Galapagos, November 2004

Hi folks

I have chartered the Galapagos Aggressor for a 7 night trip to Wolf & Darwin Islands from 18-25 November 2004. It will be a standard itinerary with 5.5 days diving. Still within the realms of whale shark season, plus the usual hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, mantas, seals, sealions, penguins, iguanas, extra large schools of fish etc etc etc etc.

If anyone is interested in joining the trip please feel free to PM me.

HI Jim:
What's the water temp around that time?

It can vary from the high 60s to the low 80s, the cooler thermoclynes generally being where you find the schooling hammerhead sharks.

I will be recommending a 5 or 7mm semi-dry suit as about the right thickness for someone of an average "I fell the cold, I don't feel the cold" disposition. I think that 5mm is 1/4 inch, but feel free to correct me if I am wrong. For some funny reason wet suit thickness is the only thing I measure in metric, everything else I do in Imperial.

Hope that helps!

5MM is .197"
6MM is .236"
1/4" is .250"
7MM is .276"

1/4" is .250"

Click to expand...

I think that one is pretty obvious!!!! :wacko:

Can you give a ballpark dollar figure?

Wristshot

Go ahead Jim.
Give a round figure.
My guess is 5000, to 7000 with air and a few days pre and post. But I could be way off.

the cost EXCLUDING flights from the US to Quito is EXACTLY $3200 per person and includes:

> All transfers in Quito & Galapagos
> 2 nights at the Four Points Sheraton in Quito including breakfast (one night pre and one night post cruise)
> Airfare from Quito to Galapagos and back to Quito
> 7 nights Aggressor cruise including all meals & drinks except dinner on the final night of the cruise, and 5.5 days unlimited diving (in the Galaps take unlimited diving as 4 dives a day as it is heavy duty diving)
> A fabulous trip t-shirt in the size of your choice (or mine if you don't tell me what size t-shirt you want!)
> The pleasure of my company for a week (the actual trip costs $160, my company costs $3000!!!!!)
> Single supplement for just the hotel accommodation in Quito comes to $80, if you wanted a room to yourself. Due to the nature of the charter, if you wanted a single cabin on the boat you will have to pay the full rate for the empty berth.

It does not include:
> Flights from the US of A to Quito
> Galapagos National Park fee, currently $100
> Galapagos Hyperbaric fee, currently $35
> Ecuador Departure tax, currently $20
> Tips - I know you Yanks love tipping, so budget $150- $250 as being a suitable tip on the boat, depending on how tight, I mean generous you are!

However, I am more than happy to charge you $5000 as Natasha has guestimated...! Arf Arf!

But joking apart, I am sure you will agree that this trip is excellent value for money...

I am also offering some pre & post add-on tours to the Amazon, up to the Highlands to stay at Hacienda style hotels etc, a few day tours out of Quito (Cotopaxi volcano, Mindo Cloud Forest, WWR on the Toachi or Blanco River etc).

How does that all sound? Tempting?!!!

Wristshot, seeing as you live in San Jose, I think you would need to fly to somewhere like Houston and catch a CO flight down to Quito (or American out of Miami, though Houston would obviously be more sensible). If I am not mistaken, there are no flights from the West coast of the US direct into Ecuador, which I find rather odd....

Natasha is right but when she says $5000-7 I think she means after all is said and done

ie $3200.00 trip with Jim
$600.00 U.S air from Houston to Quito more if you are coming in form another state
$100 park fee
$35 chamber fee
$275.00 TIP minimum these guys work there BUTTS off and deserve every penny thats still only 10% of the cost of the trip
$20.00 departure tax
$60 for the video of the trip WELL WORTH IT
$25 for the still shots they will take and stock shots

Plus Spending money for

t-shirts and caps etc on the boat shopping on the last night meals on the incoming night and last night in quito I blew $500 just in Quito shopping on leather goods like jackets etc great value and real inexpensive

You will not have much change out of
$5000 once your all said and done

IS IT WORTH IT

YES, ITS WORTH IT

AWESOME DIVING AWESOME BOAT AWESOME CREW a Must for every certified diver at least once in there lifetime.

If you aint got the money steal it from your granny, sell your wife or Husband stand on the corner with a sign saying will work for food

DO WHATEVER BUT GO TO THE GALAPAGOS
=-)

I am lucky to be going again Sept 2004 and have just one space left on my trip and the lucky person gets to room with me

The trip heads up to wolf & Darwin and we will spend most of our time up there diving with the Whale Sharks (28 on my trip in Sept week before 88 sightings in 1 week)

Dive Safe and start saving for the trip of a LIFETIME

Gaz Cooper :wacko: