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has the shape of a sleeping lion. It has a split
with towering vertical walls on either side, forming
a narrow channel through which small vessels can navigate.
Day 2: Monday Morning: Tower (Genovesa) Island—Prince
Philip’s Steps
A second trail called Prince Philip Steps,
leads to an open area for masked boobies, frigates,
and red-footed boobies. At the end of this trail are
thousands of band-rumped storm petrels at the cliff's
edge, where they nest in crevices. Short-eared owls
can sometimes be seen here, hunting the storm petrels
during daylight hours.
Monday Afternoon: Tower (Genovesa) Island—Darwin
Bay Beach
Tower is a collapsed volcano and ships sail
directly into its large breached caldera to anchor
at the foot of the steep crater walls. Tower attracts
vast numbers of pelagic seabirds that come here to
nest and breed: great frigate birds, red-footed boobies,
swallow-tailed gulls and storm petrels. A trail leads
from a coral beach past tidal lagoons where lava gulls
and yellow-crowned night herons are seen, then along
the low shrubs populated by frigates and boobies,
and eventually to a cliff edge where seabirds soar.
Day 3: Tuesday Morning: Isabela (Albemarle)
Island—Punta Vicente Roca
Isabela, the largest of the Galapagos islands,
looks a bit like a sea horse facing toward the west.
Located at the ‘mouth’ of the head of
the sea horse, which forms the northern part of the
islands, is Punta Vicente Roca, Here the remnants
of an ancient volcano form two turquoise coves with
a bay well protected from the ocean swells. The spot
is a popular anchorage from which to take panga rides
along the cliff that are the remains of the volcano
or explore a partially sunken cave at the water’s
edge. Masked and blue-footed boobies sit perched along
the point and the sheer cliffs, while flightless cormorants
inhabit the shoreline.
The upwelling of coldwater currents in this part
of the Galapagos, give rise to an abundance of marine
life which, in combination with the protection of
the coves, make Punta Vicente Roca one of the archipelago’s
sough after dive spots. One cove is only accessible
from the sea by way of an underwater passage. The
passage opens to calm waters of the hidden cove where
sea lions like to laze on the beach having traveled
along the underwater route. The entire area of Punta
Vicente Roca lies on the flank of 2,600 foot Volcano
Ecuador. This is the island’s sixth largest
volcano. Half of Volcano Ecuador slid into the ocean
leaving a spectacular cutaway view of the volcanic
caldera
Tuesday Afternoon: Fernandina (Narborough)
Island—Punta Espinosa
Fernandina is the youngest and most active volcano
in the Galapagos with eruptions taking place every
few years. The flat lava of Punta Espinosa offers
a stark and barren landscape, but here flightless
cormorants build their nests on the point, sea lions
sprawl on the beach or play in the tide pools and
marine iguanas dot the sand.
Day 4: Wednesday Morning: Santiago (San Salvador,
James) Island—Puerto Egas
This island has several sites to visit at the western
end of James Bay. Puerto Egas with its black sand
beaches was the site of small salt mining industry
in the 1960s and a hike inland to the salt crater
is an excellent opportunity to sight land birds such
as finches, doves, and hawks. A walk down the rugged
shoreline, especially at low tide, will turn up many
marine species as iguanas basking on the rocks and
sea lions lazing in the tide pools. At the end of
the trail there is a series of grottoes or sea caves
where fur seals and night herons are found resting
on shady ledges. Just north of James Bay is Buccaneer
Cove, a particularly scenic area of steep cliffs and
dark beaches.
Wednesday Afternoon: Bartolome (Bartholomew)
Island
Bartolome is a small island that has beautiful white
sand beaches, luxuriant green mangroves and a colony
of penguins. Activities will include swimming and
snorkeling and a climb to the summit of the island
for one of the most breathtaking views in all the
Galapagos. From the summit you will have the best
view of the often-photographed Pinnacle Rock.
