Greg Greer, Orbridge Sr. Naturalist
Why I Love the Galapagos Islands
As a life-long student of natural history, I have enthusiastically read a great deal of Charles Darwin's work, including On the Origin of Species. Darwin's writing created an urge to visit the Galapagos to see first hand how and why the islands had such importance in our understanding of science. On my first visit, I was like a child in a huge candy store. Every island held exciting personal discoveries, all reinforcing the knowledge gained from Darwin's books, written over 140 years earlier. To witness nature, completely unafraid of humans, on islands where cormorants have evolved without the necessity to fly, where penguins live on the Equator, where the world's largest tortoises perform bi-annual altitudinal migrations, and where finches arriving on the islands millions of years ago evolved beak adaptations that allowed them to survive the harshness of individual islands...these are all incredibly strong reasons for visiting the Galapagos Islands.
Destination Highlights:
- Enjoy seven nights aboard the deluxe 48 passenger La Pinta, as well as two nights in Quito at the deluxe Swissôtel
- Observe numerous endemic species such as the flightless cormorant, the Galapagos penguin, both marine and land iguanas, and the famous “Darwin’s finches”
- Other species on the islands include the blue footed booby, the waved albatross, the giant tortoise, and the Pacific green sea turtle
- Swim with curious and playful sea lions, and become part of the rich and complex underwater world while snorkeling in the clear waters
- Join expert local naturalists on excursions to various islands in the archipelago
- Visit areas famous from the writings of Charles Darwin, which resulted in the breakthrough On the Origin of Species
- Take part in an educational program of shipboard lectures and field instructions
