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Tour
Description: The
M/V Galapagos Explorer II is the most luxurious ship sailing the
Galapagos islands. You will sail on board this great ship
and discover the Archipelago of the Galapagos in style.
Explore the islands accompanied by some of the most
knowledgeable Naturalist guides on the islands. They will
lead you on daily shore excursions to seek out wildlife and
help you to learn about the fascinating natural history of
these volcanic islands.
The Galapagos Explorer II will be your
home for the next 08 days. This 293 foot, first-class, all
suite,
ocean-going cruise ship carries 100 passengers.
Its comfortable suites feature air-conditioning, private
bathrooms and a small sitting area. When you are not exploring, you and your
family can enjoy the ship’s pool, solarium and reading
room without experiencing the motion of a smaller vessel.
A day on the Galapagos Explorer II begins with breakfast
followed by the morning excursion. Every day you will
disembark the vessel twice. Morning and afternoon
excursions are scheduled either with a dry or wet landing.
During dry landings passengers step from the dinghy onto rocks
or a dock while on a wet landing the dinghy will edge onto a
sandy beach where passengers will step into knee deep water
and wade ashore.
Every night the Naturalist guides will give
a briefing on the day's activities and the excursions
planned for the following day. Enjoy your Galapagos cruise. |
Day 1 -
Saturday
AM or PM - QUITO or
GUAYAQUIL - BALTRA ISLAND
You will fly from either
Quito or
Guayaquil (flights not included) to the island of
Baltra - Galapagos,
a small Island located in the central part of the archipelago.
During World War II the Island was an important military base of the
US Army. Now it is a military base of the Ecuadorian Army and the
only people living here now are some representatives of the
Galapagos National Park. Upon arrival you
will be met by the crew of the
M/V Galapagos Explorer II outside the customs area at the
airport. They will provide
a 15
minutes bus ride from the airport to the Baltra pier followed by a
short zodiac ride to the ship where you will board and settle into
your cabin.
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Contact us for services in Quito or
Guayaquil and/or airfare to Ecuador and the Galapagos
islands |
PM - SANTA CRUZ (INDEFATIGABLE /
CHAVEZ) ISLAND - Dragon Hill
 On this first day of our Galapagos cruise we will
visit a bay located at the northwest
site of the
Santa Cruz (Indefatigable / Chavez) Island, known as Cerro
Dragon (Dragon Hill). Since long this bay has been known by whaling
men because of the important colonies of land iguanas that lived in
this area. During almost the entire year we can see flamingos in the
marshland lakes as well as some migratory birds. You will also have
the opportunity to see Darwin Finches, Hood Mockingbirds and Lava
Lizards. The area has an arid vegetation where you can find some
Opuntia cactus, Palo Santo and some other endemic plants. The visit
has a wet landing and a 2 kilometer flat trail (about 2 hours
hiking), we suggest comfortable walking shoes, walking sticks (if it
is necessary) and binoculars for bird watching at the marshland
lakes.
The location has a wonderful landscape as we can see
Rabida Island at the west and Santa Cruz Island at the East. In
the beach zone you can see some endemic coast plants and also some
marine iguanas, sea lions, American oystercatchers, pelicans and a
small blue-footed bobbies colony.
EVE - Dinner and evening at leisure. Overnight on board.
(B, L, D.)
Day 2 -
Sunday
AM - BARTOLOME (BARTHOLOMEW) ISLAND
Today we will visit two different islands. The first
destination is the island of
Bartolome (Bartholomew), an island of varied volcanic
formations with a 350 foot summit and a fabulous 360º view.
Depending upon the weather, you may be able to spot five other
islands, one of the most spectacular views of the archipelago.
You’ll make a wet landing in a cove to see a small colony of
Galapagos penguins - the only penguins north of the equator. Sea
lions are also found here. Behind the beach we find red and white
mangroves, salt bush, morning glory and prickly pear cactuses.
Return to the ship for lunch.
PM -
SANTIAGO (JAMES / SAN SALVADOR)
ISLAND - Puerto Egas
In the afternoon you will visit Puerto Egas on
Santiago (James / Salvador) island. The landing is on a
black beach with eroded rock formations in the background. The trail
crosses the dry interior, where the remains of a salt-mining
enterprise can still be seen and then continues along the coast.
Inter-tidal pools are home to a variety of invertebrate organisms.
Land iguanas are scattered around feeding on exposed algae while
Oyster Catchers try to capture Sally Lightfoot Crabs. The trail then
leads to the Fur Seal Grottos, one of the only places in the islands
where Fur Seals can be seen. Puerto Egas is a good spot for taking
pictures.
EVE - Dinner and evening at leisure. Overnight on
board.
(B, L, D.)
