NORTH 5 DAYS A

Transfer to the yacht after arrival at the Baltra airport.

Santa Cruz Island: Charles Darwin Station

Lunch service. Visit to Charles Darwin Scientific Station & Breeding Center. Dry landing. The main attraction in Puerto Ayora's Charles Darwin Station is the Charles Darwin Station. This is a great way to learn about the islands and their formation. Learn about the raising of the Galapagos turtles and meet Jorge, the famous single turtle. On weekends, the Scientific Station hosts many visitors to its beach.

Guide briefing. Navigation to Isabela Island and dinner service.

Breakfast service. Dry landing. Visit Moreno Point. Deep-water snorkeling.

Moreno Point

Moreno Point is where the forces from the Galapagos joined together to create an art work. You will begin the tour with a paddle boat ride along the stunning rocky shores, where you can often see Galapagos Penguins as well as shorebirds. The path then traverses through jagged lava rock. Crystal tide pools were formed as the black lava flow swirled, some surrounded by mangroves. This area is home to small blue lagoons and blue herons as well as pintail ducks from the Bahamas. The mangroves' green leaves are home to brown pelicans, which can be found nesting within the mangroves. These pools can be viewed from the edge of the volcano. You can also walk along the lava and see puffer fish, white-tipped sharks and green sea turtles. Introduced species have made this idyllic setting less beautiful. The area is home to feral dogs that are known for attacking sea lions, marine iguanas, and other wildlife.

Urbina Bay

Lunch service and navigation to Urbina Bay Wet landing. More wildlife watching and nature walks Scuba diving.
Urbina Bay is located at the foot Alcedo Volcano south of Tagus Cove. It is one of the best examples of geological uplift within the Galapagos. When the molten material beneath the surface shifts, it causes an uplift. The shoreline was lifted by almost 15 feet (4 meters) in 1954. The coast was extended 3/4 mile out to sea, leaving behind giant coral heads and stranding large marine organisms. Shortly after, a Disney film crew visited the location and found skeletons and sea turtles, lobsters, and other marine organisms that were unable to reach the ocean due to the rising land. Newly formed tide pools were home to schools of fish. Near the former beach, you can see boulder-sized coral heads. A few weeks later, Alcedo's eruption followed the uplifting of Urbina bay.
Many Galapagos animals nest in Urbina Bay during the season. To lay their eggs, female tortoises travel down from Alcedo. The area is also home to Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants, as well as brown pelicans.

The journey begins with a wet landing at the white sand beaches. The difficulty of the route will vary depending on the season. The trail is quite passable in the dry season, but can be very difficult during the wet season. The visitors will learn about the geological wonders of this region as they cross it. You will then reach the area of sandy beach. You can return to the landing spot on shorter visits by following the same route, while you can continue past coral heads and onto the new beach with longer visits.
The site also features marine iguanas as well as some of the largest land-iguanas on the islands. Galapagos Cotton is an endemic plant that historians believe the Incas brought with them to the islands. Naturalists however think it was transported from Peru.

Guide briefing. Navigation to Fernandina Island and dinner service

Fernandina Island: Espinoza Point

Breakfast service. Visit Fernandina Island Wet landing. Espinoza Point Nature Walk Deep-water snorkeling

Fernandina Island, the youngest and most active volcano of the Galapagos Islands, is an eruption that occurs every few years. Punta Espinosa's flat lava is a barren and stark landscape. But here, flightless cormorants nest on the point, sea-lions play in the tidepools, and large numbers marine iguanas adorn the sand. Here, we will also have the chance to compare the Aa lava types with the Pahoehoe.

Isabela Island: Tagus Cove

Lunch service and navigation to Isabela Island Visit Tagus Cove. Dry landing. Nature walk. Panga boat ride. Deep-water snorkeling.
Tagus cove (Isabela Island), is located east of Fernandina Island, on the west coast Isabela Island. This cove is protected by two volcanic craters. It has been used as an anchorage since over 300 years. The nature trail takes you through the typical dry vegetation zone to Darwin Lake. It is a saltwater lake with a long narrow inlet. The trail ends at the top, where you can see the various vegetation zones and the Darwin and Wolf volcanoes. You can also observe Galapagos Penguins and Flightless Cormorants.

