Galapagos - Urbina Bay

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ISABELA ISLAND - URBINA BAY

Day 7 of our Celebrity Xpeditions finds us on Isabela Island, which is by far the largest island in the Galapagos Archipelago.  It is composed of of 6 shield volcanoes - Alcedo, Cerro Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra and Wolf that over the years have coalesced into one island.  All of these volcanoes are considered still active with the last volcanic eruption occurring in May 2008.

There are five different subspecies of giant tortoises spread upon their slopes; almost all of the wonderful photos of these giant tortoises you may have seen were probably taken here.   Today we had our first opportunity to find the giant land tortoises (Galapagos).

Urbina Bay, a beautiful, small bay located at the east base of the Alcedo volcano.  The bay coastal area was uplifted 12 - 15 feet along a shore line of over a mile.  The violent action happened so quickly that it trapped crustaceans, echinoderms, mollusks, and fish species inland. 

The trail starts on the beach where a wet landing is made, the tour is approximately 3200m, and runs through sand substrates, pumice rock, lava, coral and vegetable formations in a coastal area that has had a lift; in addition burrows of land iguanas can be seen.

This area is also directly affected by the Cromwell Upwelling Current.  The Cromwell is a deep water current traveling along the equatorial line form the western Pacific eventually coming in contact with the Galapagos Archipelago.  This nutrient rich, cold water comes to the surface with temperatures reaching the mid 50's (10 -13 degrees Celsius).

View our Galapagos - Urbina Bay photo album for more images of our morning excursion on the Island of Isabela.

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Additional Photos can be found on our Exotics Shutterfly page

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Diary of Celebrity Xpeditions Galapagos

 

A Land Beyond Xpectations

Over one hundred fifty years ago, a man wrote about his quest that took him to a place where he would discover how life evolved thousands of years ago.  Travel with us as we follow in his footsteps and discover a land that is inhabited by species that can be found nowhere else on earth.

Come with us on our Celebrity Xpeditions adventure that begins in Quito, Ecauador where we had the opportunity to visit local sites including the Equatorial Line Monument.   Here you can stand on a line between the two hemispheres.

Our ultimate destination is an archipelago of volcanic islands near the equator in the Pacific Ocean.  We are met by a team of naturalists who transport us by Zodiacs to our waiting ship, Celebrity Xpedition.  

Celebrity Xpedition recently had their license suspended as we had reported (Lobsters Keep Cruise Ship from Entering National Park) and have now resumed sailing (Celebrity Xpedition to Resume Galapagos Sailings).  We are assembling past articles, posting images, and adding new material in this diary so that you can easily follow our complete adventure.   If you have any unanswered questions, we'd be happy to answer them and also help plan your own unforgettable adventure.

