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Galapagos
– Baltra Airport
We will set out from Quito or Guayaquil
to Baltra airport in Galapagos. Then we
will head for Itabaca channel to cross
Santa Cruz Island to get to Puerto Ayora.
Santa Cruz (High Part)
We will visit the high part of Santa Cruz,
where we will see the two volcanic depressions
called Los Gemelos (the twins), and also
El Chato (the flat) Hill. Finally, we
will go along a tunnel formed by lava.
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2° Española (Punta
Suarez)
We will have a dry landing at Punta Suarez.
We will listen to an introduction about
inactive lava holes. This area is famous
for the sea lion rookeries, and is one
of the most important places to watch
many species of animals: Nazca and blue-footed
boobies, tropical birds, marine iguanas,
lava lizards and colorful zayapas.
We will also find Galapagos pigeons,
sparrow hawks and split-tail seagulls.
This is a nesting area; the nest can even
be seen on the path itself. After leaving
the breeding area, we will visit one of
the albatross nesting rookeries; there
are about 15,000 of them around the island.
From May to December, the albatross
mating ritual is something we cannot miss.
We will see the prompter, where the water
stream goes up to 23 meters.
Española (Gardner Bay)
In the afternoon, we will visit Gardner
Bay; we will have a wet landing on a very
white-sanded beach, which is organic and
formed by corals, shells and fossils of
sea animals. Along the low part of the
Beach, we will find sea lions rookeries,
in which the female remains next to the
young and the males protect their territory.
On the high part of the beach, formed
by sand dunes, there are big holes where
turtles lay their eggs. Here we will see
the Galápagos sparrow hawk, brown
pelican, Galapagos pigeon, hood mockingbird,
Darwin’s finch, lava iguana and
marine iguana. This bay is ideal for swimming
and snorkeling in its turquoise waters.
The skilled swimmers can go to Roca Tortuga
(Turtle Rock), very near the bay, where
then will find starfish, tropical fish
of diverse colors and shapes such as the
angelfish, surgeonfish or parrotfish,
and also manta rays, white-pointer sharks,
among others.
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Floreana (Punta Cormorant)
We will have a wet landing on a green
beach formed by olivine crystal. We will
go along a well-signaled path, right passing
the mangrove swamp of different species,
and will take us to a lagoon where is
one of the biggest flamingo rookeries
of Galapagos.
Floreana Island is famous for its endemic
fauna; for example, lecocarpus, lignum
vitae and scalecia villosa. At the end
of the path, there is a white-sanded beach
where we can find turtles, which come
every year to lay their eggs; we can see
that by the footprints on the sand, and
their nests.
At the green beach, we can do snorkeling
accompanied by sea lions. Here is one
of the most visited places to do this
activity: The Devil’s Crown.
Floreana (Post Office)
Floreana is one of the most interesting
islands due to its history. In 1793, North
American and European whalers came here
with the aim of obtaining water and turtle
meat. To contact their relatives, they
put their letters into a barrel which
was carried by the ships that sailed back
to their country of origin.
This is still a custom nowadays; the
travelers write letters that are taken
by others. We will find a tunnel, formed
by streams of lava, where we have to be
very careful when descending. In this
path, we will see the hood mockingbird,
Darwin's finch, Marias canary and lava
lizard.
After sailing on a motor boat, we will
have a dry landing to visit the viewpoint
and enjoy a beautiful landscape surrounded
by sea birds.
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North Seymour
After the dry landing on North Seymour
Island, we will have the opportunity to
see seagulls and sea lions which are plentiful
around the island.
This island is famous for the breeding
of blue-footed boobies that takes place
here, and for having the biggest rookery
of magnificent frigate birds. Then we
will watch sea animals and endemic iguana
species.
We will disembark at Baltra Island to
go by bus to the airport and fly to Quito
or Guayaquil.
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