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I feel your pain in regards to the recent nightmares over lack of live-aboard permits in the Galapagos. All is not lost!
If you are bound to your air travel, have hope- there is a viable alternative. We North Americans only view the Galapagos the way the advertisers in the magazines want us to see it~ liveaboards, liveaboards, and liveaboards. Europeans view it a lot differently... and at about 1/3 of the cost!
A large group of visitors to the Galapagos use various land-based dive ops out of Puerto Galera on the South end Santa Cruz Island http://www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/GalapagosWWW/GalapagosMap.html You may fly into Baltra (the standard inbound airport), then easily transfer to Puerto Ayora via a bus and short ferry ride. Here is one well written website on the town: http://www.ecuadorexplorer.com/html/puerto_ayora.html
We have been aboard many of the liveaboards in the Galapagos, but for our last two trips we have had a wonderful time with www.ScubaIguana.com and their excellent day dive op service.
You will see the same critters most likely, maybe not in the same quantity- but they are indeed there. I go on dive vacations to dive, but what you gain by staying in Puerto Ayora with all of the land diversions and restuarants so close by... It would be a shame to come here and not see it all. It's like going to Europe, just to ski. No- a better example: going to New Zealand just to snow ski. Having done this, I know. It makes no sense.
The whole town you could walk end to end in 10 minutes, find SCUBA Iguana is located at the far Eastern end and butts into the Darwin Research Station.
Here is our trip report: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?f...148905954&blogMonth=1&blogDay=2&blogYear=2007 I don't have u/w pix, but I'm sure you can imagine Hammerheads, Mobula Rays, Seals, etc. The terrestrial stuff I have more than a few pics of. Enjoy. That and many stories of our earthbound adventures in the Galloping Pogos!
Travel in paradise... try being flexible- in this case it might be the only option!
If you are bound to your air travel, have hope- there is a viable alternative. We North Americans only view the Galapagos the way the advertisers in the magazines want us to see it~ liveaboards, liveaboards, and liveaboards. Europeans view it a lot differently... and at about 1/3 of the cost!
A large group of visitors to the Galapagos use various land-based dive ops out of Puerto Galera on the South end Santa Cruz Island http://www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/GalapagosWWW/GalapagosMap.html You may fly into Baltra (the standard inbound airport), then easily transfer to Puerto Ayora via a bus and short ferry ride. Here is one well written website on the town: http://www.ecuadorexplorer.com/html/puerto_ayora.html
We have been aboard many of the liveaboards in the Galapagos, but for our last two trips we have had a wonderful time with www.ScubaIguana.com and their excellent day dive op service.
You will see the same critters most likely, maybe not in the same quantity- but they are indeed there. I go on dive vacations to dive, but what you gain by staying in Puerto Ayora with all of the land diversions and restuarants so close by... It would be a shame to come here and not see it all. It's like going to Europe, just to ski. No- a better example: going to New Zealand just to snow ski. Having done this, I know. It makes no sense.
The whole town you could walk end to end in 10 minutes, find SCUBA Iguana is located at the far Eastern end and butts into the Darwin Research Station.
Here is our trip report: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?f...148905954&blogMonth=1&blogDay=2&blogYear=2007 I don't have u/w pix, but I'm sure you can imagine Hammerheads, Mobula Rays, Seals, etc. The terrestrial stuff I have more than a few pics of. Enjoy. That and many stories of our earthbound adventures in the Galloping Pogos!
Travel in paradise... try being flexible- in this case it might be the only option!