	Port	Blog Posts	Photo Albums
	Celebrity Xpeditions	Packing for Galapagos Why Visit Galapagos Galapagos - Onboard Celebrity Xpedition Celebrity Xpedition Food	Celebrity Xpedition
1	Quito, Ecuador	Celebrity Xpedition - Day 1	J W Marriott Quito
2	Quito, Ecuador	Celebrity Xpedition - Day 2 - Quito Old Town Celebrity Xpedition - Day 2 - El Crater Celebrity Xpedition - Day 2 - Equatorial Line Monument	Quito - Old Town Quito - Lunch Stop Quito - Equator
3	Baltra North Seymour	Celebrity Xpedition - Day 3 - Flight to Baltra Galapagos - Day 3 - Welcome Aboard Celebrity Xpedition - Day 3 North Seymour Island	Celebrity Xpedition Galapagos - North Seymour Island
4	Kicker Rock; Puerto Baquerizo Moreno; Española Island	Galapagos - Kicker Rock Galapagos - Puerto Baquerizo Moreno  Galapagos - Day 4 Snorkeling Orientation  Galapagos - Española	Galapagos - Kicker Rock  Galapagos - San Cristobal  Galapagos - Espanola Islands
5	Floreana Island; Cormorant Point - Baroness Lookout	Galapagos - Cormorant Point (Floreana) Galapagos - Baroness Outlook (Floreana)	Galapagos - Cormorant Point Galapagos - Baroness Lookout
6	Bachas Beach (Santa Cruz); Bartolomé Island	Galapagos - Bachas Beach (Santa Cruz) Galapagos - Bartolomé Island (Day 6) Crossing the Line	Galapagos - Bachas Beach Galapagos -Bartolome Islands Crossing the Line Party - Galapagos Cruise (video)
7	Urbina Bay (Isabela);  Espinoza Point (Fernandina)	Galapagos - Urbina Bay Galapagos - Fernandina Island (Day 7 Afternoon) Galapagos Surprise - There She Blows	Galapagos - Urbina Bay Galapagos - Dry Landing Fernandina Island Galapagos Fur Seal Pups Playing (video) Galapagos - Scenic Cruising Galapagos - Zodiac Ride Fernandina
8	Santiago Island;  Santa Cruz	Galapagos - Santiago (Day 8 Morning) Galapagos - Santa Cruz (Day 8 Afternoon)	Galapagos - Santiago Island Galapagos - Snorkeling (Santiago) Galapagos - Dragon Hill (Santa Cruz)
9	Santa Cruz; Puerto Ayora	Galapagos - Charles Darwin Research Center (Day 9) Galapagos - Santa Cruz Highlands (Day 9 Afternoon) Galapagos - Final Night on Xpedition	Galapagos National Park Galapagos - Santa Cruz Highlands  Farwell Party - Celebrity Xpedition Galapagos (Video)
10	Baltra to Quito	Celebrity Xpedition - Disembarkation Galapagos - Quito (Day 10)	Xpedition Disembarkation
11	Quito	Galapagos - Mindo Cloud Forest (Day 11) Galapagos - Return Home	El Pahuma Orchid Reserve El Siete Restaurant - Mindo
	Additional Posts	Many Faces of Galapagos Hope for Lonesome George End of a Species - Lonesome George

Experience Galapagos in 2014 on Celebrity Xpedition

Exploring the legendary Galapagos Islands aboard Celebrity Xpedition®

2014 Galapagos Islands Deployment

Many destinations promise visitors the chance to "step back into history." The Galapagos Islands perhaps best exemplifies that promise, as Celebrity Cruises take you to a destination that helped shape one of the world's leading scientific doctrines, Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

DESCRIPTION	SAIL DATE(S)2014	ITINERARY
7-Night Galapagos Islands - A	Jan 12,29; Feb 09,23; Mar 09,23; Apr 06, 20; May 04,18; Jun 01,15,29; Jul 13,27; Aug 10,24; Sep 08,21; Oct 05,19; Nov 02,16,20; Dec 14,28	Baltra, Galapagos; Daphne Island, Galapagos; Gardner Bay, Espanola; Punta Suarez, Espanola; Cormorant Point, Floreana; Bahia Post Office, Floreana; Punta Moreno, Isabela; Urvina Bay, Isabela; Punta Vicente Roca, Isabela; Punta Espinoza, Fernandina; South Plaza, Santa Cruz; Dragon Hill, Santa Cruz; Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz; Baltra, Galapagos
7-Night Galapagos Islands - B	Jan 04,19; Feb 02,16; Mar 02,16,30; Apr 13,27; May 11,25; Jun 08,22; Jul 06,20; Aug 03,17,31; Sep 14,28; Oct 12, 26; Nov 09,23; Dec 07,21	Baltra, Galapagos; Daphne Island, Galapagos; Puerto Egas, Santiago; Rabida, Galapagos; Elizabeth Bay, Isabela; Caleta Tagus, Isabela; Sullivan  Bay, Santiago; Bartalome Island, Santiago; Las Bachas, Santa Cruz; North Seymour, Galapagos; P. Baquerizo, San Cristobal; Cerro Brujo, San Cristobal; Kicker Rock, San Cristobal; Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz; Baltra, Galapagos

