Audley in The Galapagos
In our experience, the Galapagos Islands are one of those destinations that surpass all expectations. However, in order to make the absolute most of your trip we believe you need experts to advise on the right type of trip to take based on your requirements. We also believe that your trip should be planned by someone who has been to the destination in question, which is why all our Galapagos specialists have visited the islands and know them well.
Between them they have sailed on or inspected many of the different cruise vessels featured and are therefore well qualified to offer first hand advice and plan your trip. They have also travelled extensively in mainland Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, which are destinations you may wish to combine with your Galapagos trip.
Ecotourism and The Galapagos Trust
We are pleased to be a member of the Galapagos Conservation Trust, which works to support the conservation of the archipelago’s biological diversity. Current Trust projects include captive breeding programmes for giant tortoises and land iguanas, controlling or eradicating introduced animals and plants, stopping illegal or uncontrolled fishing and developing local environmental education programmes.
Diving in the Galapagos
The colourful and spectacular Galapagos marine life is truly breathtaking and the diving potential unlimited. Swept by both the cold waters of Antarctica and warm currents from the tropical Pacific, the underwater world of the Galapagos encompasses a huge variety of species and can be as diverse and exciting as being ashore.
You will be amazed to find anomalies such as penguins swimming amongst tropical fish and iguanas feeding underwater, and the marine animals exhibit the same bold curiosity and lack of fear characteristic of the terrestrial wildlife. It is an exhilarating experience to be surrounded by huge shoals of barracuda, watching turtles graze whilst a manta ray soars above your head or a school of eagle rays glide by. All this plus the bizarre-looking hammerhead sharks coming out of the deep towards you, moray eels and octopuses lurking hidden in between rocks, reef tip sharks swimming past, spotting tiny seahorses, brightly coloured minute nudibrancs and so many other beautiful tropical fish, not forgetting of course the curious sea lions who cannot resist teasing you with their playful frolicking. The underwater landscape is somewhat volcanic with jagged rocks and hardy plants unlike the coral reefs of tropical waters. Most of the archipelago is surrounded by very deep water, often up to 3,000 metres. Generally the dives are drifts along the cliff faces of offshore rocks and pinnacles.
Extending Your Trip
Most visitors to the Galapagos Islands want to make the most of their time in South America and visit some of the continent’s other attractions. The mainland of Ecuador is an obvious choice to spend time exploring, but Peru is another place that is practical to include in your trip. Here we detail the main sights of both countries and give a couple of examples of the type of itineraries we can create for you.