Day 3 -
Monday
AM - FERNANDINA (NARBOROUGH) ISLAND
- Punta Espinosa
After breakfast we visit
Fernandina (Narborough) island, the youngest
and westernmost island in the Galapagos. You will land at Punta
Espinoza, a narrow stretch of land where some of the most
unusual Galapagos species can be seen. While the "panga" driver
skillfully eludes the reef to reach the landing site near a small
mangrove forest, look for penguins diving off the rocks into the
water. Sally Lightfoot Crabs disperse on the lava near the shore and
Herons, Sandpipers and Whimbrels explore the mangrove roots. Marine
Iguanas congregate in larger groups here than on any other island.
They are everywhere: basking in the sand, swimming near the shore,
grazing on the exposed seaweed in the lava and blocking the way at
the landing dock. This is one of the few places where there is the
opportunity, if the water is clear, of watching them feed underwater
while snorkeling.
Following a trail inland, two different types of lava flows can be
seen and compared. At the tip of one of the small peninsulas,
Flightless Cormorants are found. Without predators on the island,
these serpent-necked birds adapted for swimming and not for flight,
another example of evolution at work in “nature’s laboratory.”
PM - ISABELA (ALBEMARLE) ISLAND
- Punta Vicente Roca
After lunch we visit the largest of the Galapagos
islands,
Isabela (Albemarle) is composed of six shield volcanoes
merged into a single land mass. Wolf Volcano on Isabela is also the
highest point in the archipelago. The M/V Galapagos Explorer II is
one of only a few faster, better-equipped boats able to make the
long journey from the central islands to the visitor sites on the
western side of Isabela. The trip is more than worthwhile
for the unique species that occur only in this part of the
archipelago, and because the landscape, with massive volcanoes
silhouetted against the sky, offer a striking contrast to the
lower-lying islands of the east.
Located on the north-western tip of Isabela island, the visit of
Punta Vicente Roca is completely by dingy. The dinghy's are launched
on a coastal dingy-ride that skirts 400 - 500 feet cliff sides.
Blue-footed boobies, masked boobies & pelicans can be seen here.
Also, a lot of sea-turtles feed along this shoreline. Reaching a
rocky pile of large basalt, there are colonies of fur-seals & marine
iguanas in groups, basking in the sun. Sea lions are also present.
Continuing along the sheer cliffs we approach a secluded cove where,
at it's end, dark and yellow rock are superposed. Now we are close
to the large cave that allows for snorkeling or sight seeing.
Snorkeling at the cave produces a great variety of marine life,
specially marine invertebrates. One starts at the intersection
between the dark and yellow rock and swims all the way around the
small point into the cave, all the way into the cave & then out of
the cave until the next point.
The water is often murky and very cold as it is called the Galapagos
Ice-box. Therefore, one must snorkel very close to the rock in
order to see anything but it may produce some of the most exiting
snorkeling in Galapagos. Manta rays, Sea Turtles, Sea Lions,
Sting-rays, many fish, even Dolphins & Sunfish have been seen and
snorkeled with in this bay. Along the cave there are Galapagos
Penguins, Marine Iguanas, Swallow-tailed gulls, Masked boobies,
Brown noddy 's, Blue footed boobies and a breathtaking scenery.
EVE - Dinner and evening at leisure. Overnight on board.
(B, L, D.)
Day 4 -
Tuesday
AM - NORTH SEYMOUR ISLAND
In the morning we make a dry landing on
North Seymour island, a small flat island with
rocks and a long sandy stretch where sea lions and marine iguanas
hang out next to a surf wave. The interior of the island has a Palo Santo small
Opuntia cactus forest with Blue-footed boobies and magnificent
Frigate bird colonies.
PM - SANTA CRUZ (INDEFATIGABLE /
CHAVEZ) ISLAND - Highlands
In the afternoon we board a bus for a
45-minute ride through changing vegetation zones to the Highlands of
Santa Cruz (Indefatigable / Chavez) Island. Here, about 40
giant tortoises live in the wild. By approaching quietly, you can
find and observe a turtle on your own. You also hike to tunnels made
by cooling lava.
EVE - Dinner and evening at leisure. Overnight on
board.
(B, L, D.)
Day 5 - Wednesday
AM - SAN CRISTOBAL ( CHATHAM)
ISLAND - Isla Lobos / Interpretation Center / GUAYAQUIL or
QUITO
During the overnight hours the Galapagos Explorer II
sails to
San Cristobal (Chatham) island. This is the easternmost island
of the Galapagos Islands. Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is the capital of
the Galapagos province and the location of the extraordinary
Interpretation Center for Galapagos National Park.
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- Some passengers will
disembark today while others will join us for
the remainder of our cruise -
Considering changes in
flight schedules, weather conditions and National Park Regulations,
the operator of the Galapagos Explorer II has included several
alternatives to the visits offered to passengers on the morning of
the cruise program, some of the options are:
- La Loberia: Sea lion colony, Marine iguanas, Warbler,
Finches, Blue-footed boobies.
