Tip Top IV - Galapagos Naturalist Cruise (non-diving)

Flight from mainland Ecuador (Quito or Guayaquil) to Baltra, with AVIANCA Airlines, arriving at 09:20 a.m. approximately. A guide meets us and accompanies us as we ride the bus to the Itabaca Channel, we cross the channel by barge and then we continue to Puerto Ayora by bus. We board the Yacht and the crew greets us and offers us a light snack and we have our first orientation. In the afternoon, we land at the pier for a visit to the Charles Darwin Station and its Interpretive Center. Return to the Port for a walk through the little town to appreciate various handicrafts. We board and we have a welcome cocktail with the entire crew, and dinner.

After breakfast, we make an early dry landing on Punta Suarez to walk along lava beds where we will observe unique colonies of marine birds, including Albatross (May - December). Return to the Yacht for lunch. In the afternoon, we make a wet landing in Gardner Bay for a walk on the beach and observe a colony of sea lions, which inhabit the beach in great quantity during the breeding season; this is also an important nesting area for sea turtles. We then make a panga ride around the Osborn Islet and the islets of Gardner. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and/or snorkel. Return to the Yacht for dinner and our nightly orientation.

After breakfast, we make a wet landing on Punta Pitt in San Cristobal Island; the trail includes an olivine beach approximately 90 meters and a trail that ascends to the top of a volcanic tuff hill passing through several natural viewpoints. Punta Pitt is composed of volcanic tuff substrate. High winds present there have led to natural erosion. This is the only site in the Galapagos Islands, where you can watch the three species of boobies and 2 species of frigates nesting in the same area. We come aboard for a delicious lunch. Later in the afternoon, our experienced Captain sails easily around Kicker Rock (Leon Dormido), a massive tuff-rock that juts abruptly almost 500 feet straight from the ocean. Kicker Rock serves as nesting place for many sea birds. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and/ or snorkel. Then we make a wet landing on Cerro Brujo to walk on a white sand beach and observe sea lions, brown pelicans, marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel and/ or kayak. We return to the Yacht for dinner and our nightly orientation

After breakfast, we make an early wet landing on Mosquera Island, a reef of rocks and coral (the result of an uprising) and a great white sand beach and tide pools. We observe colonies of sea lions, brown pelicans, blue footed boobies and sally light-foot crabs, the contrast between these bright red crabs on top and blue on the bottom and the black lava is stunning. We come aboard for a delicious lunch. In the afternoon, we make a panga ride on Black Turtle Cove, series of mangrove-surrounded coves and islets; here we can observe white-tipped sharks, marine turtles, spotted eagle rays, and yellow cow-nosed rays. We board the Yacht for dinner and the first of our nightly orientations.

After breakfast, we make a wet landing on Chinese Hat (Sombrero Chino), a small island off the coast of Santiago Island, we can observe on the rocky shoreline: Galapagos penguins, eagle rays, sea lions and marine iguanas. This is an excellent snorkeling site. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel and/ or Kayak. Return to the Yacht for lunch. In the afternoon, we make a wet landing on Rabida, to walk and observe marine iguanas and sea lions, pelicans, blue-footed boobies, masked boobies and brown pelicans. We walk and we arrive at a small saltwater lagoon where we can see pink flamingos. Optional: time for those who would like to swim or snorkel. We return to the Yacht for dinner and our nightly orientation.

After breakfast, we make a wet landing on Sullivan Bay, a perfect place to get a feel of the volcanic origin of the islands. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and/or snorkel. We return to the boat for a delicious lunch. In the afternoon, we make a dry landing on Bartolome Island, to hike to the summit; during the hike we observe colonies of marine iguanas and lava lizards. On the summit we have an impressive view of the surrounding islands, including the eroded tuff cone of Pinnacle Rock. We return to the yacht for a delicious dinner and our nightly orientation

After breakfast, we make a wet landing on Santa Fe Island to visit the cactus forest and a colony of land iguanas native from Santa Fe. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel and/or kayak. Return to the Yacht for lunch and sail to South Plaza, where we make a dry landing on the pier of the island, there we can enjoy the antics of the sea lions. A walk through a cactus forest allows us to observe land iguanas and many species of tropical birds. At the end of the afternoon, we return to the Yacht for dinner and our nightly orientation.

