Arriving - The Endeavor

Flying first from Miami to Guayaquil, Ecuador and then a short flight to San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos. A short bus ride to the dock for our first Zodiac shuttle to the National Geographic Endeavor II. We are given life vests and wear them every time we board a Zodiac - keeping them in our room on pegs next to our jackets. We are at sea! After lunch we (90 guests) meet the Expedition Leader Cindy Manning.  We meet our fellow travelers and start to get to know some of them. We have our first "wet landing" from the Zodiac to Las Bachas (Barges) beach. The Galápagos Islands are Situated in the Pacific Ocean some 1,000 km from the South American continent, these 19 islands and the surrounding marine reserve have been called a unique ‘living museum and showcase of evolution’. Located at the confluence of three ocean currents, the Galápagos are a ‘melting pot’ of marine species. Ongoing seismic and volcanic activity reflects the processes that formed the islands. These processes, together with the extreme isolation of the islands, led to the development of unusual animal life – such as the land iguana, the giant tortoise and the many types of Finch – that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection following his visit in 1835.  The islands are protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site.