TRULY ALL-INCLUSIVE CRUISE VACATIONS

Your Galapagos Islands cruise onboard Celebrity Xpedition includes nearly everything you need to relax and enjoy one of the world’s most pristine environments.
• All beverages, including bottled water, wine, beer and spirits, as well as coffee and tea service,
including espresso and cappuccino.
• All shore excursions, with choices of activity levels and locations.
• All gratuities.
• Pre- and post-cruise hotel accommodations and tours on 10 or more night packages.
• Air to/from Quito and Baltra on 10 or more night packages.
• All transfers on 10 or more night packages.
• Park entrance fees and Galapagos Tourist Card fees.
• All meals, including room service and in-stateroom dining during meal hours.
• All snorkeling equipment, including masks, snorkels, fins, wet-suits and snorkeling vests.
• All onboard briefings and lectures led by Xpedition expert naturalists.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS AND SERVICES
AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ONBOARD

• Massage services.
• Scuba diving (where available).
• Internet access.
• Select high-end liquors, apéritifs and wines.
• Laundry services.

There is no place on Earth quite like the Galapagos Islands, and no better way to experience all that this incredible archipelago has to offer than with Celebrity Cruises. In fact, they are the only major cruise line to travel to these enchanting islands. They combine up-close glimpses of some of the world’s rarest wildlife with generous amounts of the good life onboard.

These cruises take place year-round so you can choose the time of year that feels just perfect for escaping to a tropical hideaway.  Celebrity Cruises offers an environmentally conscious vacation that will leave you feeling connected with the incredible creatures we share the world with.  


Photos on our Facebook Fan Page:  Galapagos Critters      Enjoying Galapagos

Celebrity Xpedition - Galapagos - Great Offers

Galapagos Great Offers

Celebrity Xpedition

Take advantage of these special offers on October & November Sailings

If you haven't read my articles on our Celebrity Xpedition to Galapagos last year, I suggest you do so. I am often asked what my favorite cruise vacation is and my answer is usually "the one I'm on now". If you pressure me more, I will tell you that it was our Xpedition to the Galapagos.

One hundred fifty years ago, a man wrote about his quest that took him to a place where he would discover how life evolved thousands of years ago. You have the opportunity to follow in his footsteps and discover a land that is inhabited by species that can be found nowhere else on earth.

What do you think it was like to come face to face with a Red Marine Iguana or a Giant Galapagos Tortoise? What was it like seeing one of those cute Sea Lions or Galapagos Penguins?

You don't have to guess - you can find out for youself if you take advantage of one of the following special offers that Celebrity Cruises has announced.

Celebrity Cruises Itineraries & Pricing

Captain's Club Elite members receive 10% discount on a Celebrity Xpedition to Galapagos.

Celebrity Xpedition is an all-inclusive cruise vacation. Purchase the entire land/sea package and you can forget about doing any planning of daily activities. Your only decision will become do I want medium or high intensity activity in our next Galapagos island.

Celebrity Xpedition staff greets you at the airport in Quito, Ecuador and puts you on a motor coach to your nearby hotel. You explore Quito for two days before being escorted to the airport where you board a charter flight to Baltra, the starting point of your sea portion of the vacation.

Onboard the vessel, all meals and entertainment are provided as is the case on most cruises. In addition to that, you can belly up to the bar with your newly made friends for cocktails any time you want. It is hard to spend money onboard the ship. Most things are included except for items in the gift shop or a massage from the spa attendant.

Celebrity Xpedition was just refurbished, adding some additional cabins and sprucing up the ship. I think you will truly enjoy the improvements. I can't say enough about the ship's staff and naturalists - they are the best in the industry.

Call me today before the limited space is sold out.

Celebrity Xpedition - Day 3 - Flight to Baltra

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Sunday, August 31st we bid farewell to JW Marriott Hotel Quito for our new home for the next seven days: Celebrity Xpedition. Our luggage was taken to the Quito Airport via truck and we followed by motor coaches.

