Map of the Galapagos Islands.  The nine islands we will visit include three of the four visited by Darwin on the Beagle cruise--Floreana, Isabella and Santiago.

Proposed Day-by-Day Island Itinerary

September 9-16, 2005

September 9   •          

            Following a last morning in Puerto Ayora we will board the yacht.  En route across Santa Cruz to meet the yacht we will ascend through all 7 Vegetation Zones of the Galápagos.  Often bright red male vermillion flycatchers, and even occasional tortoises, are to be seen along the road.  The M/Y TIP TOP II will be waiting for us in the Baltra Harbor.  This afternoon we will make our first landing, at South Plaza Island.  The Plazas are a pair of islets situated just off the east coast of Santa Cruz Island.  Only South Plaza is a Visitor Site, and it is a fine example of a geological uplift.  The trail leading to the cliffs goes through a combined Coastal and Dry Vegetation zone with prickly pear cactus and extensive patches of salt-tolerant sesuvium, usually seen as distinctive red mats (although it turns green when rainfall is abundant).  The prickly pear (opuntia) cactus is the food base of the land iguana, also found in this area.  The walk along the sea cliffs is wonderful, as swallow-tailed gulls, shearwaters, and red-billed tropicbirds are making seemingly- endless back and forth flights in preparation for landing in their nests, located in the crevices found along the overhanging ledges.  Towards the end of  the cliff-side walk you will encounter a bachelor sea lion colony; a battle-scarred collection of old bulls in various stages of recuperation or in total retirement.

September 10 •

            Española (Hood) Island.  This southernmost island in the archipelago, Española, is the gateway into and out of the Galápagos for many of the sea birds.  The remote location relative to the other islands has resulted in a high degree of species differentiation, such as the brightly colored marine iguanas found here.  The waved albatross is endemic to Española as well as to the Galápagos.  Gardner Bay is situated on the northeastern shores and its white-sand beach is a swimming and snorkeling site.  The beach is home to a large colony of sea lions, while closer to the vegetation fronting the beach you will often find sea turtle nests, territorial lava lizards, yellow warblers and finches.  American Oystercatchers and Hood Mockingbirds are typically on the beach as well.  Punta Suárez is the western tip of the island, and for many Galápagos visitors their favorite site.  After landing, it will be difficult to concentrate on the guides’ introductory comments due to all the natural distractions.  Aside from the sally light-foot crabs and sea lions, you will be approached by the endemic Hood mockingbird, and (especially in the afternoon) red-billed tropicbirds will be winging their way back and forth.  The marine iguanas on Española are among the largest in the Galápagos and are brightly colored throughout the year.  The lava lizards are also above-average size, and the female’s red throat coloring is pronounced.  Once on the trail you will soon approach a series of tall rock formations on which a colony of Nazca boobies is generally found.  After you continue on, nesting blue-footed boobies will most likely be everywhere both on and just off the trail.  These are the type of scenes you envisioned when your decision was made to visit the Galápagos Islands.  What comes next is even more dramatic, for you will soon approach an open area that forms the home to the entire world population (estimated at over 10,000 pairs) of waved albatrosses - large strikingly beautiful birds.  Finally, before you head back, you will come to a spectacular blowhole, loudly roaring and spouting forth a foamy spray sometimes as high as 100 feet in the air.

September 11 •

            Floreana (Charles) Island has a combination of nutrient-rich soil and an adequate water supply making it an island of abundant plant life.  This fact was not lost on the centuries of settlers who chose to live and farm on Floreana, giving the island a rich human history (some would call it infamous).  Punta Cormorán, with its olivine beach is our first landinng site.  A short trail leads to a large brackish lagoon where flamingos are often seen (in addition to pintail ducks and common stilts).  Surrounding the lagoon are several of the steep, palo santo covered hills that dot Floreana; the stark, gray color and the twisty, unusually barren branches give an eerie feeling to this island.  Other plant life will include cutleaf daisy, lantana, leather leaf, palo verde, and scalesia.  Post Office Bay, located just down the coast, is not the most scenic of Galápagos sites, although possibly one of the most famous.  Here is where the Post Office Barrel was placed and put into use in the late 18^th century; the crew of the outbound ships deposit mail for home in the barrel, and inbound whalers would then pick up any mail that was destined for their part of the world.  You are invited to do the same - leave a post card or two, and pick up any mail for your home area.  Devil’s Crown is located just off shore, and offers some of the best snorkeling in the Galápagos.  This is an almost completely submerged volcano, and erosion has transformed the cone into a series of jagged peaks; as a result, this site really does look like a devil’s crown.

