The M/V Galapagos Explorer

The M/V Galapagos Explorer is for sure one of the best options to visit the Galapagos Islands, discover the wildlife of this unique ecosystem of the world and enjoy pristine beaches in unpopulated islands where you can also snorkel and see the exuberant marine life in the waters of Galapagos.

The Galapagos Explorer is a luxury vessel for 100 passengers that can be accommodated in different types of cabins (suites) that can be double or triple. This vessel features private balcony suites, panoramic suites with private facilities and hot water, a large dining room with local and international cuisine, a piano bar where you can meet with other passengers and share a night exchanging your experiences and many social areas where you can just relax and enjoy a smooth sail.

A very good advantage of a vessel of this size is that your sail will be very smooth, reducing the possibility of you getting sea sick. The management of the boat and the cruise crew work hard in order to make this expedition and unforgettable one by being polite, helpful and serviceable. All passengers will be divided in different groups of 14 or 16 passengers and you will rotate when embarking and disembarking, making this process fast and efficient. The guides are bilingual and multilingual naturalist guides who will guide you through the islands and will explain about the wildlife of the Islands always keeping you informed of what happens in the islands in the day by day basis, taking out that nature lover inside you.

The following website is highly recommended where a traveler can find a complete information on the Galapagos Explorer II and more than that, the traveler will get immediate assistance from a destination specialist.

http://www.eqtouring.com/galapagos-cruises/galapagos_explorer.html

http://www.mvgalapagosexplorer.net/

if you wish to ask for a free quote please click here or call toll free at 1-866-454-9060

Flightless Cormorants:

The Flightless Cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi), also known as the Galapagos Cormorant, is a cormorant native to the Galapagos Islands, and an example of the highly unusual fauna there. It is unique in that it is the only cormorant that has lost the ability to fly. With only 1500 estimated individuals, it is one of the world's rarest birds and is the subject of an active conservation program.

Like all cormorants, this special bird has webbed feet and powerful legs that propel it though ocean waters as it seeks its prey offish, eels, small octopuses, baby sea turtles, and other small creatures. They feed near the bottom and no more than 100 m offshore.

The Flightless Cormorant is the largest extant member of its family, 89–100 cm (35-40 in) in length and weighing 2.5–5.0 kg (5.5-11 lbs), and its wings are about one-third the size that would be required for a bird of its proportions to fly. The keel on the breastbone, where birds attach the large muscles needed for flight, is also greatly reduced.
The upperparts are blackish and the under parts are brown. The long beak is hooked at the tip and the eye is turquoise. Like all members of the cormorant family, all four toes are joined by webbed skin. Males and females are similar in appearance, although males tend to be larger. Juveniles are generally similar to adults but differ in that they are glossy black in color with a dark eye. Adults produce low growling vocalizations.
Like other cormorants, this bird's feathers are not waterproof, and they spend time after each dive drying their small wings in the sunlight. Their flight and contour feathers are much like those of other cormorants, but their body feathers are much thicker, softer, denser, and more hair-like. They produce very little oil from their preen gland; it is the air trapped in their dense plumage that prevents them from becoming waterlogged.

Stopping in Isabela Island is one of the highlights of the Galapagos Explorer II itinerary and watching this birds in thier natural habitat is just breathtaking.

http://www.mvgalapagosexplorer.net/