General Information
Ever since her arrival in Ecuador, the Eclipse has surpassed the other options available as the finest boutique cruise ship in the Galapagos Islands, offering unparalleled levels of comfort and service. She was converted specifically for upscale cruising in the islands, and was designed to meet the exacting demands of luxury travel.
For most travelers, a visit to the Galapagos Islands is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, something they have dreamed about for many years. Situated 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, the archipelago consists of nineteen islands and more than forty islets, which were created six million years ago when they emerged from the Pacific in a flurry of volcanic activity.
From your comfortable base aboard the Eclipse, you will be able to explore the best visitor sites. There are many opportunities to hike, swim, snorkel, bird watch and take great close-up photographs of the flora and fauna. For land visits, guests are divided into groups of a maximum of twelve people, each with its own naturalist guide.
Ships the size of the Eclipse would normally accommodate many more passengers, but in designing her layout we chose to compromise on cabin numbers in order to provide our passengers with unrivalled cabin space and ample social areas. The Eclipse is unique in offering the generous accommodation of a larger vessel, while preserving the atmosphere and exclusivity of a smaller yacht.
Accommodation:
The Eclipse is a 210 ft expedition vessel that accommodates up to 48 passengers in staterooms, each with a seaview. Fully air-conditioned, the spacious cabins have either a double or twin bed arrangement and well-appointed bathrooms with fresh towels provided every day and the complimentary use of bathrobes.
Features:
2 3000 gal/daydesalinators, air-renewal system, pool, breezy dinning area, sun deck, library/video room, and gift shop.
Location:
Galapagos - Ecuador
Detailed Itinerary - M/Y Eclipse Saturday to Saturday
Sample Itinerary
Saturday Welcome
After an initial briefing and a safety drill, we will take you on your first excursion to a beautiful white, sandy beach, where you will have your first contact with the Galapagos wildlife.
Las Bachas Beach is located in the north of Santa Cruz. Its sand is derived from decomposed coral, giving it a soft, white quality, making it a favorite nesting site for sea turtles. Behind the beach there is a small brackish water lagoon, where it is possible to observe flamingoes and other coastal birds, such as black-necked stilts and whimbrels.
Sunday
Puerto Egas (James Bay) is located on the northwest side of Santiago. The landing is on a black beach with eroded rock formations in the background. The trail crosses the dry interior, where the remains of a salt mining enterprise can still be seen, and then continues along the coast. Inter-tidal pools are home to a variety of invertebrate organisms, including sea urchins, octopus and starfish. The trail leads to the Fur Seals Grottos, one of the only places in the islands where they can be seen.
After a 3 hour navigation, we will reach our next destination of Bartolomé Island.
Bartolomé is a small island that has two visitor sites. At the first site, you can swim and snorkel around Pinnacle Rock, where penguins are usually seen. Back on board for a quick change of clothes and then it’s a short dinghy ride to a dry landing for a climb to the highest point on the island. On the way up, you will encounter different volcanic formations, including spatter and tuff cones, lava flow and lava tubes.
Monday
Genovesa is formed by the edges of a large ancient volcanic crater that is now mostly submerged. Along the trail from Darwin Bay, you will find pairs of swallow-tailed gulls, the only nocturnal gull in the world, along with scores of red-footed boobies, with their contrasting red feet and blue bills. Lava gulls, yellow-crowned night herons, whimbrels and other marine birds feed near the shores of a tidal lagoon just beyond the rocky edge that faces the bay.
At Prince Phillip's Steps, you will climb up to a plateau that is part of the stretch of land that surrounds Darwin Bay on the eastern side. Here you will stumble upon an incredible number of masked and red-footed boobies. The path passes through a dry "palo santo" forest and emerges on the eastern side of the island, where one can see hundreds of storm petrels flying over the extensive lava fields. With a bit of luck, you may even see one or two short-eared owls, the natural predator of the storm petrels on Genovesa.
Tuesday
Fernandina last erupted in 1995. La Cumbre Volcano dominates the landscape, with lava fields stretching towards the ocean from its base. Punta Espinosa is a narrow piece of land where some of the most unique Galapagos species can be seen, including the flightless cormorant, Galapagos snakes, marine iguanas, penguins and the Galapagos hawk.
