Ocean Spray 8 Days A

Day Visitor Site
Saturday AM - Baltra Island Airport: Arrival and Transfer to the boat
Rabida Island
Sunday Isabela: Vicente Roca Point
Fernandina: Espinosa Point
Monday Isabela: Tagus Cove
Isabela: Urbina Bay
Tuesday Isabela: Elizabeth Bay
Isabela: Moreno Point
Wednesday Isabela: Puerto Villamil
Isabela: Puerto Villamil
Thursday North Seymour
Santa Cruz: Twin Craters/Charles Darwin St.
Friday Española: Suarez Point
Española: Gardner Bay
Saturday San Cristobal: Intr. Center/Galapaguera
Transfer to the Airport

Day 1 (Saturday)

  • MORNING FLIGHT FROM QUITO OR GUAYAQUIL TO BALTRA (GALAPAGOS)
  • RABIDA ISLAND

Assistance at the airport by our representative for your Galapagos flight.

You will arrive at Baltra Island in the morning. After passing through immigration and baggage claim you will be met by Ocean Spray staff and transferred to the yacht. You will be shown to your cabin where you will have some time to settle in before lunch and a welcome briefing.

The afternoon visit, Rabida Island (or Jervis), is one of the most colorful and volcanically varied islands in the archipelago as well as a great snorkeling site. We will start on Rabida’s famous maroon sandy beach and after an easy hike will arrive to a stunning lookout to enjoy the amazing landscapes.

The island is a birdwatcher’s delight. Some of the rarest species are in abundance, such as nine varieties of finches, Large-billed Flycatchers, Galapagos Hawks and Brown Pelicans.

 

Day 2 (Sunday)

  • ISABELA & FERNANDINA ISLANDS

Isabela Island: The largest in the archipelago, this seahorse-shaped island is also one of the youngest and most volcanically active.

The morning visit is to Vicente Roca Point. Comprised of two separate coves, this site is a large bay with spectacular sea life. Keep an eye out for seahorses, sea turtles, and the strange yet fascinating Mola-mola (or sunfish).

Fernandina Island: No foreign species have ever invaded this island and therefore it is one of the world’s most pristine island ecosystems. Fernandina is the youngest island in Galapagos. Access to this site is extremely restricted by the Galapagos National Park and you will be one of those very lucky visitors. The volcano “La Cumbra” dominates the landspace with lava fields reaching the ocean.

Crossing the Bolivar Channel that divides Isabela and Fernandina Islands we will land at Espinosa Point, and after walking past a colony of marine iguanas and a group of sea lions, reach the island´s highlight: the Flightless Cormorant nesting site.  This area provides a great opportunity to see the Galapagos Hawk.

 

Day 3 (Monday)

  • ISABELA ISLAND –TAGUS COVE &URBINA BAY

The morning visit, including Tagus Cove’s ‘cliff-side gallery,’ provides a clear view of pirate graffiti dating back to 1836. The contrast between vandalism and the pristine environment is thought provoking. Up the (1.2 mi / 2 km) hike through lava formations, we will see stunning views of the surrounding slopes and volcanoes, making our way to Darwin Lake.  This salt-water crater-lake may have been filled with a tidal wave brought on by a volcanic eruption.

In the afternoon, we will land at Urbina Bay which presents some fascinating geological formations. In 1954, an uplift from the sea formed the bay; which has been characterized by the resulting terrestrial coral reef ever since. Expect to see stingrays and sea turtles swimming near the surface of the water, along with Flightless Cormorants, pelicans, and marine iguanas. You will be dazzled by the breathtaking view of the Alcedo Volcano.

 

Day 4 (Tuesday)

  • ISABELA ISLAND – ELIZABETH BAY & MORENO POINT

The morning visit will take us to Elizabeth Bay, a secluded space lacking any landing sites. We will take a traditional ‘panga’ ride, passing the red mangroves and amongst the wildlife of the lively bay. Elizabeth is known for its marine life; you will probably see sea turtles and rays skimming the surface of the water. You may also see the Brown Pelicans diving for fish, penguins, Blue-footed Boobies & possibly spot humpback whales.

In the afternoon we will visit Moreno Point, located south west of Elizabeth Bay. Here, a dry landing onto what was once flowing lava is possible. The lava has left craters in its wake, which formed crystal tide pools. By looking into the pools, you can peer into another world, as the marine life drifts by your window. In the brackish pools of this area, you may see pink flamingos, White-Cheeked Pintails, and Common Gallinules. If you look carefully into the pools you may see whitetip reef sharks and some sea turtles.

