Calipso

This past August I enjoyed two weeks in the Galapagos on the Calipso, arranged by Laura Taylor, my inimitable Bluewater agent. Thanks to her, the trip was seamless and worry-free. My first week on the boat was a naturalist tour, the second a dive cruise. Two weeks of island-hopping excursions, two weeks of breathtaking topside and underwater encounters. On Fernandina multitudes of marine iguanas basked on lava rock in the early morning sun, along with colonies of the friendliest sea lions you’ll ever meet. Our group hiked the winding stone rivulets of the lava rock. We swam and dove with those iguanas and sea lions. The latter buzzed us over and over, and we laughed hysterically through our mouthpieces. Of course there were turtles galore, in the shallows and the deep. On North Seymour we visited nesting frigate birds and boobies and gulls guarding eggs and photogenic downy chicks. The male frigate birds offered lavish displays of their red throat pouches. Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants dotted the rocky shores. Sharks highlighted our dives at Wolf and Darwin. Our dive guides, Sebas and Javi, wrote “Have a Sharky day!” on the bulletin board. The scalloped hammerheads, Galapagos, silkies and white-tips got the memo, and they graced us in great numbers with their sleek, silvery power. I had never seen so many at one time, or so large, or so close. I felt so privileged. Of course, the giant tortoises. We visited them at the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center on Isabela, where little guys in their first years mean hope for the future of giant tortoises. Then on our last full day we bused to the Santa Cruz Highlands to watch the big guys maneuver their way across the grounds of the El Chato Ranch reserve. We were fueled by generous meals served buffet style. Delicious entrees varied from Mexican to Italian to local dishes, always served with fresh fruits and vegetables. Great food and being gently rocked to sleep by the sea readied me for each incredible day.

This past August I enjoyed two weeks in the Galapagos on the Calipso, arranged by Laura Taylor, my inimitable Bluewater agent. Thanks to her, the trip was seamless and worry-free.My first week on the boat was a naturalist tour, the second a dive cruise. Two weeks of island-hopping excursions, two weeks of breathtaking topside and underwater encounters. On Fernandina multitudes of marine iguanas basked on lava rock in the early morning sun, along with colonies of the friendliest sea lions you’ll ever meet. Our group hiked the winding stone rivulets of the lava rock. We swam and dove with those iguanas and sea lions. The latter buzzed us over and over, and we laughed hysterically through our mouthpieces.Of course there were turtles galore, in the shallows and the deep. On North Seymour we visited nesting frigate birds and boobies and gulls guarding eggs and photogenic downy chicks. The male frigate birds offered lavish displays of their red throat pouches. Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants dotted the rocky shores.Sharks highlighted our dives at Wolf and Darwin. Our dive guides, Sebas and Javi, wrote “Have a Sharky day!” on the bulletin board. The scalloped hammerheads, Galapagos, silkies and white-tips got the memo, and they graced us in great numbers with their sleek, silvery power. I had never seen so many at one time, or so large, or so close. I felt so privileged.Of course, the giant tortoises. We visited them at the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center on Isabela, where little guys in their first years mean hope for the future of giant tortoises. Then on our last full day we bused to the Santa Cruz Highlands to watch the big guys maneuver their way across the grounds of the El Chato Ranch reserve.We were fueled by generous meals served buffet style. Delicious entrees varied from Mexican to Italian to local dishes, always served with fresh fruits and vegetables. Great food and being gently rocked to sleep by the sea readied me for each incredible day.

My week on the Calipso was magical. Magic needs everyone and everything to make it happen, and this trip had it all. First, the daunting waves that promised to wash you out of bed if you didn’t sleep on your back. You never forgot you were on a boat, heading Out There. The waves were still in force when we boarded pangas for the dive sites. Once we descended, the restless surface gave way to sea lions, hammerheads, turtles, huge schools of fish, rays, macro oddballs, and other critters seen nowhere else.My favorite encounter happened at Wolf when, as I was mesmerized by the abundance of hammerheads in front of me, a movement near my left arm caught my attention, and I turned to face a large moray poking its toothy head from the very rock I clung to. All morays look disgruntled all the time, but perhaps a little more when they are a foot from your face. But there’s nothing I like more than being eye to eye with singular marine life, and I knew he was only breathing. I wonder what he thought about my breathing.Back on the surface, my moray story was only one among the riveting stories from my fellow divers. They were told through daily meals that were endlessly delicious and served up by crew members for whom no request was too trivial or too much not to fill with a smile. The crew members all seemed to have three jobs, such as food prep, diver prep, and panga pilot.Our topside excursions included a panga tour near the shores of Cousin’s Rock, where we were able to photograph Blue-footed Boobies and fur sea lions. The best, of course, was our visit to the Galapagos tortoises, where divemaster Peter became eco-tourist guide Peter and gave us an educated glimpse of the oddly beautiful and most famous animal in the Galapagos.In spite of a couple of glitches in the schedule, we made it to the airport on time. I was sad to leave, happy for the privilege of the experience, and vowing to do it all over again.

The Calipso is one of the better boats in the Galapagos, and while I wouldn't class it as luxury, it is very well-appointed and excellent value for money. The boat has a spacious and airy feel, with modern decor, panoramic windows throughout, a large dive deck, and loads of room on the upper deck. The salon has plenty of space to sit 16 guests for meals in one sitting, as well as a comfortable lounge area and a bar. The upper deck has a full-length dining area, jacuzzi, and sun loungers. Cabins can accommodate a Queen or two single beds, with space to walk around. There is a hanging closet and shelves, with storage under the bed. The ensuite bathrooms have a good-sized shower with complimentary toiletries. There is also air con!The food was delicious and plentiful - we didn't have a bad meal the whole trip. Breakfast is a buffet with eggs to order and fresh juice, and lunch was a choice of meat/fish or vegetarian with a salad, vegetables, and rice or potatoes. Dinner was similar, with cheese and desert. There wasn't as much choice of dishes as I've had on other boats, however, it was much healthier and tastier than I've experienced before.The dive deck really impressed me - there are 16 numbered stations, each with an 80 and 100 cu ft nitrox tank. The seat of the dive station lifts to provide a storage locker underneath. Guests are given a numbered weight belt and hangar for wetsuits so that kit doesn't get mixed up. Diving is from pangas that comfortably fit 8 divers. We normally drove only a couple of minutes to each dive site and then rolled in as a group. The pangas only have 1 ladder which made it a bit crowded getting back in the boat after a dive, especially in choppy water.Finally, I would class the staff service onboard as exceptional. Every crew member took the time to say 'Good Morning' or to assist with kitting up on the dive deck. The cabins were serviced twice or three times each day, and although meals were self-service, the barman was always on hand to fetch drinks, second portions, dessert, etc. Nothing was too much trouble for them.Overall, this is an excellent choice for a Galapagos trip and you won't be disappointed,