Announcing the Galapagos 2021 Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience

The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience

August 17-31, 2021 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,999.00.

For this trip to run, I need ten deposit checks in hand by June 15, 2020. In the event that it does not run, your deposit will be refunded in full no questions asked.

Strict Limit: 12 photographers (plus the leader)

If you are considering this trip, be sure to check out the new Galapagos Gallery here.

This trip is THE best Galapagos Photo-Cruise in the world. By far. No one else offers a trip that visits the top three world-class landings twice each. What does this trip offer? The world’s best Galapagos guide, a killer itinerary, a great boat (the Samba), a great crew, and me, with thirteen Galapagos Photo-cruises under my belt. Pre-trip gear suggestions and advice and twice-daily, pre-landing, location-specific briefings. In-the-field photo instruction and guidance. Jeez, I almost forgot: fine dining at sea! Do know that there are one-week Galapagos trips (six full and two half- days on the boat “from $9995”! Thus, this trip represents a tremendous value; why go all that way and miss half of the great photographic locations? And why not visit the three very best spots twice each?

The great spots that we will visit include Tower Island — including Darwin Bay (almost surely twice!) and Prince Phillips Steps, Hood Island (including Punta Suarez, the world’s only nesting site of Waved Albatross (almost surely twice!), and Gardner Bay — each of the preceding are world-class wildlife photography destinations that rank right up there with the best of Antarctica, South Georgia, the Falklands, Africa, and Midway. We will also visit Fernandina, Puerto Ayora for the tortoises and Darwin’s Finches, Puerto Egas—James Bay, and North Seymour (twice!) for nesting Blue-footed Boobies and both frigatebird species in most years, South Plaza for Land Iguanas and seabirds, Floreana for Greater Flamingoes, and Urbina Bay, all spectacular in their own right. We visit every great spot on a single trip. Plus lots more.

There will be lots of opportunities to snorkel on sunny middays for those like me who wish to partake. (The park service does not approve our second visits to the same great locations until right before the trip; we have never been turned down. We will be the first boat on each island in the morning and the last boat to leave each island every afternoon. If we are blessed with overcast skies, we will often spend 5+ hours at the best sites. And as noted above, mid-day snorkeling is an option on most sunny days depending on location and conditions. On the 2015 trip most snorkeled with many thousands of dolphins. I eased off the zodiac to find hundreds of dolphins swimming just below me.

Note that some of the walks are on the difficult side. Great images are possible on all landings with either a hand-held 70-200mm lens and a 1.4X teleconverter or an 80- or 100-400mm lens. In the past, I have taken a longer lens ashore on most landings as they better fit my style. In 2019 I did the whole trip with my Nikon 500PF and my SONY 100-400.

The Logistics

SUN August 15, 2021: Arrive in Guayaquil a day early to ensure that we do not miss the boat.

MON August 16, 2021: Introductory sessions.

TUES August 17, 2021: We fly to the archipelago (Baltra) and board the Samba. Heck, on some trips, folks made great images at the dock in Baltra while our luggage was being loaded!

TUES August 31, 2021: We disembark the Samba in mid-morning and fly back to Guayaquil midday; most will overnight there.

Most will fly home on the early morning of Wednesday, September 1, 2021 unless they are staying on or going elsewhere (or catching a red-eye flight on the evening of the TUES August 31).

$14,999 includes just about everything: all transfers, guide and park fees, all food on the boat, transfers and ground transportation, your flights to the archipelago, and three nights (double occupancy) in a top-notch hotel in Guayaquil. If you are good to go, a non-refundable deposit of $5,000 per person is due immediately. The second payment of $5,000 is not due until 12/1/20. The final payment of $4,999 per person will be due on 3/1/21. All payments must be made by checks made out to BIRDS AS ART and mailed to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855.

Again, this trip needs ten participants registered by June 15, 2020 to run, so please do not book your flights until you learn that we are good to go. Purchasing travel insurance within 2 weeks of our cashing your deposit check is strongly recommended. On two fairly recent cruises, a total of 5 folks were forced to cancel less than two weeks prior to the trip. My family and I use Travel Insurance Services and strongly recommend that you do the same. On the 2019 trip one couple went with a bargain rate-company and got stiffed for $30K.

Not included: your round-trip airfare from your home to and from Guayaquil, beverages on the boat, phone calls, your meals in Guayaquil, personal items, and an $700/person cash tip for the crew and the guide to be shared by our guide and the 7 folks who will be waiting on us hand and foot every day for two weeks. The service is so wonderful that many folks choose to tip extra.

The Itinerary

The Logistics

SUN August 15, 2021: Arrive in Guayaquil a day early to ensure that we do not miss the boat.

MON August 16, 2021: Introductory sessions.

TUES August 17, 2021: We fly to the archipelago (Baltra) and board the Samba.

On the Boat

Day 1: Tuesday, August 17, PM North Seymour

Day 2: Wednesday, August 18, Genovesa: AM Darwin Bay, PM Prince Phillips´ Steps

Day 3: Thursday, August 19, Marchena: AM Playa Negra, PM Navigation to Isabela

Day 4: Friday, August 20, Isabela: AM Punta Albemarle, PM Punta Vicente Roca

Day 5: Saturday, August 21, AM Fernandina: Punta Espinoza, PM Isabela: Bahía Urbina

Day 6: Sunday, August 22, Isabela: AM Elizabeth Bay, PM Punta Moreno

Day 7: Monday, August 23, Floreana: AM Post Office Bay, PM Punta Cormorant

Day 8: Tuesday, August 24, Santa Cruz: AM Highlands and Lunch, PM free time in the city with some usually poor internet access.

Day 9: Wednesday, August 25, Española: AM Gardner Bay, PM Punta Suárez

Day 10: Thursday, August 26, Española: AM Punta Suarez, PM Navigation to San Cristóbal

Day 11: Friday, August 27, San Cristóbal. AM Isa Lobos (only until 9 am), PM Punta Pitt

Day 12: Saturday, August 28, AM Santa Fe, PM South Plaza

Day 13: Sunday, August 29, Genovesa: AM Darwin Bay, Navigation to Santiago

Day 14: Monday, August 30, AM James Bay, PM Rábida

Day 15: Tuesday, August 31, North Seymour from 06 to 09 am. We disembark late morning and fly back to Guayaquil midday; most will overnight there.

Wednesday, September 1, 2020: Fly home.

I do hope that you can join us on what will surely be a rich and rewarding photographic workshop.