The Galapagos Archipelago and our floating home, The Cormorant

Check another experience off our Bucket List … visiting the Galapagos!  I’ve read about these fascinating islands since my school days, and I feel so blessed to have visited them myself some 40 years later. 

The islands are 600 miles west of Ecuador, in the Pacific Ocean, right on the equator.  They’re constantly changing and evolving due to being formed by volcanoes.  The currents of the ocean bring diverse and unusual weather patterns and animals to this unique place.  In 1831 at only 20 years old, the naturalist, Charles Darwin, visited these islands himself, and 30 years later he published his theory of evolution and natural selection.  My head was overflowing with history and information during our week-long visit, and I now understand how one could make their life’s work out of studying and understanding this one place on the planet.  There’s no other place on earth like it.  

Obviously, one can’t explore the islands without a boat, so that is where Dennis started his research.  Thank goodness he found the newly launched (in June 2011) Cormorant, a 110 foot Catamaran, with a 40 foot beam.  She has 8 cabins which hold 16 passengers plus accommodations for 12 crew members.   She has 4 decks, and our cabin was on the main deck, starboard (right) side, in the front.  We were blessed with one of the two suites! 

In addition to the friendly and capable crew, and the abundantly delicious food, I loved the fact that we NEVER wore shoes on the boat!  Due to the strict preservation laws of the islands, the shoes we wore exploring never left the back deck of the boat.  Once we stripped them off and they were rinsed by the crew, we never put another pair of shoes on our feet.  Even for dinner!   Now you KNOW us barefoot desert dwellers LOVED that.

Another favorite memory was the exquisite service and attention to detail lavished on each of us.  Case in point, EVERY TIME we’d return to the boat after a snorkel, we’d be handed a fresh towel and a mug of THE MOST DELICIOUS hot chocolate you have EVER tasted.  And after a hike?  Always a different fresh squeezed juice and a snack ~ including home-made PIZZA!  We were told that they NEVER repeated a meal or snack, but upon request, we got the pizza twice.  In our house, that would have been DINNER.  But no … we always had 3 fantastic meals each day in addition to all the snacks. 

But of course pictures can more fully explain The Cormorant, so please click here to see our images of this excellent boat and crew. 

Please Enjoy!