Galápagos, Ecuador
Program Type: UA Faculty-led
Credit Type: UA Direct Credit
Level of Study: Graduate, Undergraduate
GPA: 2.5
Class Eligibility: Graduate, Junior, Senior, Sophomore
Program Open To: UA and Non-UA Students
Language of Instruction: English
*Program available Summer 2024 - Check back for future program details!*
Spend your summer as a naturalist in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, and learn how the Island’s unique plants and animals inspired Darwin’s theory of evolution. During this 3-week program, we will swim with schools of reef fish, sea lions and marine iguanas; observe nesting boobies, frigate birds, and waved albatross; explore the Island’s unique habitats, plant and animals; and learn about ongoing conservation initiatives.
This program allows undergrad and graduate students as well as teachers to explore the unique habitats of the Galápagos first hand. Participants will begin to understand why these islands are considered the birthplace of Darwin's revolutionary idea of evolution. Excursions and activities on the program include:
ECOL 4960/5960: Galapagos Marine Ecology (6 credits)
Note: All students must take the course for 6 units minimum, but can also opt to take it for more credit with additional assignments available on request from the instructor. Graduate students must take the course for graduate credit. Undergraduates who are seniors in good standing (see UA rules) can opt to take the course for graduate credit.
Faculty
The program begins in Quito, Ecuador where students spend one day at Papallacta in the highlands of Ecuador and experience a night tour of the city. The group will then travel together from Quito to San Cristobal, Galápagos and spend the remainder of the program on this archipelago of islands situated approximately 900 km off the shore of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean.
This program involves exploring the location and islands by hiking, swimming, snorkeling and embarking and disembarking on boats.
Students stay in double rooms in hotels at each of the sites. There is an extra cost for single occupancy rooms. All breakfasts and some lunches/dinners are included as well as a maid service. Laundry service available for additional charge.
Note: The housing is sufficient to fulfill basic needs. Students should not expect a 4 or 5 star hotel accommodation during this program.
DAY 1, THURSDAY: DEPART U.S. – ARRIVE Quito
Transfer from airport to hotel in Quito.
DAY 2, FRIDAY: QUITO (BL)
Tour of the historic center of Quito one of the largest, least-altered and best-preserved historic centers in
the Americas. The historic district was designated as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978.
Before the tour, we will eat lunch in one of Quito’s traditional restaurants. Lecture and class discussion.
DAY 3, SATURDAY: QUITO – SAN CRISTOBAL (B)
Transfer to Quito airport for flight to the Galápagos, check-in at hotel, San Cristobal; after lunch, overview
of the town of Puerto Baquerizo where we will be staying; hike to La Lobería (sea lion colony), Playa
Mann, or Las Tijeretas for snorkeling. Lecture and/or class discussion
DAY 4, SUNDAY: SAN CRISTOBAL (BD)
Visit Galápagos National Park Interpretation Center in Puerto Baquerizo; hike to Las Tijeretas (Frigate
Bird Hill) to snorkel; explore the plants and animals of the Coastal and Arid vegetation zones including
Darwin’s finches. Lecture, field exercise and/or class discussion.
DAY 5, MONDAY: SAN CRISTOBAL (BD)
Morning visit to La Lobería for snorkeling and exploring the tidepools. Afternoon: class field projects,
snorkeling, terrestrial exploration. Note, order of activities may change to coordinate snorkeling with the
time of low tide. Afternoon/evening: exploration on own, lecture, field exercise and/or class discussion.
DAY 6, TUESDAY: SAN CRISTOBAL (BLD)
Morning boat departure to Kicker Rock, Isla Lobos and Cerro Brujo to snorkel and explore; great
opportunities to see seabirds such as boobies, pelicans, endemic seagulls, petrels, and shearwaters;
excellent snorkeling with schools of reef and pelagic fish, marine iguanas, rays, turtles, white tip reef
sharks and occasionally hammerhead sharks. Afternoon: exploration on own; evening: class discussion.
DAY 7, WEDNESDAY: SAN CRISTOBAL (BL)
Day trip to the highlands of San Cristobal including El Junco lake and La Galápaguera (Galápagos
tortoise refuge and breeding facility); explore the plants and animals of the Transition, Scalesia, Miconia,
and Fern-Sedge vegetation zones. Lunch in the highlands. Lecture, field exercise and/or class
discussion.