Tagus Cove was historically used as an anchoring place for pirates, buccaneers and whalers. Here you will see the names of hundreds of ships painted on the high ridges (a practice now forbidden). The trail goes through an area of vegetation and the volcanic landscape of Darwin volcano. At the top of the trail, you will enjoy an incredible view of the whole cove and Darwin Lake.
On the panga ride, you will have the opportunity to see a large number of blue-footed boobies perched on the ledges of the cliffs, as well as marine iguanas, penguins, brown pelicans, brown noddy terns and swallow-tailed gulls. While exploring the Alcivar Canal between Fernandina and Isabela Islands, we sometimes encounter dolphins and whales.
Tuesday 2
Fernandina last erupted in 1995. La Cumbre Volcano dominates the landscape, with lava fields stretching towards the ocean from its base. Punta Espinosa is a narrow piece of land where some of the most unique Galapagos species can be seen, including the flightless cormorant, Galapagos snakes, marine iguanas, penguins and the Galapagos hawk.
Tagus Cove was historically used as an anchoring place for pirates, buccaneers and whalers. Here you will see the names of hundreds of ships painted on the high ridges (a practice now forbidden). The trail goes through an area of vegetation and the volcanic landscape of Darwin volcano. At the top of the trail, you will enjoy an incredible view of the whole cove and Darwin Lake.
On the panga ride, you will have the opportunity to see a large number of blue-footed boobies perched on the ledges of the cliffs, as well as marine iguanas, penguins, brown pelicans, brown noddy terns and swallow-tailed gulls. While exploring the Alcivar Canal between Fernandina and Isabela Islands, we sometimes encounter dolphins and whales.
Wednesday
Urbina Bay is noteworthy because it is an area that was ejected from the sea floor in the 1950's during the eruption of Alcedo Volcano. Part of the shoreline was raised more than four meters, and the remains of a variety of molluscs and other sea organisms that were stranded by the sudden uplift can be seen. In the midst of this bizarre setting, massive marine iguanas wander around with flightless cormorants and, in the wet season, giant tortoises.
Elizabeth Bay is one of the farthest points of the Galapagos that we will visit on our cruise. After a dinghy ride around two islets called the Marielas, where penguins, flightless cormorants, herons, and blue-footed boobies can be seen, we will enter a sheltered cove – a marvellous mangrove ecosystem that is a refuge for sea turtles and rays.
Thursday
- Charles Darwin Research Station
On your visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station, you will gain insight into the huge efforts being made by scientists, park rangers, and park managers to preserve this UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will see the famous Galapagos tortoises that are the islands' namesake.
From Puerto Ayora you will travel by bus to the highlands of Santa Cruz. The green landscape of this area is a welcome contrast to the more arid scenery of the lower parts of the island.
You will have the opportunity to walk through lava tunnels so take a flashlight if you have one.
Friday
- Gardner Bay offers the chance to enjoy some beach time.
Punta Suarez is one of the most popular and attractive sites in the Galapagos. Due to its isolation from other islands, it has a high proportion of endemic fauna. A few steps inland from the landing site, groups of Española marine iguanas bask in the sun. Further inland, masked and blue-footed boobies nest almost on the trail, Galapagos doves peck around unaware of visitors and finches go about their business. The trail continues towards a blowhole, which is a fissure in the lava where water spurts high into the air like a geyser. The cracks in the cliffs are home to swallow-tailed gulls and red-billed tropicbirds. Further up the cliff in an area of low-lying trees you will find waved albatrosses nesting. The 10,000 to 12,000 pairs of albatrosses on Española represent the entire population of this species on the planet. They perform one of the most spectacular courtship rituals of the animal world.
Saturday
Black Turtle Cove is one of the most beautiful marine sites in Galapagos. It is a complex maze of tranquil salt-water inlets, surrounded by three different species of mangrove. Its waters are a resting site for sea turtles, rays and sharks. This site is only accessible by panga.
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