I'll be touring the Galapagos Islands by boat. Do I need waterproof of any special footwear to disembark from the pongas to the Islands (I'll be visiting San Cristobal, Espanola and Santa Cruz)? Of, if we're landing in water, can I just remove my tennis sneaks. And once on the island, are tennis sneaks sufficient? Are the islands so rocky that a walking shoe or hiking boot is necessary (neither of which I presently own and I leave for the trip in two days). And what would you wear, shorts or long pants; and what about a shirt or jacket.?

With wet landings, you can indeed usually just take off shoes and walk to the beach. (Most wet landings are wet because the pangas come up on sandy bottoms rather than rocks that you can climb onto.) I wore Teva water sandals for wet landings and during the walks after wet landings, which were typically on beaches. Dry landings generally led to more challenging footing than Tevas would have liked (at least for my feet). A number of people in our group just work sturdy running-shoe types of footwear for all landings; I wore low hiking shoes. (I'm not sure what you mean by tennis sneakers...) Full hiking boots won't be necessary; you will always be on paths.

Note that you may not be allowed to wear any shoes that you used for a landing on the boat--cuts down on grit in the boat. So if you're not comfortable running around the boat in bare feet (which is what most of us did), bring a pair of "house shoes/sandals." You'll also need to rinse off all shoes used for landings when you get back to the boat, to prevent carrying anything from 1 island to another. So be sure your shoes are "hose-able."

You'll be there during the warm season; shorts should be just fine for all landings. (We were there in Sept., the cool/dry season, and we wore shorts all the time.) You might want to have a light rain jacket, since it's the rainy season; you probably want a shirt (do you mean any shirt or a long-sleeved shirt?) for sun protection if nothing else; a long-sleeved shirt might come in handy if you're bugged by bugs or want extra sun protection. But the temps will be warm, so you won't need it for warmth.

You can read some practicalities from our trip last Sept. here: http://galapagos2009.wordpress.com/. Click the "Practicalities" tab for info about life on the boat and things to consider when packing.

Tina
trip report at http://galapagos2009.wordpress.com/

You want light GoreTex hikers unzippable cargo pants

long sleeve shirts light GoreTex rain jacket with

hood...

Lots of critters bugs craggy rocks

sneaks flip flops an invitation to injury

Scorpions. Two species of scorpion are found in the Galápagos. These are the endemic scorpion, Centruroides exsul, and ... The bite can be very painful to humans. This has given them ...

http://www.doc.ic.ac.uk/~kpt/terraqu...d/insects.html

Ecoventura has this packing list for Galapagos, and I think it's a good one.

•LONG PANTS (lightweight, khakis)
•SHORTS (Bermudas or other)
•SHORT SLEEVED SHIRTS, T-SHIRTS
•LONG SLEEVED SHIRTS (JUL-NOV)
•WINDBREAKER or SWEATSHIRT (JUL - NOV)
•BATHING SUITS (2)
•WALKING SHOES OR LIGHT HIKING BOOTS
•UBBER-SOLED SHOES OR BOAT SHOES
•SPORT SANDALS WITH A VELCRO STRAP
•SMALL BACKPACK or KNAPSACK
•PLASTIC WATER BOTTLE
•WIDE BRIMMED HAT, BANDANA
•CAMERA (with extra film, batteries and waterproof bag)
•UNDERWATER CAMERA
•SMALL PAIR OF BINOCULARS
•SUNGLASSES/ STRAP, SUNSCREEN
•SEA SICKNESS MEDICATION
•PERSONAL MEDICATION

If you want a general, warm weather packing checklist, here's another one you can print: http://allthingscruise.com/cruise-pr...ing-checklist/

You'll have a full briefing on wet or dry landings so everyone on board will be prepared.

Once on the islands I liked my feet covered because lava can be sharp and abrasive and you would need to keep lots of lotion on the tops of your feet and in between the sandal straps so they don't burn. Hot, hot sun. Very easy to get sunburned in places you don't expect.

Some people wore sandals, though. One guide routinely walked barefoot on the hot, jagged lava. Don't try that.

Maybe it is on the list, but you may want to pack a small hand towel in your daypack/rucksack in case you lay down on the sand for the perfect shot. The towel can clean you up, especially your hands that will be holding your camera.

Have fun!

it is advisable to take these things with you,when you go to Galapagos cruise:-
1.DAYPACK
2.DUFFEL BAG OR SMALL ROLL-ON SUITCASE
3.SPARE DUFFEL
4.SMALL PADLOCKS
5.FOOTWARE ,OUTERWEAR ,TROUSERS OR SKIRT
ADDITIONAL ITEMS

Liter Water Bottle
Flashlight, Torch or Headlamp for Hiking in Lava Tubes
Binoculars
Towel