DAY 8, THURSDAY: SAN CRISTOBAL (BD)
Class field projects, snorkeling, terrestrial exploration. Lecture and/or class discussion.
DAY 9, FRIDAY: SAN CRISTOBAL (B)
Morning hike to Las Negritas Cliffs to observe marine iguanas, nesting swallow-tail gulls and other
seadbirds. Class field projects, snorkeling, terrestrial exploration. Lecture and/or class discussion.
DAY 10, SATURDAY: SAN CRISTOBAL (B)
Class field projects, snorkeling, terrestrial exploration. Lecture and/or class discussion.
DAY 11, SUNDAY: SAN CRISTOBAL (B)
Class field projects, snorkeling, terrestrial exploration. Lecture and/or class discussion.
DAY 12, MONDAY: SAN CRISTOBAL (B)
Class field projects, snorkeling, terrestrial exploration. Lecture and/or class discussion.
DAY 13, TUESDAY: SAN CRISTOBAL – SANTA CRUZ (B)
Morning speed boat to Santa Cruz Island; transfer to hotel; afternoon visit to Charles Darwin Research
Station. Class field projects, snorkeling, terrestrial exploration; lecture and/or class discussion.
DAY 14, WEDNESDAY: SANTA CRUZ (BL)
Day trip to North Seymour Island to view colonies of breeding frigate birds (2 species), blue-footed
boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, and Galápagos sea lions as well as land iguanas and a number of endemic
plants. There will also be an opportunity to snorkel off of N. Seymour, followed by lunch on the boat.
Afternoon/evening: explore on own and/or class discussion.
DAY 15, THURSDAY: SANTA CRUZ (B)
Leisure day on own. This is your opportunity to go scuba diving, visit a Galápagos Giant Tortoise
preserve in the uplands, or whatever you want to do.
DAY 16, FRIDAY: SANTA CRUZ - ISABELA (B)
Speed boat to Isabela Island, transfer to hotel. Afternoon beach & natural history walk; lecture, field
exercise and/or class discussion.
DAY 17, SATURDAY: ISABELA (B)
Morning departure to Tintoreras Lagoon located on a small island near the town of Puerto Villamil. Hike
the trail around lagoon to view a congregation area for white-tip reef sharks, a mating area for green sea
turtles, spotted and eagle rays, a nesting beach for marine iguanas, and dense congregations of young
marine iguanas. During the boat ride from Villamil, we’ll see Galápagos penguins and lots of seabirds.
The return trip to Puerto Villamil will include a snorkeling stop with a potential opportunity to see penguins
in the water. In the afternoon, we go by mountain bike to the Wall of Tears to explore the spectacular
Coastal and Arid Zones of Isabela with its unique plants and animals including a diversity of land birds,
i.e. 4 species of Darwin’s finches, wild Galápagos tortoises, and mangrove wetlands with flamingos,
herons, ducks and shorebirds. Afternoon/evening: work on class projects, field exercise and/or class
discussion.
DAY 18, SUNDAY: ISABELA (BL)
Departure to the highlands of Isabela; hike around the rim of Sierra Negra Volcano (second largest
caldera in the world) to Volcán Chico, and active volcano. While on the hike, explore/observe a newlyformed
lava field, fumaroles, endemic highland plants and animals including Galápagos hawks, and
spectacular views of Fernandina and the northern volcanoes on Isabela. Afternoon: explore the diverse
terrestrial habitats around Puerto Villamil and/or snorkeling at Perla de Concha to see more reef fish and
sea turtles.
DAY 19, MONDAY: ISABELA (B)
Class field projects, terrestrial & marine exploration (e.g. sea kayaking, local snorkeling); lecture and/or
class discussion; work on project data analysis and poster preparation.
DAY 20, TUESDAY: ISABELA (B)
Class field projects, snorkeling, terrestrial exploration; work on project data analysis and poster
preparation, presentation of research results, part 1.
DAY 21, WEDNESDAY: ISABELA – SANTA CRUZ (BD)
Early morning departure back to Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, hotel check-in. Day of your own choosing
and/or hike to Tortuga Bay. Afternoon/evening: presentation of research results, part 2 & group dinner.
DAY 22, THURSDAY: SANTA CRUZ – QUITO (B)
Transfer to Baltra airport for flight to Quito. Stay at Quito airport for overnight flight to US.
DAY 23, FRIDAY: DEPART QUITO & ARRIVE IN U.S.
Early morning departure from Quito; arrive back in the US.
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