Galapagos Cruise

Arrive in Baltra, your first stop in the Galapagos Islands. Transfer to the ship for a briefing and lunch. Continue the with a panga ride to Mosquera Islet, a tiny islet home to a huge population of sea lions and many shorebirds. While at Mosquera, keep your eyes peeled as there are occasional reports of dolphins and orcas. Evening briefing, dinner and welcome cocktail.

After breakfast, arrive at Sullivan Bay, which is known for its spectacular volcanic formations, relatively young pahoehoe lava flows, and unique geological scenery. Due to Sullivan’s relatively recent volcanic activity, few plants have been able to take root here, much less be successful, so pay particular interest to the low-lying pioneer plant known locally as “mollugo,” as well as the lava cactus.

Continue to Bartolome, a small island that has two visitor sites. At the first site, you can snorkel around Pinnacle Rock, where penguins are usually seen. Then, it’s back on board for a quick change of clothes followed by a short dinghy ride to a dry landing for a climb to the highest point on the island. On the way up, encounter different volcanic formations, including spatter and tuff cones, lava flow and lava tubes. From the summit, you will have a wonderful view of Sullivan Bay. For those not interested in the hike, there is the option of a panga ride. See sea lions, pioneer plants, reef sharks, rays and colorful reef fish.

Visit Punta Albemarle this morning, located on Isabela Island’s remote northern tip. Punta Albemarle is open to only a select handful of visitors, after a long time of being closed off. The waters allow for excellent chances for seeing whales in the area, not to mention nesting cormorants and also the largest marine iguanas in the entire archipelago.

After lunch, travel to Tagus Cove, which was historically used as an anchoring place for pirates, buccaneers and whalers. Here you will see the names of hundreds of ships painted on the high ridges (a practice now forbidden). On the hike, the trail goes through an area of vegetation and the volcanic landscape of Darwin volcano. At the top of the trail, enjoy an incredible view of the whole cove and Darwin Lake. The brisk “power-hike” is followed by kayaking or a panga ride, where you will have the opportunity to see a large number of blue-footed boobies perched on the ledges of the cliffs, as well as marine iguanas, penguins, brown pelicans, brown noddy terns and swallow-tailed gulls. While exploring the channel between Fernandina and Isabela Islands, dolphins and whales are sometimes encountered.

Fernandina Island is one of the most pristine ecosystems in the entire world and also one of the most dynamic. La Cumbre Volcano last erupted in April 2009, and dominates the landscape with lava fields stretching towards the ocean from its base. Punta Espinoza is a narrow piece of land where some of the most unique Galapagos species can be seen, including the flightless cormorant, Galapagos snakes, marine iguanas, penguins and the Galapagos hawk. Enjoy snorkeling this morning at Punta Espinoza.

After lunch, arrive at Punta Vicente Roca, a wonderful snorkeling site, where you can usually see turtles and many kinds of fish. For those who do not snorkel, a panga ride will give the opportunity to study some of the Galapagos’ spectacular geological rock formations. Nazca boobies, pelicans, swallow-tailed gulls, marine iguanas, flightless cormorants and penguins are often seen in the area.

Puerto Egas (James Bay) is located on the northwest side of Santiago Island. The morning landing is on a black beach with eroded rock formations in the background. The trail crosses the dry interior, where the remains of a salt mining enterprise can still be seen, and then continues along the coast. Tidal pools are home to a variety of invertebrate organisms, including sea urchins, octopus and starfish. You will also see marine iguanas, finches, oyster catchers and possibly the Galapagos Hawk. The trail leads to the Fur Sea Lion Grottos, one of the only places in the islands where these unique animals can be seen. After the walk, there is time to swim or snorkel off the beach, where you will see sea lions, fish and maybe some turtles, rays and maybe some reef sharks.

The Espumilla Beach visitor site is on the northern coast of Santiago Island in James Bay. The main attractions here are a Palo Santo forest, beach and the landscape. The Palo Santo forest at Espumilla has some of the tallest specimens of the species in the entire archipelago. Also, look out for the Galapagos hawk and Darwin’s finches. The beach is an important site for nesting marine turtles.

Make a dry landing at Puerto Ayora to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station where conservation is conducted by scientists, park rangers and park managers, among others, who make huge efforts to preserve this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Station is also a tortoise breeding and rearing center, where tortoises of different subspecies are prepared for reintroduction to their natural habitats.

After visiting the Station, board a bus to the highlands of Santa Cruz to see wild giant tortoises. The lush greenery of the Santa Cruz highlands is a welcome contrast with the arid scenery of the smaller, lower islands.

Genovesa, also called Tower Island, is the northernmost island that is allowed to be visited by naturalist (non-diving) cruises. This island is extremely remote and home to literally millions of birds belonging to many different species including the red footed booby as well as frigates, swallow-tailed gulls and even endemic owls! Visit El Barranco, also known as Prince Phillip’s Steps, a steep path with stairs carved into the rock leads to a plateau full of bird life amongst a Palo Santo forest. See Nazca boobies, Galapagos doves, mockingbirds and petrels. With some luck, you may spot a short-eared lava owl.

After lunch, travel to Darwin’s Bay for snorkeling, kayaking or simply relaxing on the beach. Darwin Bay’s soft, coralline white sand is only the beginning of a spectacular excursion. A trail from the beach takes you into lush mangroves where red-footed boobies nest. Other locals include sea lions, swallow-tail gulls, frigates and more. Snorkeling is a must here as sharks, colorful reef fish, rays and tortoises are common.

North Seymour may very well be the perfect way to say goodbye to the Galapagos Islands. Although the island is characterized by arid vegetation, fauna abounds and you will soon find yourself surrounded by sea lions, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, frigates and more. With some luck, you may even get to see land iguanas as well. Disembark at Baltra Island for flights to the mainland.