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Gallery of images from Past
Galapagos and Ecuador
Adventures |
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MV
Samba
The Samba is
an ideal boat for a photography adventure amongst the Galapagos Islands.
It’s a pretty
boat, elegant in design, nice use of wood, sturdy in construction, and
is lovingly cared for. |
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It has great
open deck space which enables us to move around when we find ourselves
surrounded by dolphins – or wondering where the next whale will surface. |
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· It
sleeps 14 passengers – room for 10-12 photographers and two leaders comfortably.
There are ample circuits for recharging batteries and supporting downloads. And
the dining salon doubles as a great place to gather to talk photography. It
even has a large flat screen monitor we can access for lectures or
orientations. Salon and cabins are air conditioned. |
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· And
there is a great crew, all from the Galapagos, dedicated to moving us smoothly
around the islands to our destinations – but also flexible and ready to pause en
route when opportunity presents itself (usually when our guide spots a pod of
whales).
The Samba’s chef has
always surprised us by serving a great selection of fresh foods the full length
of our itinerary. The Samba is stocked with locally grown fruit and vegetables,
largely organic. And they specialize in sustainably harvested Galapagos
seafood! |
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The Samba comes
equipped with two inflatable dinghies that we use to move between ship
and shore – and to explore some exciting mangrove-lined shallows,
penguins roosting on rocks, and offshore nesting sites. |
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The Galapagos
sailing routes and stops are strictly regulated by the National Park
Service. The ownership of the Samba has worked hard to secure a great
set of permitted routes, and landing spots and times that support our
photographic quests.
Juan, our guide,
is determined to get us on shore for the best photographic
opportunities. Sometimes that is for first or last light.
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Other times, there
are specific wildlife cycles we need to interface – like when the waved
albatross glide along the updrafts on Española’s cliff face…
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or when the marine
iguanas come up from feeding beneath the waves, needing to bask in the
warm sun… |
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or
when blue-footed boobies and pelicans dive into schools of fish.
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