Galapagos Island Trip 22 Feb 07

[principia]

What difference does the El Nino make? I suppose i could Google for it.

J

[CotoChris]

The winds will be coing from the west instead of the east. The currents change bringing in warmer waters. Changes the whole biology. The colder waters bring in the plankton whilst the warmer water doesn't thus many fish dissapear and also for some reason I don't fully understand the lizards go hungry.

[principia]

cheers chris, I went of and googled, apparently the algae changes from mainly a green one to a brown one which they are unable to digest as easily. Up to 70% of the population can die out in a bad year.

The sea lions don't have such a good time of it either.

J.

[Fiona]

Originally Posted by John Gulliver

Do we know how much truth there is in this?.

From Galapagosadventures website who are the agents for DeepBlue

* 2008 prices
7 night trips are $2795 per person lower deck, $2995 upper or mid deck.
10 night trips are no longer allowed by the Galapagos National Park in 2008

Why is it unlikely John, they will make more money out of 7 night trips and there would be less hassle if you can't dive and do land trips. They would be able to utilise the boats for non divers on land only trips.

Regal Diving are displaying the same information.

[jph6969]

Originally Posted by Fiona

Jason we have been informed that 2007 with be the last year for 10 night trips. Boats will also not be able to do both dive and land visits on the same trip.

We were informed by Maldives Scuba Tours and there is also something running on Scubaboard. MST might concider running back to back trips but again according to their wesbite they will just be a repeat of the previous week.

I am so glad we have ours planned for this year, there is no way I would go for a weeks trip.

Americans don't like to take more than a week at a time.

This fits with what I have been told. If it happens the only way to then do more than a week would be to do the back to back trips on a charter basis where you can set your own itinary. I might have to set that up for autumn 2008.

Though I have friends who would like to go this year.

Cheers

[John Gulliver]

Originally Posted by Fiona

From Galapagosadventures website who are the agents for DeepBlue

* 2008 prices
7 night trips are $2795 per person lower deck, $2995 upper or mid deck.
10 night trips are no longer allowed by the Galapagos National Park in 2008

Why is it unlikely John, they will make more money out of 7 night trips and there would be less hassle if you can't dive and do land trips. They would be able to utilise the boats for non divers on land only trips.

Regal Diving are displaying the same information.

I didn't say it is unlikely, just that somebody (wasn't it MST?) is reported to have thought it was. I seem to remember the owner of "our" boat, the "Deep Blue", being said to be among the people strongly opposed to the change, presumably because he thinks he can make more money out of continuing with the way things are now. Anyway, I agree that it does seem likely that the changes will come into effect next year.
As regards el Nino, I'm not sure how much past el Ninos have affected Galapagos but I do know they have ruined some people's trips to Cocos. The hammerheads, mantas etc they paid so much to see were completely absent. We'd better touch wood, keep our fingers crossed, light joss sticks and do everything else we can to invoke the gods' favours

[Venus]

There was a German lady on my Maldives liveaboard in October last year who went to the Galapagos eight years ago during El Nino

She said that the water temperature was 30 degrees ... and guess where all the marine life was ?

Originally Posted by CotoChris

Yesterday on ITV news they were saying that this year will be a El Nino year, it's the first i've heard of it, has anyone else heard of this. If so it will be a bugger for these two Galapagos trips. :-(

[Hamish Morrison]

Yes indeed it does look like it will be an El Nino year in 2007. However it does not look like it will be a particularly bad one. Have Googled this extensively recently, as I am going to be there in August, I was quite concerned whether it was going to be a repeat of 1982/3 when everything that could leave did so, leaving those that relied on them to suffer.

Only time will tell just what the consequences of this years El Nino will be. I've got everything crossed right now!

This link allays my fears, slightly!

http://www.galapagos.org/news/12_2006_ElNinoComing.html

[Venus]

I have a friend going out in two weeks - I'll ask him to check out the situation first hand and how long they expect it to last ... well before it gets back close to normal that is

Venus

[samui13]

Do we know how much truth there is in this? I remember somebody reporting that they had discussed the matter with MST (I think) at the Birmingham show and being told that the suggestion is in fact unlikely to come to anything, due to strong oppositon from the liveaboard owners and tour operators and influential local people.

It was me who spoke to Rob Bryning, founder and MD of MST at the dive show, and you are right in what you quoted John. Those were his exact words to my wife and I. We were hoping to return there in 08 and now that it seems the 10 day trips will be banned we will look for other alternantives. I have heard though that Antonio Moreano who is the usuall guide on the Deep Blue ( unless it is a UK charter ) has started his own company doing charters, and he is aiming to still offer the 10 day package. I will try and find out more info on this.