Day 5: Thursday Morning: Santa Cruz (Indefatigable)
Island—Puerto Ayora Town
Santa Cruz is the only inhabited island to
be visited during this Galapagos cruise. Puerto Ayora,
with a population of about 10,000 people is the location
of the Charles Darwin Research Station, world famous
for its tortoise breeding programs. After touring
the Station, journey by bus into the highlands to
Los Gemelos the two deep pit craters situated in the
Scalesia forest with lots of interesting bird life.
Go for a walk through the giant lava tubes, visit
the Tortoise Reserve to search for giant tortoises
in their natural surroundings. There will be some
free time to explore the town of Puerto Ayora on your
own.
Thursday Afternoon: Santa Cruz (Indefatigable)
Island—Highlands
The lush greenery of the Santa Cruz Highlands is a
definite contrast with the arid scenery of the smaller,
lower islands. A point of interest is the famed lava
tunnels, a fun and geologically informative visit.
The trip to the highlands ends with a visit to the
Twin Craters
Day 6: Friday Morning: Floreana (Santa Maria,
Charles) Island—Punta Cormorant
Punta Cormorant offers two highly contrasting beaches;
the landing beach is of volcanic origin and is composed
of olivine crystals, giving it a greenish tinge. At
the end of the short trail is a carbonate beach of
very fine white sand, formed by the erosion of coral
skeletons; it is a nesting site for green sea turtles.
Between these two beaches is a salt lagoon frequented
by flamingoes, pintails, stilts, and other wading
birds. An old eroded volcanic cone called Devil's
Crown is a popular roosting site for seabirds such
as boobies, pelicans, and frigates and it is not uncommon
to see red-billed tropicbirds in rocky crevices. The
center of the crown is an outstanding snorkeling spot
full of sea lions and colorful fish.
Friday Afternoon: Floreana—Post Office
Bay / Devil's Crown
An old eroded volcanic cone called Devil's Crown is
a popular roosting site for seabirds such as boobies,
pelicans, and frigates and it is not uncommon to see
red-billed tropicbirds in rocky crevices. The center
of Devil's Crown is an outstanding snorkeling spot
full of sea lions and colorful fish.
Day 7:Saturday Morning: Hood (Española)
Island—Punta Suarez
One of the oldest of the islands, Hood is small and
flat with no visible volcanic crater or vent. Punta
Suarez is one of the most outstanding wildlife areas
of the archipelago, with a long list of species found
along its cliffs and sand or pebble beaches. In addition
to five species of nesting seabirds there are the
curious and bold Hood Island mockingbirds, Galapagos
doves and Galapagos hawks. Several types of reptiles,
including the brilliantly colored marine iguana and
the oversized lava lizard, are unique to this island.
When heavy swells are running, Punta Suarez is also
the site of a spectacular blowhole, with thundering
spray shooting 30 yards into the air.
Saturday Afternoon: Hood (Española)
Island—Gardner Bay
Gardner Bay is on the eastern shore and has
a magnificent beach. This beach is frequented by a
transient colony of sea lions, and is a major nesting
site for marine turtles. Around the small islets nearby,
snorkelers will find lots of fish and sometimes turtles
and sharks. On a trail leading to the western tip
of the island you'll pass the only nesting sites in
the Galapagos of the waved albatross, huge birds with
a 6-foot wingspan. These huge birds nest here from
April to December and represent the majority of the
world’s population of this species.
Day 8: Sunday Afternoon: San Cristobal Island—
Interpretation Center - Departure
San Cristóbal is the easternmost island in
Galapagos; on its southwestern side is the own town
of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the capital of the providence
of Galapagos. On Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is the Interpretation
Center newly opened by the Galapagos National park
in 1998, which is truly an extraordinary contribution
to the information and education of the islands communities
and the travelers; its 80% is focus in the anthropology
of the Galapagos, the 20% is scientific. Free time
will be offer at leisure in the town.
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