(B:breakfast | L:lunch | D:dinner)
Friday
AM: Arrival to San Cristobal Island
Assistance will be provided upon your arrival by a Petrel representative after passing through immigration and baggage claim. When ready, you will be transferred to the yacht. You will then be shown to your cabin where you will have some time to settle in before the welcome briefing and lunch.
PM: San Cristobal Island - David Rodriguez Giant Tortoise Breeding Center
This is the fifth largest island in the Galapagos and lies farthest East. It is where Darwin first landed back in 1835 and where the first permanent settlements were founded. Today the main port Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is the capital of the Galapagos province and houses many government offices, the Ecuadorian Navy, and an airport with daily flights to the mainland of Ecuador. Conservation challenges the island faces include invasive plants like blackberry and guayaba and insects like the blackfly.
A visit to the David Rodriguez Breeding Center provides information about the origin and evolution of the giant tortoise and explains why the center is so vital in safeguarding the future of these incredible creatures.
Walking through the trails of the reserve, you can see baby tortoises being reared in semi- natural conditions - a brilliant demonstration of the commitment the local people have to preserving the wildlife that makes the Galapagos so special.
Possible Activities: Hike
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights: Giant tortoises up close and roaming freely, exhibits of various stages of tortoise breeding, learn more about their origin, evolution, natural habitat, and threats of introduced animals and plants.
( -, L, D)
Saturday
AM: Espanola Island - Gardner Bay/Osborn Islet/Gardner Islet
Here lies the southernmost island in the Galapagos, as well as the oldest. It is estimated to be about four million years old. Because it is so far away from the other islands it has the most endemic species. It is a wonderful opportunity for some great photography of endemic bird species that are found only on Espanola and awesome landscapes created by millions of years of erosion.
Gardner Bay/Osborn Islet/Gardner Islet: Visit one of the best beaches in the Galapagos. The white sandy beach is home to a large colony of friendly and playful sea lions. Three different types of finches can be seen. The Espanola Mockingbird is very friendly, but probably looking for food. At one point in time, tourists must have given it water or food, which taught them bad habits. The site is also where green sea turtles will come to nest their eggs between January and March.
Possible Activities: Hike, snorkel, Kayak and dinghy ride
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights: Espanola Mockingbird, longest beach in Galapagos, three species of Darwin's finches, large colony of sea lions, occasional green sea turtles. Snorkel - coral fish, sea lions, and other marine life.
PM: Suarez Point
This is a phenomenal site where you will get to see many of Espanola Island's endemic species. The trail will pass by the only Waved Albatross breeding site. If you are lucky, you might see a young albatross, take off for its first flight for up to five years at sea. Older birds stay at sea for months at a time, only coming back to breed. They have the same mate for life and will meet each other each year, only here to reproduce. Other species that can be seen are marine iguanas that stay brightly colored year-round, Galapagos doves, Nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, red-billed tropic birds, and Darwin finches.
Possible Activities: Hike
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights: Only Waved albatross breeding site, blow hole on the point, Nazca boobies, swallow tailed gulls, red-billed tropic birds, three different species of finches, Galapagos doves, marine iguanas, sea lions
(B, L, D)
Sunday
AM: Floreana Island - Devil's Crown/Cormorant Point
This Island is one of the most interesting when it comes to human history. The first Galapagos resident was an Irishman who lived on Floreana from 1807 to 1809. It is the site of the first post office within the islands created by whalers in the 1700's. Later it became the first island to be colonized by Ecuadorians, but to this day is still very isolated. Surrounded by mystery, in the 1930's various disappearances occurred and is thought to be because of tension between a baroness and her three servants who arrived after an already settled husband and wife, who gave birth to the first to be born in Galapagos and another couple of a doctor and female companion who lived of the land from their garden. The small population of today lives off the land with home grown farms and gets their water from rain filled ponds during the rainy season. There is one hotel with the only phone in the port of Velasco Ibarra where most residents live, the rest live up in the highlands. Transportation is limited and is only available every two weeks.
Devil's Crown is a visitor site that boasts the best snorkeling opportunities. Below the surface are amazing volcanic structures that have submerged over time. Hundreds of different colorful fish species can be found here among the coral reefs. Sharks, rays, sea turtles, hammer head sharks and sea lions are also common visitors. It is an underwater spectacle that cannot be missed.
OR
Another fun and interesting visitor site is Cormorant Point. Two beaches can be visited and flamingoes can be seen wading through brackish lagoons looking for shrimp, which gives them their bright and vibrant colors. One of the beaches look green because of olivine crystals and the other is appropriately called Flour Beach a powdery white, made from fine pulverized coral.