Upon arriving at the airport, we went through security and were shown to VIP lounge where we waited for our flight to Baltra. Our flight was a charter on TAME Airline. We flew from Quito to Guayaquil where we made a short stopover to refuel. On the flight from Quito, we had breakfast which consisted of yogurt topped with cereal. The flight to Guayaquil was about an hour.

We landed in Guayaquil and were instructed to remain seated with our seat belts open. This was a security measure incase anything were to go wrong during refueling. It didn't take long for the refueling. Additional passengers boarded our flight. We learned later that they were the naturalists and some crew members.

On the flight from Guayaquil to Baltra we were served lunch which consisted of a ham and cheese sandwich. Drinks were available, including wine which was the same wine we'd be served throughout the cruise.

Once again, the flight was about an hour. We deplaned and walked to the airport lounge. We checked in with Celebrity and received our Galapagos National Park paperwork and cards. After completing our check in process, we boarded a bus for a short ride to the site where we'd meet the Zodiacs which brought us to the ship.

The first thing we learned was the Galapagos handshake. Every time we entered or exited the Zodiac, we'd use this handshake to assure our safety. As you can see from the picture, the handshake involves clasping right hands of a naturalist or crew member and yourself. Even if the Zodiac were to move due to a wave, you have a firm grip and can safely exit the craft.

Once onboard we were greeted by the staff, shown to Discovery Lounge, and offered a glass of champagne. Embarkation was completed in the lounge and we headed to our cabin to drop off our carry-on bags. Lunch was being served in Darwin's Restaurant on Deck 3.

In my next post, I'll continue with the activities for the remainder of our first day onboard Celebrity Xpedition.

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Additional Photos can be found on our Exotics Shutterfly page

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Celebrity Xpedition - Day 2 - Equatorial Line Monument

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Following lunch at El Crater we boarded our motor coaches for a short ride to the Middle of the World (la Mitad del Mundo) Monument. This famous monument marks the equatorial line: the centre of our planet earth: 0˚-0'-0" Latitude. It is possible to straddle both hemispheres at the same time.



This 30-meter-tall monument, located 10 kilometres north of the city of Quito, Ecuador, marks one of the points where the equator goes through the country. Inside the monument is a museum about the indigenous ethnography of Ecuador. The first thing we did when we got inside the musuem was to take the elevator to the observation deck which offers spectacular views of the surrounding area.

After touring the museum we did some shopping at the boutiques located on the grounds of the monument. A special Equator passport stamp is available at the museum. The stamp is also available at the Celebrity Xpedition hospitality desk at the JW Marriott Hotel.

This stop concluded our Quito tour. We boarded the motor coaches and returned to the hotel where we had some free time before our group dinner.

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Celebrity Xpedition - Day 2 - El Crater

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After visiting Quito's historic Old Town, we boarded the motor coaches for a ride to El Crater Restaurant. This restaurant is built inside a volcanic crater and offers 360 degree views of the crater Pululahua.

The Pululahua Geo-botanical Reserve is located 30 minutes North from Quito near the Mitad del Mundo Monument. Pululahua means "smoke of water" in the indigenous language Quichua. The Pululahua is an inactive volcano which its last eruption was believed it happened around the year 500 B.C.

Fog was starting to roll in when we arrived at the restaurant so our guide suggested that we take our pictures of the crater before going inside for lunch. We took his advice and took several pictures which you can see in our Quito - Lunch Stop photo album.

Our menu included choice of beverage including local beer or a blackberry smoothie made from locally grown fruit. The entree choices were chicken and beef along with potatoes and vegetables. We enjoyed our meal while viewing the crater from the restaurant's windows.

Following lunch, we once again boarded our motor coaches for a short ride to the Equatorial Line Monument. I'll talk more about our visit there in my next post. Our day in Quito was quite lovely so far with Celebrity Xpeditions staff providing a very organized tour.

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Quito Photo Albums:

Quito - Old Town
Quito - Lunch Stop
Quito - Equator

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