This is the Galapagos Islands portion of the trip. The Galapagos Islands are about 600 miles due west of Quito Ecuador. They are a series of volcanic islands produced by a 'hot spot' under the Nazca tectonic plate. The islands straddle the equator, and are moving in an easterly direction at about 3" a year. As the Nazca plate moves toward the mainland of South America, the older islands will disappear under the ocean, and new islands will form in their place.

We spent 7 days and 7 nights aboard the Tip Top II cruise boat, making 14 landings on approximately 10 different islands.