After breakfast we make an early disembark on Las Bachas Beach, a place where we can appreciate a Flamingos lagoon. During all walks, your guide will be explaining details about the lives of the birds and animals. We return to the Yacht for disembarking on the pier at 09:00. Your guide accompanies you on the bus ride directly to the airport.

Transfer to the boat Your guide conducts you to the bus and after a short 5-kilometer ride to the pier; we board the Yacht without delay. As the crew weighs anchor, we greet you with our first orientation and we offer a light snack. In the afternoon, we make a dry landing for a walk along the coast and the interior of North Seymour Island, a low, flat island that was uplifted from the sea by underground seismic activity. We observe blue footed boobies (they nest from May to November), marine iguanas, pelicans, frigate birds, shore birds, sea lions and endemic Palo Santo. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel and/or kayak. We return to the Yacht for a welcome cocktail with the entire crew, and dinner.

After breakfast, we make a wet landing on Darwin Bay to walk and observe frigatebirds, herons, mockingbirds, boobies, shorebirds, turtles, marine iguanas, etc. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel or kayak. We come aboard for a delicious lunch. Later in the afternoon, we make a dry landing on Prince Phillips’s Steps (Barranco), we walk and observe the interesting lives of the birds here. Dinner on the Yacht, and then our orientation about conservation efforts made to protect the Islands.

After breakfast, we make a wet landing on James Bay (Puerto Egas), to walk and observe sponges, snails, hermit crabs, a variety of shore birds, barnacles and the endemic four-eyed blenny, marine iguanas and sea lions. Optional: time for those who would like to swim or snorkel. We return to the boat for a delicious lunch. In the afternoon we navegate around Buccaneer Cove (Caleta Bucanero), an area of steep cliffs and dark beaches. The cliffs and pinnacle are used as nesting areas by several species of seabirds. This was a popular place for 17th & 18th century buccaneers to careen their vessels. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel or kayak. Dinner and our nightly orientation.

After breakfast, we make a panga ride on Punta Vicente Roca to observe plenty of sea lions, marine iguanas, blue-footed and masked boobies, and flightless cormorants. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and/or snorkel. We come aboard for a delicious lunch. In the afternoon, we make a dry landing on Punta Espinoza to observe and see a large colony of sea lions, marine iguanas and the flightless cormorants and clumps of lava cactus. Return to the Yacht for dinner and our nightly orientation.

After breakfast, we make a panga ride on Tagus Cove, a protected cove between the shoulders of two volcanic craters which protect it from the open sea; we observe penguins, marine iguanas, sea lions and a variety of birds including flightless cormorant and blue footed boobies. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel and/ or kayak. Return to the Yacht for lunch. In the afternoon, we make a panga ride around the islets of Elizabeth Bay to see marine iguanas, penguins, marine turtles, seabirds and shorebirds, herons and blue-footed boobies. Return to the Yacht for dinner and our nightly orientation.

After breakfast, we make a wet landing on Urbina Bay to take a walk and observe a coral area, land iguanas, flightless cormorants and giant tortoises. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel and/ or kayak. Sail to Punta Moreno, again we make a wet landing. We make a walk along shore lagoons located among petrified lava flows where different type of birds can be seeing. On top we have a panoramic view of the famous volcanoes Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul, as well as the highest part of Fernandina Island. Return to the yacht for dinner and our night orientation.

After breakfast, we make a wet landing on Point Cormorant for a short walk to the Flamingos Lagoon of this island. Then we continue the walk until we reach the beach called "La Picona" to see marine turtles and their spawning grounds. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and/or snorkel. Later, we make a panga ride on Champion Islet, a small island off the Coast of Floreana Island. The principal attraction of Champion Islet is the nearly-extinct Charles (Floreana) Mockingbird. Visitors can also observe bird species such as Swallow-tailed Gulls, Nazca Boobies or Brown Noddies. It is a great place for snorkelling; we will see sea turtles, reef fishes, Galapagos Penguins and white-tipped reef sharks. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and/or snorkel. Return to the Yacht for lunch.In the afternoon we make a wet landing on Post Office Bay, a historic site that recalls the days of the whalers, who presumably placed a wooden barrel in the 18th century to use it as a post office. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and/or snorkel. Return to the Yacht for dinner and our nightly orientation.

After breakfast, we disembark and a bus takes us to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island for a visit to the native forests and twin craters. Then the bus takes us directly to the airport (Baltra). Your guide accompanies you on this ride