The Ecoventura!
Looking for something cool to do this summer? How about survival of the fittest, baby?! In a voyage benefiting the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), a non-profit dedicated to ‘transforming the way the world travels,’ an 8-day, 7-night trip to the Galapagos will launch from August 5 – 12, 2012. What better way to explore the islands where Darwin first imagined his “Tree of Life” than with Darwin expert William Durham, Ph.D., CREST’s Co-Director and Bing Professor in Human Biology in the Department of Anthropology at none other than Stanford University.
Winner of the MacArthur “Genius” award for his contributions to the theory of human evolution (because evolution is so sexy), Bill is also the author of a 2012 chapter, “What Darwin Found Convincing in Galapagos” in a just-released symposium volume from the Darwin Station in Galapagos, and a 2008 chapter “Fishing for Solutions: Ecotourism and Conservation in Galapagos National Park.” He has led 27, yes, 27 voyages to the Galapagos, including one that recreated the “Voyage of the Beagle” in celebration of Darwin’s bicentennial. Nerd alert, I love it!
Bill Durham, Galapagos Tour Leader
The itinerary for the Galapagos 2012 Charter Club Expedition has been jointly organized by CREST and, for those who like to swank it like me, the award winning eco-yacht operator, Ecoventura, to provide the most exciting Galapagos experience possible. Eco Yacht?!
Here is the itinerary* at a glance:
Sunday: Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, SAN CRISTOBAL (airport)
La Galapaguera Cerro Colorado, SAN CRISTOBAL
Monday: Prince Philip’s Steps (SN,PS,KY), GENOVESA (Tower)
Darwin Bay (SN, PR, KY), GENOVESA (Tower)
Tuesday: Bachas Beach or Mosquera (SN)
North Seymour (SN, PR)
Wednesday: Punta Espinosa (SN), FERNANDIA
Elizabeth Bay or Punta Moreno (PR, KY) ISABELA
Thursday: Urbina Bay, ISABELA (SN, PR)
Tagus Cove, ISABELA (SN, PR, KY)
Friday: Puerto Egas, SANTIAGO (SN)
Rabida Island (SN, PR, KY)
Saturday: Darwin Station of Highlands of SANTA CRUZ
Santa Fe Island (SN, PR, KY)
Sunday: Interpretation Center, SAN CRISTOBAL (airport)
*The order of visits may vary slightly depending on the yacht assigned.
SN= snorkel, KY= kayak, PR= panga (dingy) ride (passengers must often choose just one activity per site or as time permits).
Prices @$4,765 and includes all meals, non-alcoholic beverages, house wine and local beer with dinner, purified water and accommodations; in-country flights and transfers; a Captain’s welcome and farewell cocktail; guide services; shore excursions; use of wet suits, snorkeling equipment and sea kayaks; lectures and other scheduled activities.
For more details and the complete itinerary information, click here or contact:
Catherine Ardagh
202-247-9203 ext 414
