Galapagos Adventure - Nemo II (Itinerary A)

Land Only clients should aim to arrive at the hotel this afternoon/evening. Free transfers are available for all clients. A local guide will welcome you to Quito and explain the schedule for the next few days.

Accommodation: Hotel Vieja Cuba (or similar)

Morning Fly to Galapagos:This morning we transfer to Quito Airport for our flight to the Galapagos Islands. Be prepared for an early start as this could mean leaving the hotel around 6:00am. A USD20 per person transit card is payable on departure at Quito and a USD100 per person national park entry fee is payable on arrival in the Galapagos. Please have cash on hand to pay for these. On arrival in the Galapagos we are met in the arrivals hall and then transferred to our boat, the Nemo II, which will be anchored a short distance away in Santa Cruz. Once on board we'll be assigned our cabins, meet the crew and get to know our naturalist guide and fellow travellers over lunch. For the rest of your schedule you will follow Itinerary A. 
 
Afternoon North Seymour:  Navigate to North Seymour to discover the 2km trail that crosses the island and around the rocky coast. Along the way the trail passes colonies of Blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds. The Magnificent frigatebird, a large black bird with a long wingspan and a hooked beak, is extremely fast and has excellent vision. Frigatebirds are known for the large red pouch on their necks. During mating season the males throw back their heads, inflate their pouch (sometimes to the size of a football), and shake trying to capture the attention of females. Blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds have an interesting relationship. Sharing the same nesting area on North Seymour, Blue-footed boobies nest on the ground making their nests from the twigs of the Palo Santos trees, while the frigatebirds' nest just above them in the saltbushes. After dinner we navigate to Santa Cruz.

Accommodation: Nemo II

Morning Punta Moreno: Today we wake up on the south coast of Isabela, the largest island of the Galapagos Archipelago. Isabela was formed by five giant volcanic craters, all of which are still considered active. The island is located in one of the youngest geological areas in the world, having been formed less than 1 million years ago. Our morning begins at Punta Moreno where we take a panga ride along the beautiful rocky shores where Galapagos penguins and shore birds are frequently seen. After a dry landing the path traverses through jagged black lava rock. As the swirling black lava flow gave way to form craters, crystal tide pools formed, some of which are surrounded by mangroves. This is a magnet for Pink flamingos, Blue herons, and Bahama pintail ducks. You can walk to the edge of the lava to look straight down on these pools where you might spot the occasional Green sea turtle, White-tipped shark or Puffer fish.

Afternoon Urbina Bay: In the afternoon we navigate to Urbina Bay, an area that was uplifted by 4 metres in 1954. Walk here amongst exposed coral heads, wandering Galapagos giant tortoises and huge land iguanas. Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants and Brown pelicans nest in this area as well.

Accommodation: Nemo II

Morning Puerto Egas: After navigating to Santiago Island, we disembark at Puerto Egas on the dark sand beaches of James Bay. Our visit begins with a walk along the rocky coast to view some of the Galapagos Island's best tide pools. Sponges, snails, Hermit crabs, barnacles and fish including the endemic four-eyed Blenny can be seen, amongst a variety of shore birds, marine iguanas, Sally Lightfoot crabs and Sea lions. This site is named after Hector Egas who attempted to mine salt here, an industry that was abandoned in the 1950's. Bird lovers will be delighted with the opportunity to catch a glimpse of one of Darwins finches, the endemic Galapagos hawk, or the colourful Vermillion flycatcher. There is a Fur seal grotto here, where Fur seals and Sea lions can be seen swimming in the rocky lava ringed pools.

Afternoon Espumilla Beach, Buccaneer Cove: We also visit Espumilla Beach today, one of the most idyllic locations in the Galapagos Islands and an important nesting site for marine turtles. Espumilla beach is also well known for its Palo Santo Forest and some extraordinary lava formations. Caleta Bucanero (Buccaneer Cove) is our final stop. This natural monument of rocks caused by sea erosion was used by pirates to careen their ships and is a place of local legends and stories!

Accommodation: Nemo II

Our overnight navigation brings us to Genovesa. The most northerly island in the Galapagos is renowned for the sheer number of birds living on its volcanic cliffs. There are large populations of Red-footed boobies, Storm petrels, frigatebirds, tropicbirds and nocturnal Swallow-tailed gulls here. A challenging walk up a steep cliff and a trail through a Palo Santo forest takes us past the nesting sites for many of these birds. There is also time at Darwin Bay, where we land on a small coral beach near the caldera of a collapsed volcano - an excellent spot for photography of the many birds in this area.

Accommodation: Nemo II

Daphne Island: This morning we have a circumnavigation of Daphne Island, an important centre for scientific research. There are very strict limits about the numbers of visitors allowed on Daphne at any one time and as such, we don't disembark here but will see the volcanic formations and bird life from the boat before returning the short distance to Baltra. 
  
Transfer out to Baltra Airport: We say farewell to the Galapagos Islands after this morning's excursion and head to the airport on Baltra for our flight to Guayaquil where the holiday ends. At Guayaquil airport it's possible to connect with international flights this evening from 6pm onwards.