- Isla Lobos: Situated less than an hour's ride from Puerto
Baquerizo Moreno, Lobos Islet is a seasonal nesting location for the
Blue-footed Booby. Snorkeling.
- El Junco Lake: Fresh water lake and water reservoir located
at 700 meters offers great views, Miconia, ferns, sedges, club moss,
tree ferns, white-cheeked pintails, common gallinules
- Interpretation Center: Donated by the Spanish Government in
1998, this state of the art facility offers both tourist and the
inhabitants a complete education on the Islands. Your visit to the
Archipelago is taken to a new level, since its inauguration. |
PM - SAN
CRISTOBAL (CHATHAM) ISLAND - Cerro Brujo
Lunch on board followed by a visit near San Cristobal Island. We head out to Cerro Brujo for a
wet landing where we have a chance to observe Blue Footed Boobies,
Brown Pelicans, coastal birds (Whimbrels, Sander Lings, etc), Darwin’s
Finches and yellow Warblers. There will be time to go to the beach
for swimming and snorkeling activities before returning back to the
ship.
EVE - Dinner on board and evening at leisure.
Overnight on board
(L, D.)
Day 6 -
Thursday
AM - ESPANOLA (HOOD) ISLAND - Punta
Suarez
After breakfast disembark for excursion to
Espanola (Hood) island, the southernmost island of the
archipelago. Because it is so isolated, the island has a large
population of indigenous wildlife. You will explore Punta Suarez,
one of the most spectacular spots in the Galapagos, where you’ll
look for sea lions surfing the breaking waves and groups of iguanas
basking in the sun. Further inland, Masked and Blue-footed Boobies
nest beside the trails. You can hike a trail towards the cliffs to
the Blowhole, a fissure in the lava cliffs where seawater jets high
in the air.
PM - ESPANOLA (HOOD) ISLAND -
Gardner Bay
In the afternoon, after lunch, we visit Gardner Bay
on
Espanola (Hood) island. This long beach is about 1 kilometer
long and is among the most magnificent in the Galapagos. It is home
to many Sea Lion colonies and the turquoise colored water makes a
beautiful contrast to the white sand that consists of shell dust.
Mocking birds fight for their territory and inspect the backpacks of
the tourists. About 50 meters of the coast there is a rock where you
can encounter tropic fish and rays while snorkeling. But more
spectacular is the Gardner Rock that can be reached with a dinghy.
It is home to white-tipped reef shark, cactus finch and other
colorful sea dwellers and very popular among snorkelers.
EVE - Dinner and evening at leisure. Overnight on board.
(B, L, D.)
Day 7 -Friday
AM - SANTA CRUZ (INDEFATIGABLE /
CHAVEZ) ISLAND - Charles Darwin Research Station & Puerto Ayora
In the morning hours, you will visit
Santa Cruz (Indefatigable / Chavez) Island, landing in the
town of Puerto Ayora. Here we will visit the Darwin Station to learn
about the research conducted on the island. This UNESCO World
Heritage Site is a Galapagos tortoise breeding and rearing center,
where tortoises of different subspecies are prepared for
reintroduction to their natural habitats. Afterwards, you can stroll
through Puerto Ayora, largest town on the islands before returning
to the ship for lunch.
PM - RABIDA (JERVIS) ISLAND
While lunching the ship moves on to our next island,
Rabida (Jervis). The island is covered by dry and coastal
vegetation, and has a central volcano of 367 square meters. Rabida
contains the largest variety of lava types, being red the dominant
color. A salt-water lagoon provides occasional sights of Flamingos.
While the beach holds a large Sea Lion colony, Fur Seals also may be
seen here. Red sands and teal waters characterize this island. Sea
Lions cover the waterfront, and the bull is always making a show of
his bravado. There's a short walk to the top of the trail where you
can take fabulous photos of the clear waters and volcanic peaks.
There's also great snorkeling. Keep near the rocks and keep your eye
out for sharks and rays.
EVE - Farewell dinner and evening at leisure. Overnight on
board.
(B, L, D.)
Day 8 - Saturday
AM - SANTA CRUZ
(INDEFATIGABLE / CHAVEZ) ISLAND / BALTRA - Bachas Beach
In the morning we will visit Bachas Beach on
Santa Cruz (Indefatigable / Chavez) island. The white sand
beach is a great place for swimming. We can also see some nesting
site for sea turtles and in the small lagoon behind it we can see
flamingos and marine iguanas frequent the shore. Whimbrels, blue
heron, pelicans, sally light-foot crab and other species can also be
found here.
PM - Transfer by zodiac to the Baltra pier and bus ride to
airport for the return flight to
Guayaquil or
Quito.
(B, L.)
END OF SERVICES |