Possible Activities: Snorkel, dinghy ride and hike
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights: Devil's Crown - a wide array of colorful fish species - king angel fish, balloon fish, yellow tail grunts, white-tipped sharks, hammerheads, eagle rays, sea turtles, sea lions and more. Cormorant Point - flamingoes, green olivine crystal beach, coral beach, pintail ducks, large-billed fly catchers, several finches, green turtle nesting area, and stilts.
PM: Post Office Bay/Baroness Lookout Point
A completely human influential site, Post Office Bay is the first official post office created by passing whalers in the 1700's. To this day visitors continue the tradition as many leave addressed messages on post cards in the barrel to be sent by future visitors while picking up
post cards left behind by previous visitors to send when they return home. It is a fun exchangeable activity many visitors enjoy.
OR
On the northern part of the island, Baroness Lookout Point has a beautiful landscape and historic view. It was named after the supposed Austrian Baroness that was the subject of many mysterious disappearances and well-known stories of loathing by those on Floreana.
Possible Activities: Hike, kayak, dinghy ride and snorkel
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights: Barrel Post Office - leave/pick up post cards, remnants of Norwegian settlement, beach, sea turtles, amazing landscapes. Snorkel - Sea turtles, corals, rays, colorful assortment of fish species.
(B, L, D)
Monday
AM: Santa Cruz - Charles Darwin Research Station
Today Santa Cruz is one of the most popular tourist sites. With a population of about 12,000 Galapagos natives, it has the longest paved road in the entire archipelago. One of the biggest conservation efforts is to eliminate all non-native plants and animals that are destroying native and endemic species on the island. There is no longer any volcanic activity but that does not mean there is no evidence. Santa Cruz means holy cross, but its English name comes from the British vessel - Indefatigable.
The Charles Darwin Research Station conducts many different research projects and provides assistance to other researchers and governmental institutions and agencies, especially the Galapagos National Park. Many of the results are later published online, in magazines, and popular scientific journals. The research station also plays a big part in educating the community and public schools in Galapagos. There is also the longtime running Giant Tortoise restoration program that includes various stages of the giant tortoise from eggs, hatchlings and adults.
Possible Activities: Hike
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Dry
Highlights: See the latest advances in research at the Charles Darwin Research Station. Also see Giant Tortoises and land iguanas.
PM: Highlands
The Highlands of Santa Cruz is a very interesting site due to the rich wildlife, hills, ferns, volcanoes and lava tubes present. Exploring the lava tubes is a surreal and unique experience. Here you can see all the different agricultural zones that are present in the Galapagos in one place. The variety of birds makes this a bird watchers delight.
Be prepared to admire the famous giant tortoises in the wild. It is impressive to see these endemic animals that give the name to the archipelago, Galapagos. Birdwatching is also one of the activities in the highlands, since this area is home of finches and other Galapagos birds. Finally, we walk into lava caves to see the enormous lava flows that formed the islands before continuing back to the M/C Petrel.
Possible Activities: Hike Difficulty: Moderate Type of Landing: Dry
Highlights: All Galapagos life zones, vermilion flycatcher, Darwin finch, yellow warblers, Galapagos rails, paint-billed crakes, short eared owls, wild Giant Tortoises.
(B, L, D)
Tuesday
AM: Santiago Island - Sullivan Bay
Santiago Island is the second Island visited by Charles Darwin was originally named after England's King James the second. The island was a good source of salt, water and food for whalers and buccaneers passing. There was a salt mine inland that was used to salt fish and tortoise meat. Land iguanas used to populate the island but are now extinct. From Darwin's own notes he wrote that land iguanas were thriving quite well since there was no place to even pitch a tent. Santiago Island today is now one of the most visited islands.
Sullivan Bay is a satellite island of Santiago. This is one of the best places to see the Galapagos fur seal. There is not much wildlife to see here, but the old lava formations are quite a site to see with tuff cones, pyroclastic cones, and other volcanic landscapes.
Possible Activities: Hike, dinghy ride and snorkel
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights: Various volcanic landscapes and formations.
PM: Bartholomew Island - Pinnacle Rock
Bartholomew is another satellite island that derives from Santiago Island. It is home of the famous Pinnacle Rock and is named after James Sullivan, a friend of Charles Darwin who was also aboard the HMS Beagle. Of all the islands, this is the most photographed and is also featured in the 2003 movie "Master and Commander".
