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The Petrel Luxury Cruise
6-day itinerary F
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Darwin Island
What to see
- Whale sharks (seasonal)
- Schooling hammerheads
- Pelagic dive site
Wildlife
- Whale shark Huge filter feeders best known from cooler-season visits to Darwin and Wolf.
- Hammerhead shark Schooling sharks at Darwin and Wolf, most reliable in cooler water.
- Manta ray Large rays that show up more often when plankton is rich.
What to see
- Hammerhead schools
- Whale sharks (cooler months)
- Advanced diving
Wildlife
- Whale shark Huge filter feeders best known from cooler-season visits to Darwin and Wolf.
- Hammerhead shark Schooling sharks at Darwin and Wolf, most reliable in cooler water.
Isabela
What to see
- Historic whaler graffiti
- Penguins & flightless cormorants
- Darwin Lake hike
Wildlife
- Galápagos penguin The world's northernmost penguin, mainly on Isabela and Fernandina.
- Marine iguana Shore reptiles that bask on lava and dive to graze algae.
Isabela
What to see
- Mola mola / sunfish
- Sea turtles
- Nutrient-rich walls
Wildlife
- Green sea turtle Common in the water year-round; beach nesting is strongest from December to June.
- Galápagos penguin The world's northernmost penguin, mainly on Isabela and Fernandina.
- Manta ray Large rays that show up more often when plankton is rich.
Isabela
What to see
- Mangrove panga ride
- Penguins & rays
- Sea turtles
Wildlife
- Galápagos penguin The world's northernmost penguin, mainly on Isabela and Fernandina.
- Green sea turtle Common in the water year-round; beach nesting is strongest from December to June.
- Manta ray Large rays that show up more often when plankton is rich.
Isabela
What to see
- Uplifted seabed (1954)
- Land iguanas
- Giant tortoises
Wildlife
- Giant tortoise Highland grazers. Nesting is strongest in the cool season; hatchlings appear later.
- Marine iguana Shore reptiles that bask on lava and dive to graze algae.
Isabela
What to see
- Lava tide pools
- Flamingos
- Coastal lagoon birds
Wildlife
- American flamingo Pink flocks in salt lagoons, especially on Floreana and Isabela.
- Green sea turtle Common in the water year-round; beach nesting is strongest from December to June.
Fernandina
What to see
- Marine iguana colonies
- Flightless cormorants
- Lava flows into the ocean
Wildlife
- Marine iguana Shore reptiles that bask on lava and dive to graze algae.
- Galápagos penguin The world's northernmost penguin, mainly on Isabela and Fernandina.
Santiago
What to see
- Pahoehoe lava field
- Dramatic volcanic walk
- Bartolomé views nearby
Wildlife
- Marine iguana Shore reptiles that bask on lava and dive to graze algae.
Santiago
What to see
- Cone-shaped islet
- Snorkel with penguins
- White-tip reef sharks
Wildlife
- Galápagos penguin The world's northernmost penguin, mainly on Isabela and Fernandina.
- Galápagos sea lion Curious beach and dock residents; pups are most noticeable late in the year.
Santiago
What to see
- Pinnacle Rock
- Iconic summit viewpoint
- Penguin snorkeling
Wildlife
- Galápagos penguin The world's northernmost penguin, mainly on Isabela and Fernandina.
- Green sea turtle Common in the water year-round; beach nesting is strongest from December to June.
Santiago
What to see
- Fur seals
- Coastal walks
- Tide pools
Wildlife
- Galápagos sea lion Curious beach and dock residents; pups are most noticeable late in the year.
- Marine iguana Shore reptiles that bask on lava and dive to graze algae.
Santa Cruz
What to see
- Mangrove nursery
- Sharks & rays by panga
- Quiet wildlife watching
Wildlife
- Green sea turtle Common in the water year-round; beach nesting is strongest from December to June.
- Manta ray Large rays that show up more often when plankton is rich.
Santa Cruz
What to see
- Sea turtle nesting beach
- Flamingo lagoons
- Soft white sand
Wildlife
- Green sea turtle Common in the water year-round; beach nesting is strongest from December to June.
- American flamingo Pink flocks in salt lagoons, especially on Floreana and Isabela.
Santa Cruz
What to see
- Land iguanas
- Brackish lagoon flamingos
- Dry-forest hike
Wildlife
- American flamingo Pink flocks in salt lagoons, especially on Floreana and Isabela.
- Marine iguana Shore reptiles that bask on lava and dive to graze algae.
Day 1 on this itinerary
What to see
- Giant tortoises in mist forest
- Lava tunnels
- Darwin Station / Puerto Ayora
Wildlife
- Giant tortoise Highland grazers. Nesting is strongest in the cool season; hatchlings appear later.
Floreana
Day 5 on this itinerary
What to see
- Historic barrel mail
- Baroness Lookout
- Floreana lore
Wildlife
- Galápagos sea lion Curious beach and dock residents; pups are most noticeable late in the year.
- Green sea turtle Common in the water year-round; beach nesting is strongest from December to June.
Floreana
Day 5 on this itinerary
What to see
- Olivine green beach
- Flamingo lagoon
- Sea turtle nesting (seasonal)
Wildlife
- American flamingo Pink flocks in salt lagoons, especially on Floreana and Isabela.
- Green sea turtle Common in the water year-round; beach nesting is strongest from December to June.
- Manta ray Large rays that show up more often when plankton is rich.