September 12 •

            Isabela (Albemarle) Island, with over 1800 square miles, holds more than half the land surface area in the archipelago.  This was not always the case though, as originally there were 6 islands, each with an active volcano.  Over time the extensive lava flows from the 6 volcanoes (Alcedo, Cerro Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra, and Wolf) joined together and formed what is today Isabela.  Five of the volcanoes (all but Ecuador) are still active.  The Wolf Volcano is the highest point at 5600 feet.  Urvina Bay is on the west coast of the island, at the base of the Alcedo Volcano.  In 1954, almost 4 miles of its coastal seabed, marine life and all, were dramatically and suddenly uplifted about 15ft.  The coastline was driven three-quarters of a mile further out to sea, forever exposing giant coral heads and stranding marine organisms on what was now the shore.  An inland hike here often rewards visitors with sightings of both land iguanas and an occasional saddleback tortoise. Tagus Cove is located about two-thirds of the way up Isabela.  As soon as the boat enters this protected cove one begins to see evidence of past visitors.  Here there are written (carved or painted) names of many ships, dating back to the 1800s on the high rock walls.  A trail leads to a high plateau, with views of the rugged landscape and ocean in the distance.

September 13 •

            Fernandina, at less than a million years old, is the youngest of the Galápagos Islands.  Volcanically it is also the most active, with eruptions still occurring every few years, most recently in the mid-90’s.  The only Visitor Site on the island is Punta Espinosa, located just across the channel from Tagus Cove.  In addition to Galápagos Penguins and flightless cormorants, this is the best place to see marine iguanas (Fernandina has the largest colony of marine iguanas in the Galápagos).  Walking the lava field here you will see several species of pioneering plants, including some large clusters of lava cactus.  Snorkeling highlights at Punta Espinosa might include Galápagos Penguins, flightless cormorants and marine iguanas!  This afternoon we will whale watch along the deep waters of northwestern Isabela. 

September 14 •

            Tower, or Genovesa, Island is located in the northeast portion of the Galápagos (less than half a degree north of the equator), and is an outpost for many sea birds (as Española is in the south).  The anchorage at Darwin Bay, located on the southern portion of the island, is actually the caldera of an extinct, partially eroded volcano, with the surrounding cliffs forming the inner portion of the rim.  After a wet landing on a coral beach, you enter a forest of salt bush, where adjacent colonies of great frigatebirds and red-footed boobies are seen nesting.  The trail continues onto higher ground, where it ends on a cliff-side, with a commanding view of the bay as well as the sea birds flying back and forth in front of you.  The Prince Philip’s Steps visitor site begins with a fantastic panga (zodiac) ride along the base of the cliffs.  During the ride you can look directly up and see one red-billed tropicbird after the other trying to make a precise landing in their nest (usually a crevice on an overhanging ledge).  Squadrons of frigatebirds are seen flying back and forth in their endless piratical pursuits.  Red-footed boobies are perched on branches of palo santo trees which seem to grow out of the cliffs.  As we reach the landing site you might notice a few fur seals in the water, or resting on the rocks.  A dry landing is made at the base of a steep rock staircase.  Once at the top, a trail enters an open area where nesting masked boobies and great frigate birds are found.  As the wooded area (dwarf palo santo trees) begins a few short-eared owls are occasionally seen.  Eventually the woods give way to an open lava field near the western coast, with great numbers of storm petrels in the air.

September 15 •

            Morning visit to Bartolome Island.  This small island is located off the eastern shore of James Island, across from Sullivan Bay.  A 30 minute hike takes us to the summit of a once-active volcano.  This is one of the most popular visits in the Galápagos for the beautiful panoramic views offered from the top.  The view is educational as well as inspiring; the volcanic features include lava formations as well as spatter cones, cinder cones and a tuff cone.  There are also great examples of pioneering plants, plus some beautiful stands of lava cactus.  If we are lucky here we might be joined on our snorkel by Galápagos penguins.  Afternoon visit to James Island.  On the western coast of James is Puerto Egas.  Here the dark sand beaches and spectacularly eroded cliffs and tide pools form the setting for our visit.  Inland one often finds the Galápagos hawk at close range.  There are also chances for the Galápagos snake.  The main event here though will be the fur seals at Fur Seal Grotto - for most people the only opportunity to view this once endangered animal.  Sea lions often join groups when snorkeling along the shore, where reef sharks are occasionally encountered as well.

September 16 •

            North Seymour is a geologically uplifted islet located just north of Baltra.  This is one of the major nesting areas of the blue-footed booby.  The star attraction of this visit will be the largest colony of magnificent frigatebirds in the Galápagos.  One of the most sought-after photographs in the islands is the bright red inflated balloon-like sac of the male frigatebird.  Depending on the sea conditions one often sees sea lions surfing the waves along the shore here.  Following the morning visit, the yacht will return to Baltra Island for our mid-day TAME AIRLINES flight to Quito.