Pinnacle rock is a volcano cone formed by magma expelled by an underwater volcano. The sea cooled the hot lava and as it exploded from contact, the pieces formed together this huge rock of many, many layers of basalt. The huge rock also has a beach where a small population of green sea turtles will nest. Galapagos penguins gather here and swimming can offer beautiful sights of colorful schools of fish and curious sea lions.
Possible Activities: Hike, snorkel and dinghy ride
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights: Galapagos penguins, Pinnacle rock, swimming, awesome photography opportunities. Snorkel - Sea lions, rays, sea turtles, sharks, many different fish.
(B, L, D)
Wednesday
AM: Genovesa Island - Darwin Bay
Genovesa is a horse-shoe shaped island that was formed by the eruption of a shield volcano with large slopes formed by gradual lava flows. It is known as "Bird Island" due to the wide variety of birds that can be seen. The only reptile on the entire island is the marine iguana and it is one of the very few places red-footed boobies gather in one large mass.
Darwin Bay is the result of the shield volcano where one of the sides of the caldera collapsed after years of erosion. It is one of the places in the Galapagos where red-footed boobies can be guaranteed to be seen. Over 200,000 red-footed boobies are estimated to be living in the trees and bushes of Genovesa.
Possible Activities: Hike, kayak, dinghy ride and snorkel
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights: Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, mangroves. Snorkeling - various sharks, colorful fish, sea turtles, sea lions, occasional rays.
PM: Genovesa Island - El Barranco (Prince Phillip's Steps)
Better known as Prince Phillip's Steps, a steep and rocky path leads up to a cliff with a marvelous view. There is also a Palo Santo Forest that is home to nesting red-footed boobies and other birds.
Possible Activities: Hike, kayak, dinghy ride and snorkel
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights: Spectacular view, red-footed boobies, wedge-romped storm petrels, Galapagos doves, short-eared owls, Palo Santo Forest. Snorkel - fish, sea turtles, rays, sharks, and sea lions.
(B, L, D)
Thursday
AM: Santiago Island - Egas Port
Egas port is also known as James Bay. It is home to quick footed Galapagos lava lizards, Galapagos fur seals along the grottos and tide pools and is a great snorkeling site.
Possible Activities: Hike and snorkel
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights: Fur seals, sea lions, tidal pools and grottos, Galapagos hawk, salt water lagoon with flamingoes. Snorkeling - sea turtles, rays, sharks and amazing underwater geological formations.
PM: Santiago Island - Buccaneer Cove /Espumilla Beach
Buccaneer Cove: This cove is better known for excellent snorkeling opportunities and was once known as a refuge for British buccaneers or pirates. The underwater formations are amazing and many different species of fish gather here.
Possible Activities: Hike, kayak, dinghy ride and snorkel
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights: Historical pirate/buccaneer shelter site. Snorkeling - sea turtles, rays, sharks and amazing underwater geological formations.
OR
We will visit Espumilla Beach where marine iguanas lounge and the Sally-Lightfoot crabs attract the hunting herons and perform the dance of predator and prey right before your eyes. Snorkeling is highly recommended as you could find yourself face to face with an octopus, moray eel, shark, or a variety of other species of tropical fish.
Possible Activities: Hike, kayak, dinghy ride and snorkel
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights: Snorkeling, sea birds, historical site, and rock formations. (B, L, D)
Friday
AM: Santa Cruz Island - Black Turtle Cove
After breakfast, enjoy the visit to Black Turtle Cove, which is located on the north shore of Santa Cruz. It is a living illustration of how mangroves alter the marine environment to create a rich and unique habitat. Three mangrove species crowd the area from the shore out into the lagoon, which reaches almost a mile inland.
As you drift through quiet waters in the zodiac, you are likely to see spotted eagle rays and diamond shaped mustard rays, which swim in a diamond formation. White-tipped reef sharks slip beneath the boat and Pacific green sea turtles come to the surface for air and to mate. Waterfowl, including pelicans, herons and egret, all feed in the cove. This is a peaceful place that will make you feel calm.
Possible Activities: Dinghy ride
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Type of Landing: No Landing
Highlights: Various species of fish, white-tipped reef sharks, rays, and sea turtles.
Transfer to Baltra Airport
Your cruise has officially come to an end. We hope you enjoyed your Galapagos Cruise! We will now transfer you to your scheduled departure from Baltra Airport to mainland Ecuador. Safe travels!
(B, -, - )
***End of cruise***
* Itineraries are subject to change without prior notice due to weather conditions, National Park regulations, emergencies on board or any unforeseen situation.
The wildlife described above is not guaranteed to be seen during your visit. Please remember to respect your distance between any and all wildlife.