Floreana
Day 5 on this itinerary
What to see
- Snorkel inside a volcanic crater
- Dense tropical reef fish
- Rays, turtles & sharks in the current
Wildlife
- Green sea turtle Common in the water year-round; beach nesting is strongest from December to June.
- Manta ray Large rays that show up more often when plankton is rich.
- Galápagos sea lion Curious beach and dock residents; pups are most noticeable late in the year.
San Cristóbal
Day 3 on this itinerary
What to see
- Hammerheads in the channel
- Dramatic volcanic stack
- Premier snorkel / dive
Wildlife
- Hammerhead shark Schooling sharks at Darwin and Wolf, most reliable in cooler water.
- Green sea turtle Common in the water year-round; beach nesting is strongest from December to June.
- Galápagos sea lion Curious beach and dock residents; pups are most noticeable late in the year.
San Cristóbal
Day 3 on this itinerary
What to see
- Sea lion colony
- Blue-footed boobies
- Shallow snorkel
Wildlife
- Galápagos sea lion Curious beach and dock residents; pups are most noticeable late in the year.
- Blue-footed booby A landing favourite for its foot-lifting courtship dance.
San Cristóbal
What to see
- All three booby species
- Frigatebirds
- Red volcanic landscape
Wildlife
- Frigatebird Males inflate a bright red throat pouch when advertising for a mate.
- Blue-footed booby A landing favourite for its foot-lifting courtship dance.
Day 3 on this itinerary
What to see
- Eastern gateway port
- Sea lions on the malecón
- Interpretation Center
Wildlife
- Galápagos sea lion Curious beach and dock residents; pups are most noticeable late in the year.
- Frigatebird Males inflate a bright red throat pouch when advertising for a mate.
Española
Day 4 on this itinerary
What to see
- Waved albatross colony
- Blowhole cliffs
- Nazca boobies
Wildlife
- Waved albatross Nests only on Espanola, with courtship dances from about April to June.
- Marine iguana Shore reptiles that bask on lava and dive to graze algae.
- Blue-footed booby A landing favourite for its foot-lifting courtship dance.
Española
Day 4 on this itinerary
What to see
- Long white sand beach
- Playful sea lions
- Relaxed swimming/snorkeling
Wildlife
- Galápagos sea lion Curious beach and dock residents; pups are most noticeable late in the year.
- Green sea turtle Common in the water year-round; beach nesting is strongest from December to June.
Genovesa
What to see
- Red-footed boobies
- Frigatebirds
- Submerged crater beach
Wildlife
- Frigatebird Males inflate a bright red throat pouch when advertising for a mate.
- Blue-footed booby A landing favourite for its foot-lifting courtship dance.
Genovesa
What to see
- Nazca booby cliffs
- Short-eared owls
- Storm petrel fields
Wildlife
- Frigatebird Males inflate a bright red throat pouch when advertising for a mate.
- Blue-footed booby A landing favourite for its foot-lifting courtship dance.
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6-day itinerary F day by day
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Day 1 · Wednesday
Baltra Arrival & Santa Cruz Highlands
You'll land at Baltra Airport, where a Petrel guide will meet you after immigration and baggage claim before transferring you to the yacht. Once aboard you'll have time to settle into your cabin before the welcome briefing and lunch. In the afternoon you'll head into the highlands of Santa Cruz to see Los Gemelos, twin …
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Day 2 · Thursday
South Plaza Island & Santa Fe Island
South Plaza is one of the smallest islands with a visitor site, but its size belies how much wildlife it packs in. Sesuvium groundcover turns parts of the island red for much of the year, and the prickly pear cactus trees here are a key food source for its land iguanas, whose numbers have grown …
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Day 3 · Friday
Lobos Island & Giant Tortoise Breeding Center
In the morning you'll visit Lobos Island, a calm, easily explored islet about an hour from San Cristóbal with a resident sea lion colony, marine iguanas along the shoreline and, in season, nesting blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds, with Kicker Rock visible offshore. In the afternoon you'll land on San Cristóbal itself, at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, …
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Day 4 · Saturday
Gardner Bay & Suárez Point, Española Island
Española is both the southernmost and the oldest island in the archipelago, roughly four million years old, and its isolation has produced more endemic species than anywhere else in the Galápagos. In the morning you'll land at Gardner Bay, a stretch of white coral sand backed by a resident sea lion colony, where Española mockingbirds …
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Day 5 · Sunday
Floreana Island: Devil's Crown & Post Office Bay
Floreana carries some of the strangest human history in the Galápagos, from the first recorded resident, an Irishman who lived here between 1807 and 1809, to a string of unexplained disappearances among its small 1930s settler community. Its handful of remaining residents still farm the land and collect rainwater for supply. In the morning you'll …
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Day 6 · Monday
Charles Darwin Research Station & Departure
On your final morning you'll visit the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz, the hub of the Galápagos' conservation work, where ongoing projects tackle invasive species and where the long-running giant tortoise breeding program raises animals from egg through to adulthood, before they're released back into the wild. From here you'll transfer to Baltra …
The Petrel Luxury Cruise
Aboard the Petrel Cruise you will visit secluded islands to find fascinating wildlife and enjoy incredible scenery. Enjoy 3, 4, 5 or 7-night bruises. Our Galapagos expedition packages aboard the Petrel caters to both short and extended voyages, ensuring an unforgettable experience. Regardless of duration, our expert guides will lead you on captivating daily excursions.
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