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DAY 1 - SATURDAY
Quito or Guayaquil / Galapagos
This morning we fly to San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos. Flight time is approximately 1½ hours. Upon arrival we board M/Y Grace where you will have lunch and a quick briefing en route to our first visitor sites: Lobos Beach and Kicker Rock..
Lobos Island, across a small channel off the coast of San Cristobal Island, lives up to its name of -Sea Lion Island- with its noisy population of frolicking and barking beasts. This is your first chance to share the water with a playful colony of the "wolves of the sea". From lobos we head to Kicker Rock, a spectacular rock formation that rises 152 meters (500 feet) out of the Pacific. It takes the form of a sleeping lion, but from another angle you can see that the rock is split, forming a colossal tablet and, piercing the sea, a great chisel ready for etching.
After this visit you have time for a shower as we get ready for our welcome cocktail and our first formal briefing before dinner. (L, D) |
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DAY 2 - SUNDAY
AM: Española Island (Hood): Punta Suarez
PM: Española Island (Hood): Gardner Bay
Hood is the southernmost island of the archipelago, and is one of the most popular due to the breathtaking variation and number of fauna that inhabit the island. In the morning we visit Punta Suarez where you will witness the largest variety of marine iguanas in the Galapagos, masked boobies and blue footed boobies nesting along the cliff’s edge, as well as the famous waved albatross. In the afternoon we visit Gardner Bay, a magnificent long white sandy beach, where colonies of sea lions laze in the sun, sea turtles swim offshore, and inquisitive mockingbirds boldly investigate new arrivals. (B, L, D) |
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DAY 3 - MONDAY
AM: Floreana Island: Post Office Bay / Devil's Crown
PM: Floreana Island: Cormorant Point
Floreana has had a colorful history: Pirates, whalers, convicts, and a small band of somewhat peculiar colonists—a Baroness among them—who chose a Robinson Crusoe existence that ended in mystery and death. We visit Post Office Bay, where in 1793 British whalers set up a barrel as the island‘s Post Office, to send letters home on passing ships. The tradition continues to this day, simply by dropping a post card into the barrel without a stamp. Late morning snorkeling at Devil's Crown, which is home to a myriad of marine species including a variety of corals, pencil sea urchin, wrasses, angelfish and amberjacks - making for some of the best snorkeling in the Galapagos.
Afternoon visit to Cormorant Point which offers two highly contrasting beaches; a green-olivine beach and an iron-red beach. Between the two beaches is a salt lagoon frequented by flamingoes, pintails, stilts and other wading birds. (B, L, D) |
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DAY 4 - TUESDAY
AM: Isabela Island : Las Tintoreras
PM: Isabela Island : Sierra Negra Volcano
Located a short distance from Puerto Villamil, Las Tintoreras is a small rocky islet within Isabela Bay. Its turquoise, crystalline waters are inhabited by white-tipped reef sharks and Galapagos Penguins, green sea turtles and sea lions. One of its beaches, surrounded by mangroves is one of the few sites where marine iguanas can reproduce successfully. A pathway past huddles of marine iguanas leads towards a lagoon and a narrow channel which makes a favored resting place for white-tipped sharks called "tintoreras" in Spanish. Afternoon visit to Sierra Negra Volcano, the second largest caldera in the world after Ngorongoro in Tanzania.It is a large shield volcano at the South eastern end of Isabela Island that rises to an altitude of 1124 meters above sea level. It is one of the most active of the Galapagos volcanoes with the most recent historic eruption in October 2005. We will go on a bus ride to Sierra Negra Volcano, for a short hike and breathtaking view of the caldera and surroundings. (B, L, D) |
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DAY 5 - WEDNESDAY
AM: Santa Cruz Island: Las Bachas Beach
PM: Santa Cruz Island: Black Turtle Cove
In the morning we visit Las Bachas, a sandy white-coral beach that is a major egg-laying site for sea turtles. The name Bachas refers to the remains of landing craft left here at the end of WWII. Ashore marine iguanas mingle with flamingos and other wading birds in another of the many super saline lagoons found in the Galapagos. In the afternoon we head north to Black Turtle Cove, a beautiful mangrove estuary teaming with exotic creatures. Here we quietly drift in our panga to see spotted eagle rays, diamond shaped mustard rays, white-tipped reef sharks, pacific green sea turtles mating and a large variety of shore birds. (B, L, D) |
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DAY 6 - THURSDAY
AM: Rabida (Jervis) Island
PM:
Santiago Island: Sullivan Bay
Rabida Island, also commonly known by its English name of Jervis Island, is known for its unique reddish-maroon terrain as a result of the oxidation of lava. It is home to large populations of sea lions, pelicans, flamingoes, as well as a thick forest of Palo Santo trees. A yellow saltwater lagoon is found behind the reddish beach, where vast numbers of brightly colored pink flamingoes can be seen lazying around male sea lions that have been ousted from their groups.
Late morning snorkeling opportunity along the rocks with sea lions and tropical fish. Afternoon visit to Sullivan Bay, one of the most outstanding volcanic sites in the Galapagos. In the nearly 100 years since the Sullivan Bay Flow, only a few plants like Mollugo and Lava cacti have managed to take root in this harsh environment. Oystercatchers can be seen fishing for crabs and mollusks in the tide pools of Sullivan Bay.
After exploring the lava flow, there is swimming and snorkeling with playful sea lions off two small coraline beaches. (B, L, D) |
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DAY 7 - FRIDAY
AM: Bartolome Island : Pinnacle Rock
PM: North Seymour Island
In the morning we visit Bartolome Island, famous for Pinnacle Rock, where we will see Galapagos Penguins and sea lions. We will also hike a trail to Bartolome’s summit where you will be rewarded with spectacular views of Pinnacle Rock and our beach, where the crystal blue waters of the bay cradle your yacht. Afternoon visit to North Seymour, a good nesting site for frigate birds and Blue-footed boobies. The Island was lifted from the ocean floor by a seismic event, and its origins as a seabed give the island its low, flat profile. This island is teaming with life! You might have to give way to a passing sea lion or marine iguana; blue-footed booby nests sit beside the trail where mating pairs perform their courtship dance. A tiny forest of silver-grey Palo Santo trees stand just above the landing, usually without leaves, waiting for the rain to bring them into bloom.
(B, L, D) |
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DAY 8 - SATURDAY
AM:
Mosquera Islet
Late AM: Depart for mainland Ecuador from Baltra Island
Today your Galapagos cruise comes to an end, but before we bid farewell to the Grace we visit Mosquera Islet, located between North Seymour and Baltra. It is one of the smallest Islands resulting from an uplift of sand, made up of coral reefs and rocks.
It boasts one of the largest sea lion colonies in the Galapagos archipelago. There are occasional reports of Orca whales seen praying on the sea lion colony. It is also home to many sea birds which is an excellent site for observing shorebirds.
Next we return to the airport where we began our journey in the Galapagos for the flight back to the Ecuadorian mainland.
(B) |
