Galapagos Islands Cruise

Floreana was named after Juan José Flores, the first president of Ecuador, during whose administration the government of Ecuador took possession of the Archipelago. It is also called Santa Maria after one of the caravels of Columbus. A small island of 69 square miles, it was one of the earliest to be inhabited and has an interesting human history. At Post Office Bay, 18^th-century whalers kept a wooden rum barrel that served as a post office for mail carried by passing ships to and from distant mainlands.

From December to May pink flamingoes and green sea turtles nest on Floreana. The "patapegada" or Galápagos petrel, a sea bird that spends most of its life away from land, is found here. Playful sea lions share the main beach with snorkelers. The trail from the black mangrove beds leads toward the back of the lagoon, which holds one of the biggest populations of flamingos in the Galapagos. This island is best known for its endemic plant life, such as the Galapagos millwork, passion flower, and the unique button mangrove.

This island, the largest of the Galapagos, was named in honor of the Spanish Queen Isabela. Its seahorse shape resulted from the merging of six large volcanoes into a single landmass, the highest point being the 5,600-foot peak of Wolf Volcano. The third-largest human settlement of the archipelago, Puerto Villamil, is located at the southeastern tip of the island. Galápagos penguins, flightless cormorants, marine iguanas, boobies, pelicans and Sally Lightfoot crabs abound on Isabela. 

At the skirts and calderas of Isabela’s volcanoes you can observe land iguanas and Galapagos tortoises, as well as Darwin finches, Galapagos hawks, doves and unique lowland vegetation. Enjoy the high cliffs with tuff stone, ash, and other lava formations, caves and plenty of nesting sites for brown noddies and the famed Blue-footed Boobies. With luck you will have up-close encounters with the occasional dolphin.

Santa Cruz, an island of 381 square miles, rises to 2834 feet. (Its English name derives from the British vessel HMS Indefatigable.) The island hosts the largest human population in the archipelago at the town of Puerto Ayora, where the a staff of international scientists at the Charles Darwin Research Station conduct biological research and conservation projects. At the tortoise breeding center young tortoises are hatched, reared, and prepared to be reintroduced to their natural habitat. The Galápagos National Park Service is also located in Puerto Ayora.

The highlands of Santa Cruz offer exuberant vegetation and are famous for lava tubes, or tunnels, large enough to walk through. The twin pit craters “Los Gemelos” are home to the bright red male vermilion flycatcher. At Cerro Chato (Chato Hill) you’ll be able to observe the famous giant tortoises that gave the name to these islands. Cerro Dragón, known for its flamingo lagoon, is also located here, and along the trail you may see land iguanas foraging.

Black Turtle Cove, located near Las Bachas beach on the north side of Santa Cruz Island, is surrounded by mangrove that sea turtles, spotted eagle rays and small sharks sometimes use as a mating area.

Santiago provides us a chance to see the Galapagos fur seal, along with the opportunity to enjoy the best “tide pooling.” This island of 226 square miles is also known as San Salvador, after the first island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea. It consists of two overlapping volcanoes and reaches an altitude of about 3,000 feet. Marine iguanas, sea lions, fur seals, land and sea turtles, flamingos, dolphins and sharks are found in abundance. A colony of fur-seal swim in the deep pools of cool water called “grottoes.” 

The beach at Puerto Egas, one of the island’s best sites, has a long lava shoreline where eroded rock formations house abundant wildlife. Iguanas bask in the sun, feeding on the green algae exposed at low tide. The tide pools contain Sally Lightfoot crabs, which attract other hunters, and may contain octopus and starfish. You may see great blue herons, lava herons and oystercatchers, and in the deep pools of clear water at the grottos you’ll encounter the sea lions, once on the verge of extinction.You can swim and snorkel at Puerto Egas in search of octopus, sea horses, star fish and other sea life. Among the other attractions on Santiago are the Darwin finches and Galapagos hawks, and the fields of uneroded black lava flow at Sullivan Bay, covered with lava bubbles and tree-trunk molds.

While our exact routing depends on the National Park Service, we will visit the following islands. The itinerary varies with the tour operator and time of year in order to conserve the areas and prevent overuse and harm to the environment, birds, animals, fish and reptiles. The following is a brief description of what each island offers. B/L/D aboard MS Islander

Isla Bartolomé is among the younger of the Galapagos Islands. With a total land area of just .75 square miles, it offers otherworldly and beautiful “moonscapes.” The island consists of an extinct volcano and a variety of red, orange, green, and glistening black volcanic lava bombs, spatter cones and cinder cones. The volcanic cone is not difficult to climb; you will see large colonies of marine iguanas, lava lizards, tiquilla and various cacti. At the summit, enjoy an impressive view of the surrounding islands, including the eroded tuff cone of Pinnacle Rock, a Galapagos landmark. Penguins often swim in the crystal-clear waters below.

The bay is an excellent place to swim, and the underwater world impressive. You can cool off while snorkeling and have the possibility of seeing the Galapagos penguin, sea turtles and white-tipped reef sharks and other tropical fish from a safe distance. Bartolomé is the mating and nesting site for Green sea turtles, who make use of the gentler beaches for nesting.

Disembark and fly back to the mainland.  The late afternoon and evening are free for you to explore on your own.  Hilton Colon (B)