M/C Endemic

ItineraryF

5-NightCruise

Tuesday-Sunday

DAYBYDAYITINERARYDESCRIPTION

(B:breakfast/L:lunch/D:dinner)

TUESDAY

BALTRAAIRPORT–SANTIAGOISLAND:SullivanBay

Uponarrival,receptionandassistanceattheairport,transferfromBaltraAirporttotheM/CEndemic.Intheafternoon,youwillvisitSullivanBay, locatedontheeastcoastofSantiagoIsland.Welandonawhite coral sandbeachandbeginourwalkover lava that flowed less than100years ago. This is theperfectplacetoseeandfeelthevolcanicoriginofGalapagos.Alsointhisareayouwilladmireflorathatgrowsinlavafields.

(-,L,D)

WEDNESDAY

ISABELAISLAND:Wetlands/SierraNegravolcano–BreedingCenter/WallofTears

IsabelaIslandisthelargestofthearchipelagowithasurfaceof4,588squarekilometers.ItencompassesmorethanthehalfofthetotallandareaofGalapagos.

Inthemorning,youwillbetransportedtotheWetlands(Humedales),thatareacomplexoftrailsof6kilometerslong,locatedsouthofIsabelaIsland.Theyhaveawidevarietyoffloraandabundantbirdlife,includinggallinules,finches,stiltsandducksamongothers.

OryoumayvisitSierraNegraVolcano,oneoflargestcratersinthearchipelagowithadiameteroffivekilometers.Itoffersmesmerizingviewswithgreatcontrastincolorsbetweenlavafields,vegetationandfumaroles.

OnthewayuptoOrchillahill,gianttortoisesandmarine iguanaswillappear.Fromtheviewpointthespectacular scenery of the bay, the town of Puerto Villamil, volcanoes, islets and rocks can beappreciated.Isabelawetlandshasendemicandintroducedspecies.

AfterlunchvisittheArnaldoTupizaBreedingCenterofIsabela,infantandjuvenilegianttortoisescanbeseenuntiltheyarereadytobereleasedandsurviveinthewild.

OryoumayvisittheWallofTears.This isaman-mademonumentwhichhasbeenbuilt inthe40’sbyprisoners,sinceIsabelaislandwasonceanEcuadorianpenalcolonyandbuildingupthewallwaspartofthepunishment.

Onthewaybacktotheyacht,bereadytospotflamingosandotherwaterbirds.

(B,L,D)

THURSDAYISABELAISLAND:ElizabethBay–UrbinaBay

Inthemorning,youwilldiscoverElizabethBay,whichisamarinevisitorsite.Theexcursioniscarriedoutin a zodiac and so there is no landingpoint. Your zodiac ride startswith a visit to theMarielas isletswherethereisthelargestandmost importantpenguincolonyintheGalapagosIslands.Theexcursioncontinuesintothecovethatissurroundedbyredmangroveswhereyoucanspotseaturtles,flightlesscormorants,spottedeaglerays,goldenrays,brownpelicansandsealions.

In the afternoon, Urbina Bay will be visited. Here you can see coral formations, large colored landiguanas.Thepossibilityofseeinggiantturtles,flightlesscormorants,blue-footedboobies,penguinsandmarineiguanasisexcellent.

(B,L,D)

FRIDAY

ISABELAISLAND:TagusCove–FERNANDINAISLAND:EspinozaPoint

Afterbreakfast,TagusCovewillbethefirstattractiontosee.AridealongthecliffsinazodiacwillgivevisitorsagoodchancetoseetheGalapagospenguin,theflightlesscormorantandotherseabirds.Fromthelandingdockitisabouta30-minutehikealongthetrailuptothetopoftheclifffromwhereyoucanview Darwin Lake, a saline lake saltier than the sea. You can also see several volcanoes from thislocation.

After lunch, Espinoza pointwill be visited,which is one of Fernandina’s visit points. Locatedwithin afascinatinglavascenerywithLava-Cactuses.Onthesurfaceofthelava,mangrovesthrive.Thehighlightsare sea lions, penguins, the flightless cormorant (especially in spring and summer), and one of thebiggestiguanacoloniesofGalápagos.

(B,L,D)

SATURDAY

SANTIAGOISLAND:BuccaneerCove/EspumillaBeach–RABIDAISLAND

Inthemorning,youwillhavetheopportunitytodiscovertheBuccaneerCovethatislocatedjustnorthofJamesBay.Itwasknownasasafehaveninthe17thand18thcenturyforpiratestostashtheirloot,takeon freshwaterandcapture tortoises for food. It is aniceplace fora zodiac ride, snorkelingandkayaking.Blue-footed,Nazcaboobys,furseals,andGalapagoshawkscanbeseenflyingoverhead.

Orvisit toEspumillaBeachwill takeplace. It isapristinesandybeachandapopularplace formarineiguanas and Sally Lightfoot Crabs. The crabs attract the hunting herons, performing the dance ofpredatorandprey.Withanabundanceofmarinelifeincludingoctopi,morayeel,andshark,snorkelingisrecommendedandavailable.

Intheafternoon,youwillbetakentoRabidaIsland.Itsmainattractionistheredsandbeach,famousforits cactus groves and rock formation scenery, aside from the vegetation of the arid zone and thepresence of native and endemic species. During thewalk on the red sand beach youwill see brownpelicans’nests,andalagoonwhereflamingosareseenfromtimetotime.

(B,L,D)

SUNDAY

MosqueraIslet–BALTRAAIRPORT

In themorning, visit toMosquera, a small islet foundbetweenBaltra&North Seymour Islands. Lavagulls,sealions,Sallylightfootcrabsinhabitthissandbankwithanextensionofover600meters.Italsohoststhelargestpopulationsofsealionsandorcawhalesthatcanbeseenoccasionallydependingontheseasonyouvisittheislet.After this last visit, transfer to Baltra airport for your return flight to mainland Ecuador.Assistanceandfarewellattheairport.

(B,-,-)

***Endofcruise***

*Theoperatorreservestherighttochangetheitinerarywithoutpreviousnoticeduetoweather,NationalParkregulationsornotificationsandunforeseeablecircumstances.