Guide briefing. Navigation to Santiago Island and dinner service

Breakfast service. Wet landing.

Puerto Egas

Puerto Egas is home to a nature walk, salt mines, and fur seal grotto. Scuba diving.
The first step in a visit to Puerto Egas is to land on the dark sand beaches at James Bay. Walking along the rocky coastline offers the chance to see some of the best tide pools on Galapagos Island. You can see slugs, snails and hermit crabs as well as barnacles and fish, including the rare four-eyed blenny. You will also find a variety shore birds, sea lions, marine iguanas, and sally lightfoot crabs along the walk.

Two interesting excursions can be made from Puerto Egas. The first takes you to the location of one of the first entrepreneurs in the Galapagos. It is just a short walk away from the landing area. Salt was mined from the local salt crater for decades. In 1950, the industry was shut down leaving behind many rusted parts and old machines. From the crater cone, the trail follows the same path as wagon trains. Although the trail is not difficult, it can be one of the most intense hikes on the island. The trail is lined by arid vegetation that is cut by feral goats. The goats eat every leaf that is within their reach, leaving little for the endangered island animals. Bird lovers will delight in the chance to see a Darwin's finch or the endemic Galapagos Hawk, as well as the colorful vermillion flycatcher.
The view from the crater's rim is breathtaking. This extinct volcano, whose floor is now below sea level, can be seen from the crater's rim. The crater is flooded with salt water, creating a small lake. Many have failed to extract the salt from the sun.
The older orange lava fields that support vegetation, including Palo Santo trees, can be seen looking away from the crater.

The fur seal grotto is the next stop on the second excursion. It starts just beyond the tide pools. The lava-rocked pools are home to fur seals and sea lions. Visitors may have the chance to swim and see fur seals here.
Fur seals were once nearly extinct due to their fur coats. The Galapagos Fur Seal, which is the smallest fur seal in the southern hemisphere now ranks alongside the sea lions, is smaller than the others. They hide in caves or shelves built from lava rock cliffs during the day to protect themselves from the scorching equatorial sunlight. They eat squid, fish and avoid sharks at night.
This is a beautiful place to snorkel and swim in the clear waters.

Espumilla Beach

Most people who visit Espumilla Beach now do so to see birds, not water. You can walk just a few steps inland through mangrove forests that are home to the common stilt. These mangroves are also home to sea turtles who nest in them. There is also a brackish lagoon that houses pink flamingos as well as white-cheeked pintails. You will follow the trail for a loop, passing a small knob and then returning to the beach. If you are observant, you may see a variety Darwin finches and vermilion fly catchers along the trail. If time permits, visitors can swim or snorkel at the beach.

Buccaneer Cove

Lunch service. Panga boat ride to Buccaneer's Cove. Deep-water snorkeling.
Buccaneers Cove was located less than an hour from Puerto Egas and served as a safe haven to pirates, sailors, and whalers in the 18th and 19th centuries. They were able make repairs to their ships by anchoring in the bay, while others went ashore to get fresh water, salt, and firewood. Ceramic jars, left behind by a mariner years ago, were discovered at the bottom the bay. The jars contained wine and marmalade.
Today, there are very few boats that stop at Buccaneers Cove. Many boats cruise by at a slower speed, allowing visitors to see the dramatic cliffs of tuff formations as well as the reddish-purple sand beaches. The dramatic scenery is enhanced by hundreds of seabirds perched on top of the cliffs. The "monk rock" and the "elephant rocks are two of the most well-known rock formations. Buccaneers Cove is home to a large number of feral goats. To protect native vegetation from being destroyed by this introduced species, the National Park Service has temporarily fenced off a portion of the area. Just north of the valuable fresh water supply, which once attracted whalers and pirates, is a wet landing.

Guide briefing. Farewell cocktail. Navigation to Daphne Island and dinner service

Circumnavigation. Breakfast service. Check out at 8 AM and depart for the airport Daphne Island is located north of Santa Cruz Island, and west of Baltra Island in the middle of the Galapagos Archipelago. There are actually two islands, Daphne Major & Daphne Minor. These islands are among the most accessible Galapagos Islands. They can be reached easily by cruises and tour boats. We will sail around these islands to take in the stunning views of Galapagos.