Galapagos Islands - the Boat

The boat Coral 1 - A great way to experience the Galapagos
My trip to the Galapagos was organised through Rosa Mena of the Galapagos Travel Centre www.galapagosislands.com. She did a really great job helping me get my trip sorted out. From the arrival at Quito airport to the final flight out of the Galapagos, everything was arranged perfectly. The package with all my information for the trip was waiting for me at my hotel in Quito before the trip. Representatives met me at the airport, assisted in getting my luggage screened at the quarantine inspection desk (they need to make sure that no one is bringing any form of plant or animal material into the Galapagos which could threaten the isolated nature of the Islands.), getting my boarding pass and sending me on my merry way to get my flight. My flight was to San Cristobal. It was interesting sitting at the airport and working out who on the flight would also be on the boat.

The bar on the boat

On arrival at San Critobal airport, the very well oiled machine, which is the crew of the boat kicked into action. Our luggage was marked with our cabin number and we were all whisked off in a bus to the jetty. This was were we did our first embarkation on the rubber dingies which would form a major part of our trip. After getting our life jackets, we headed for to the boat - Coral 1.

My cabin - small but comfortable
This is a really great boat and would be home for the next 4 nights. The boarding area at the rear of the boat was where our shoes were kept and where we would gather to board the dingies for the shore excisions. You then entered the lounge section with the bar. The dinning hall was also on the same deck. A set of cabins were on the lower desk and there were cabins on the upper deck. The top deck was a sun deck. The crew on the boat were excellent. They really looked after us  all very well. The crew consisted of 9 people and two nature guides. There were two cocks, who turned out the most delicious food - three meals a day. The captain and two mates were involved in the running of the boat and the dingies, a general hotel manage and two hospitality staff - looking after the bar and the dinning room area and then of course the chief engineer who keeps the engining running.

Boarding platform with life jacket
The part of the trip was the fellow passengers. Really a great group of people. A few from Australia and New Zealand, Israel, Ireland, Mexico, France, Italy and a few people from the USA. Most were, like me, passionate travellers. They had all been on various trips and some of the people on the boat had already been travelling for a month or more in South America. One passanger in particular (June) was a real inspiration and the true role model of a passionate traveller. She was on the boat for the full 16 days it takes to do all of the islands. The cruses are broken up into 4 sections of 4 days each. You could do one or more of the sectors. A few of the people on board had aslo done the sector before I joined the boat. She had also spent some time before the trip in South America. After she disembarked with us, she was on her way to Argentina to board a 3 week cruse the the Antarctic! This would all have been very impressive, but when you found out that she was 85 year young, it was truly amazing. I just hope that if and when I reach the ripe old age of 85 I will still be embarking on journeys of a life time. Very well done June. My hat off to you. On the Friday evening we had a special meal. a BBQ cooked on the sub desk. This was a really great meal.

The naturalist guides accompanied us on all of the shore excersions and explained all of the interesting Galapogos wildlife to us in detail. There were also there to check that we did nothing stupid to disturbe this unique ecosystem. 

All in all, the boat and crew were really great and the fellow passengers also made this a most enjoyable trip.
Wonderful food on board
Lunch with a view
BBQ on the top deck.

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