoon snorkel and swim. Afternoon/Evening motor to Tower (Genovesa) Island.
Day 3 – Morning landing on Tower at Philip’s Steps and walk through the Island colonies. Afternoon visit to Darwin Bay, and snorkeling nearby. Overnight motor to Bartolome.
Day 4 – Bartolome visit in the morning, and snorkeling nearby. Afternoon boat excursion through Black Turtle Cove. Overnight motor to the Plazas Islands.
Day 5 – Visit to South Plazas Island in the morning. Afternoon spent walking around Puerto Ayora and visiting the Charles Darwin Station.
Day 6 – Morning excursion to the Santa Cruz highland site Los Gemelos. Afternoon motoring and visit to snorkel Barrington Bay on Santa Fe. Overnight motor to Espanola.
Day 7 – Visit to Punta Suarez, Espanola, in the morning. Afternoon snorkeling and visit to Gardner Bay. Overnight motor to Floreana Island.
Day 8 – Visit Punta Cormoran, Floreana, and snorkeling. Afternoon visit to Post Office Bay and snorkeling. Overnight to Baltra.
Day 9 – Morning Flights to Quito.
Birds: 24 endemics, 72 species.
Galapagos Penguin 9
Waved Albatross 2
Galapagos Petrel 2
Murphy’s Petrel 1
Elliot’s Storm-Petrel 337
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel 9
Galapagos Storm-Petrel 2215
Sooty Shearwater 2
Galapagos Shearwater 1579
Red-billed Tropicbird 15
Magnificent Frigatebird 302
Great Frigatebird 645
Nazca Booby 560
Blue-footed Booby 182
Red-footed Booby 750 (Genovesa only)
Brown Pelican 102
Striated Heron 7
Lava Heron 11
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 35
Great Blue Heron 8
Snowy Egret 3
Great Egret 2
Cattle Egret 64
Greater Flamingo 1
Blue-winged Teal 3
White-cheeked Pintail 6
Galapagos Hawk 7
Galapagos Rail 1
American Oystercatcher 12
Black-necked Stilt 2
Pacific Golden-Plover 2
Semipalmated Plover 10
Killdeer 7
Baird’s Sandpiper 2
Western Sandpiper 1
Pectoral Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 6
Semipalmated Sandpiper 2
Ruddy Turnstone 17
Lesser Yellowlegs 2
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Wandering Tattler 11
Spotted Sandpiper 5
Short-billed Dowitcher 2
Hudsonian Curlew (American Whimbrel) 39
Red Phalarope 2
Red-necked Phalarope 25
Long-tailed Skua 1
Lava Gull 16
Sabine’s Gull 2
Laughing Gull 18
Franklin’s Gull 4
Swallow-tailed Gull 320
Common Noddy 419
Galapagos Dove 34
Smooth-billed Ani 7
Short-eared Owl (galapagoensis*) 4
Hood Mockingbird 18 (Espanola/Hood only)
Galapagos Mockingbird 64
Galapagos Flycatcher 20
Yellow Warbler 51
Vegetarian Finch 8
Woodpecker Finch 4 (Santa Cruz only)
Small Tree-Finch 9 (Santa Cruz Only)
Large Tree-Finch 18 (Santa Cruz only)
Warbler Finch 47
Sharp-beaked Ground-Finch 12 (Genovesa only)
Medium Ground-Finch 51
Small Ground-Finch 89
Large Ground-Finch 31
Common Cactus-Finch 18 (Santa Cruz only)
Large Cactus-Finch 14
Mammals: 2 endemics, 2 species
Galapagos Sea Lion 250
Galapagos Fur Seal 40
Reptiles: 6 endemics, 6 species
Pacific Green Sea-Turtle 21
Giant Tortoise (captivity)
Lava Lizard 37
Marine Iguana 190
Land Iguana 32
Santa Fe Land Iguana 10
Fish (individual numbers not recorded, in alphabetical order): 10 endemics, 78 species
Azure Parrotfish
Balloonfish
Barberfish
Barred Serrano
Bicolored Parrotfish
Bignose Unicornfish
Black Durgeon
Black-striped Salema
Blacktip Cardinalfish
Black-tipped Shark
Blue-and-Gold Snapper
Blue-banded Goby
Bluechin Parrotfish
Blunthead Triggerfish
Bravo Clinid
Bullseye Puffer
Bumphead Parrotfish
Burrito Grunt
Chameleon Wrasse
Coral Hawkfish
Cortez Chub
Cortez Rainbow Wrasse
Diamond Stingray
Dusky Chub
Dusky-barred Butterflyfish
Eagle Ray
Finescale Triggerfish
Flag Cabrilla
Galapagos Barnacle Blenny
Galapagos Four-eyed Blenny
Galapagos Grunt
Galapagos Mullet
Galapagos Porgy
Galapagos Puffer
Galapagos Ringtail Damselfish
Galapagos Searobin
Galapagos Shark
Galapagos Sunbream
Giant Damselfish
Giant Hawkfish
Goldrim Surgeonfish
Guineafowl Puffer
King Angelfish
Leather Bass
Longfin Halfbeak
Longtail Stingray
Manta Ray
Marbled Goby
Marbled Ray
Mexican Hogfish
Moorish Idol
Orangeside Triggerfish
Pacific Boxfish
Pacific Creolefish
Pacific Dog Snapper
Pacific Mutton Hamlet
Panamic Fanged Blenny
Panamic Sargeant Major
Panamic Soldierfish
Player Scorpionfish
Rainbow Runner
Razor Surgeonfish
Reef Cornetfish
Rosy Scorpionfish
Scissortail Chromis
Silverstripe Chromis
Spinster Wrasse
Spoffin Burrfish
Stone Scorpionfish
Stripebelly Puffer
Striped Mullet
Surge Wrasse
Three-banded Butterflyfish
Tiger Snake Eel
Trumpetfish
Whitesnout Searobin
White-tipped Reef Shark
Yellowtail Damselfish