Sail Your Way to the Galapagos
The Galapagos Islands are truly one of a kind. A group of volcanic islands clustered together in the Pacific Ocean, this is a place that's famed for its diverse collection of exotic species. Discovering wildlife that inspired the works of Charles Darwin, a voyage to the Galapagos enables you to see giant tortoises, penguins, sea lions, lizards, and a variety of exotic bird species around every turn.
With little hotels on the islands, a cruise here is fast becoming an increasingly popular thing to do and cruise lines such as Silversea Cruises are now offering expeditions around the island. This means that guests can enjoy a luxurious cruise and call at plenty of ports all in one journey. Here's just a few of the animals you can discover on a Galapagos expedition:
The giant turtle.
One of the most popular animals to see on the islands is the giant Galapagos Tortoises. These tortoises as the name suggests are truly ginormous. They keep growing for 30 or 40 years to almost five feet and they weight roughly around 500 pounds!
The animals come in three different types of species: Dome - which can be found on Isabela Island, Saddle Backs - live in less vegetated islands such as Pinta and Espanola and the Intermediate race - is a mix of both which can be found on Santa Fe Island. The different species meant that Darwin could prove that each version could thrive in a different habitat and evolve throughout time.
The penguin.
The Galapagos Penguins are distinguished by their narrow white line which leads from the eye to its chin and a black band which is in the shape of a horseshoe around its front. This type of penguin will only feed during the daytime and 90% of these penguins can be found on the western islands of Fernandina and Isabela.
The tropical bird.
The Blue Footed Booby is a tropical seabird that can be found here and quite a find it is indeed! There are three different types of this bird and they are a protected species so if you want to see them, make sure you book your Galapagos trip today. As the name suggests, this is a bird with bright blue feet and is famed for its mating ritual as it rises one foot its feet in the air alternately to make it look like it is dancing.
The Sea Lion.
The Galapagos Sea Lion is a loveable creature who enjoys spending his playful days both on land and in sea, so if you get the chance to go here then expect to see a social spectacle. They live in groups and can quite often be found sleeping on top of each other so make sure you get your camera out for this one!
The flamingo.
As one of the most colourful birds in the Galapagos, the Flamingo had to feature on the list. This exotic bird can be found in several lagoons all over the islands so you can be sure to see some on your cruise. This is a bird that loves its privacy so you won't be able to get too close, but grab a pair of binoculars and you can enjoy a fascinating watch as the bird enjoys its habitat.
With little hotels on the islands, a cruise here is fast becoming an increasingly popular thing to do and cruise lines such as Silversea Cruises are now offering expeditions around the island. This means that guests can enjoy a luxurious cruise and call at plenty of ports all in one journey. Here's just a few of the animals you can discover on a Galapagos expedition:
The giant turtle.
One of the most popular animals to see on the islands is the giant Galapagos Tortoises. These tortoises as the name suggests are truly ginormous. They keep growing for 30 or 40 years to almost five feet and they weight roughly around 500 pounds!
The animals come in three different types of species: Dome - which can be found on Isabela Island, Saddle Backs - live in less vegetated islands such as Pinta and Espanola and the Intermediate race - is a mix of both which can be found on Santa Fe Island. The different species meant that Darwin could prove that each version could thrive in a different habitat and evolve throughout time.
The penguin.
The Galapagos Penguins are distinguished by their narrow white line which leads from the eye to its chin and a black band which is in the shape of a horseshoe around its front. This type of penguin will only feed during the daytime and 90% of these penguins can be found on the western islands of Fernandina and Isabela.
The tropical bird.
The Blue Footed Booby is a tropical seabird that can be found here and quite a find it is indeed! There are three different types of this bird and they are a protected species so if you want to see them, make sure you book your Galapagos trip today. As the name suggests, this is a bird with bright blue feet and is famed for its mating ritual as it rises one foot its feet in the air alternately to make it look like it is dancing.
The Sea Lion.
The Galapagos Sea Lion is a loveable creature who enjoys spending his playful days both on land and in sea, so if you get the chance to go here then expect to see a social spectacle. They live in groups and can quite often be found sleeping on top of each other so make sure you get your camera out for this one!
The flamingo.
As one of the most colourful birds in the Galapagos, the Flamingo had to feature on the list. This exotic bird can be found in several lagoons all over the islands so you can be sure to see some on your cruise. This is a bird that loves its privacy so you won't be able to get too close, but grab a pair of binoculars and you can enjoy a fascinating watch as the bird enjoys its habitat.
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