Galapagos Sea Star Journey – variant C

Upon arrival at Seymore Airport on Baltra Island, travelers must undergo screening to ensure no alien plants or animals have entered the islands and pay a $100 Galapagos National Park entry fee (unless otherwise specified). it is paid in advance). A Galapagos Sea Star Journey representative will meet them at the airport to help them collect their bags and take guests by coach to the Itabaca Canal, where they will board the luxury Galapagos Sea Star Journey yacht. From here they will sail to Santa Cruz Island, where they will go to Puerto Ayora, where they will visit the Research Institute. Charles Darwin. Although the vast majority of visitors to the Galapagos come here to observe and appreciate the natural wonders, it is also interesting to learn about the conservation and wildlife of the islands. One of the main attractions is the National Park information center. It is also worth visiting the Van Staelen Exhibition Hall, the Breeding and Rearing Center for young tortoises, Lonesome George (the last prepared elephant tortoise from the subspecies Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni that once inhabited Pinta Island) and adult elephant tortoises in captivity.

After breakfast, a zodiac ride takes guests through the Shark Channel to Tintoreras, small islands off the coast of Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island. Here, guests can watch Galapagos herons lurking in the mangrove branches, while equatorial penguins and sea lions come ashore. In the shallow waters surrounding the islets, you can often meet reef sharks - hence the name of the islets, because Tintorera means female shark.

Isabela Island is the largest and one of the youngest islands in the Galapagos archipelago. It was formed about 1 million years ago as a result of the merger of 6 shield volcanoes - Alcedo, Cerro Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra and Wolf. Five of them are still active, making Isabela one of the most volcanically active places on earth. After lunch, guests land in Puerto Villamil, the town with the second smallest population in the Galapagos with approximately 2 inhabitants. From Puerto Villamil, guests will travel to the highlands of the island to the slopes of the Sierra Negra, and then through the extraordinary mountainous, volcanic terrain to the edge of the Sierra Negra volcano. This volcano has the largest caldera of all the Galapagos volcanoes - its dimensions are 2 x 200 km. From the vantage point, they will be able to admire the impressive view of the caldera and other volcanoes, as well as Perry Isthmus, a 7,2 km wide lava field that formed a land bridge connecting Isabela. From here they can hike to Chico Volcano to admire the striking lava formations, illustrating the geological events that created the Galapagos Islands.

After breakfast, guests continue to explore Isabela Island. Punta Moreno is located on the northern coast of the island between the Sierra Negra volcano and the Cerro Azul volcano. The trail runs along a field of characteristic solidified, wavy lava known as pahoehoe lava and reaches a complex of coastal lagoons. Their main attraction is the several species of birds that can be found in the mangroves around the lakes.

After lunch, guests will visit Elizabeth Bay on Isabela Island. There is no landing point here and the tour takes place in Zodiac boats. The adventure begins with a visit to the Marielas Islands, home to the largest and most important penguin colony in the Galapagos Islands. The tour then leads to a bay surrounded by red mangroves, where guests can admire their red roots and green leaves. Here they can observe sea turtles, flightless cormorants, spotted eagle rays, golden rays, brown pelicans and sea lions. Here, Galapagos buzzards can often be seen circling high in the air, while schools of sea bass and dolphin swim in the sea below.

After breakfast, the Galapagos Sea Star arrives in Punta Espinoza on Fernandina Island. Fernandina is the third largest island in the archipelago. There is one designated site for visitors: located on the northeastern tip of the island of Punta Espinoza. On the opposite side of Tagus Bay there are places where visitors can observe some of the Galapagos' unique species. Marine iguanas are found here in larger groups than on any other island. They bask in the sand, swim close to the shore, and sometimes even block the way to the marina. Among the unique species found here is the Flightless Cormorant. It is an interesting bird that, thanks to the lack of predators and the availability of food in the sea, has adapted to the conditions - its wings have become smaller, and its tails and feet have gradually adapted to swimming. They are a rare example of a transitional form illustrating the mechanisms of evolution. However, please remember that guests cannot come within 2 m of cormorants and penguins.

In the afternoon, guests visit Tagus Bay on Isabela Island. From the Zodiac boats sailing along the cliffs, visitors have the chance to see equatorial penguins, flightless cormorants and many other seabirds. From the land dock, a 30-minute hike along the trail leads to the top of the cliff, where you can see Lake Darwin, a high-salinity elevated lake that is saltier than the sea. From this place you can admire several volcanoes. Visitors should take a closer look at the graffiti on the cliffs surrounding the bay, written by pirates, whalers and privateers in past centuries.

In the morning, the luxury Galapagos Sea Star yacht arrives at Santiago Island. Here, guests will visit Espumilla Beach, which is located on the northern coast of the island in James Bay. Unfortunately, this place changed significantly during the last occurrence of El Niño. One of the two lagoons in this place was filled with sediment and a representative colony of flamingos left it. The main attractions are the Palo Santo Forest and the magnificent Galapagos Terrestrial Iguanas, which were reintroduced by the Galapagos National Park Authority and the Island Conservation Association in 2019. The beach is an important place for nesting sea turtles.

After lunch, guests visit Puerto Egas on Santiago Island. The black beach is located in the western part of the island and is its main attraction. Volcanic tuff sand contributed to the creation of this unique beach. Next to it you can admire the long coast of volcanic origin, where erosive rock formations provide a perfect shelter for a huge variety of wild animals. Marine iguanas bask in the sun. The tide pools are home to many red Sally Lightfoot rock crabs, which attract other types of predators. You can also see sea lions next to the path. Puerto Egas is not only a good place to take photos, but also an ideal place to dive and admire many species of tropical fish.

The place is called Puerto Egas because in the 20s the Hector Egas company tried to mine salt here. Fortunately, the venture failed - although the salt could be easily extracted, transport costs turned out to be too high. Today, the mine crater has become home to white-faced pintails and the occasional flamingo, but is not open to the public.

In the morning, guests will take a panga boat ride to Isla Lobos. It takes about an hour to reach this small island from Port Baquerizo Moreno, the capital of San Cristobal Island. The trail leads through a zone of dry vegetation growing on volcanic rocks and sandy areas. Guests will find a small colony of blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds that nest here. On the beach, guests will see a large colony of sea lions. Various species of waders can often be seen wading through the shallow coastal waters. After returning from Isla Lobos, transfer to San Cristobal airport and flight back to Quito or Guayaquil.