 

Day 5 (Wednesday)

  • ISABELA ISLAND – PUERTO VILLAMIL

The morning will consist of a visit to Villamil Port, where the Wetlands are immediately visible. The port is situated along a stunning expanse of white beaches, backed by a fantastic lagoon where flamingos pose and marine iguanas give knowing looks. Here, you are likely to see a variety of unique bird species; including Common Stilts, Whimbrels, White-Cheeked Pintails, and Gallinules.

Then, you will be taken to The Wall of Tears (El Muro de las Lágrimas), 25-meters (65-feet) high and an important piece of island history. A penal colony existed on Isabella from 1945-1959, and the prisoners were forced to build the wall, stone by stone, while in isolation from the rest of the world. Thousands died in its construction. Many claim to feel the heavy energy of this historical site, and locals claim to hear cries in the wind.

Later we will visit the Centro de Crianza and Arnaldo Tupiza. We will head together over to the Giant Turtle Center “Arnaldo Tupiza.” This Giant Turtle Breeding Center in Isabela is located (0.9 mi / 1.5km) from Villamil Port. In this breeding center there are Galápagos turtles from populations of the south of Isabela Island (Sierra Negra Volcano and Cerro Azul) reproducing.  On the trail that goes to the Giant Turtle Center “Arnaldo Tupiza” there are two lagoons where one can observe flamingos feeding and ducks.

At the Breeding Center you can see two of the five sub-species of giant turtles, cared for by the park keepers. The center was created to protect the animals in their first years of life since their natural environment has been invaded by foreign species like pigs and donkeys, which constitute a threat because pigs eat the eggs and donkeys compete for food. The park keepers collect the eggs and bring them to the center where they place them in incubators. After five years, when the turtles have reached a decent size to make it on their own, they are released in their natural environment. Approximate time of driving: 1.5 hours.

The Breeding Center has beautiful gardens with plants like chamomile, algarrobo, cactus, Palo santo, cat claw, chala, horse knee, muyuyo, espuela de gallo, lechoso, arrayán, margarita de Galápagos.

 

Day 6 (Thursday)

  • NORTH SEYMOUR ISLAND & TWIN CRATERS – CH.DARWIN STATION

In the morning we will head to North Seymour Island. Here you will be able to see Galapagos sea lions, blue footed-boobies and magnificent frigate birds.

The afternoon visit is a site called Los Gemelos (The Twins). Los Gemelos wait for you at the end of a short hike. These sinkholes are often referred to as craters, though the term is only descriptive, not literal. They were created by the collapse of surface material in underground fissures and chambers. The endemic Scalesia Forest surrounds the site, where you may see Vermillian Flycatchers, Short-eared Owls, and finches.

The visit also includes the Breeding Center “Fausto Llerena” – Charles Darwin Breeding Center, home to turtles ranging from 3-inches (new hatchlings) to 4-feet long. Here you will observe the various sub-species of turtles interacting with each other, and possibly with you. Many of the older turtles are accustomed to humans, and will stretch out their heads for a pet. The babies are only kept until they are about four years old, or large enough to survive in the wild. These conservation efforts continue to be extremely successful.

Day 7 (Friday)

  • ESPAÑOLA ISLAND

Española Island is the southernmost island of the Galapagos and is the breeding site of nearly all of the Waved Albatrosses in the entire world. Española is densely populated with mockingbirds, Blue-footed and Nazca Boobies, Darwin finches, Galapagos Doves, hawks, red and green marine iguanas, and loads of sea lions.

In the morning, we will start at Suarez Point on a trail where you will have the chance to see Blue-footed Boobie, albatrosses and Nazca Boobies. We will also visit a beautiful site on the ocean front where there is a cliff that the large albatrosses use as a launching pad! You’ll have the chance to see the famous blowhole that spurts water into the air. The landscape is great for photography.

In the afternoon, we will visit the spectacular Gardner Bay. After landing, you can walk across a lovely white sand beach amongst a busy sea lion colony or dive into the water to swim with sea lion pups. It is the breeding site of nearly all of the world´s 12,000 pairs of Waved Albatrosses.

 

Day 8 (Saturday)

  • SAN CRISTOBAL ISLAND – LOBOS ISLAND – DEPARTURE

In the morning we will visit the Galapaguera and the Interpretation center on San Cristobal Island.

Cerro Colorado is a new visitor site in the northeast part of San Cristobal Island and can now be reached in roughly one hour by road from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. On the trees and shrubs surrounding the site, you may see land birds like warbler, finches and mockingbirds can be observed and on the trails, giant tortoises. They live there wild but in a protected area to assure their survival by sealing them off from introduced predators, like pigs and goats. Once the tortoise perceives danger, it goes into its defensive stance, retreating into its hard shell. After this final visit, you will be transferred to San Cristobal’s airport in time to catch your flight back to the mainland.

 

Important: Itineraries and activities subject to change without prior notice. Depending on weather conditions and water currents, some wildlife described above may not be visible.

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