Country: Ecuador
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Santa Cruz Highlands and Charles Darwin Station
The highlands morning covers Miconia expanses, tree ferns, Galapagos Martin, Galapagos Petrel colonies, crakes and finches; the afternoon at the Charles Darwin Station covers the archipelago's climate, geography and evolution, followed by a boardwalk or strand walk.
Read MoreNorth Seymour and Santa Cruz Highlands Camp
The sunrise dry landing walks among the largest Blue-footed Booby colony in the Galápagos, with Swallow-tailed Gulls and tropicbirds on basaltic walls; after the final breakfast, the group farewells the Samba and transfers to the highlands camp, a favorite of Western Santa Cruz Giant Tortoises, for an afternoon on the grounds.
Read MoreIsabela (Punta Vicente Roca) and Pelagic Navigation
The zodiac circumnavigation of Punta Vicente Roca finds boobies, gulls, storm petrels, Brown Noddy, Flightless Cormorant and a Galápagos Fur Seal colony in Cromwell Current-fed waters; the afternoon navigation toward North Seymour targets pelagic Galapagos Petrel and Waved Albatross.
Read MoreSantiago and Bartolomé
Chinese Hat's turquoise channel offers active snorkeling with sharks, sea lions, Galapagos Penguins and rays; Bartolomé's north beach hosts a Galapagos Penguin breeding colony, sea lions and green turtles beneath Pinnacle Rock, with eagle rays and sharks visible from the beach.
Read MoreSanta Fe and South Plaza
Barrington Bay's turquoise inlet and Opuntia cactus forest hold sea lions, Santa Fe Land Iguanas, Galapagos Hawk and Lava Heron; South Plaza's dry landing shows Sesuvium color fields, land iguanas, Swallow-tailed Gulls and Red-billed Tropicbirds.
Read MoreSan Cristóbal Day
The pre-breakfast circumnavigation of Kicker Rock's 137 m tuff walls covers frigatebirds, gulls, tropicbirds, boobies, Brown Noddy and storm petrels, with optional spectacular snorkeling among Galapagos Sharks, turtles and eagle rays; Punta Pitt offers kayaking, a large mixed seabird colony, Mangrove Yellow Warblers and the San Cristobal Mockingbird at the point closest to South America.
Read MoreEspañola Day
The oldest-island trail at Punta Suarez covers fiery Espanola Marine Iguanas, tame sea lions, Blue-footed and Nazca Booby cliffs, Swallow-tailed Gulls, Red-billed Tropicbirds, the Waved Albatross rookery, Galapagos Shearwater, Elliot's Storm Petrel, Espanola Mockingbird, Espanola Cactus Finch and Grey Warbler-Finch; Gardner Bay adds snorkel or kayak sessions with sea lions, mockingbirds, Galapagos Dove and Galapagos Hawk.
Read MoreFloreana Day
The four-hour crossing arrives at dawn; a wet landing on the olivine green-crystal beach and Punta Cormorant lagoon offer flamingos, pintails, whimbrels, herons and noddies, with green turtles and rays on the far beach. Champion Islet's 25-minute dinghy snorkel targets the rare Floreana Mockingbird and Medium Tree Finch; Post Office Bay's letter system, kayak/zodiac islet-and-mangrove exploration and Baroness Lookout (Dark-billed Cuckoo, Galapagos Flycatcher) complete the day.
Read MoreFlight, Biosecurity and Santa Cruz Highlands
The Quito-Baltra flight includes Galápagos Biosecurity Control and Transit Cards, park entrance and quarantine at Seymour Airport, and first ground-finch views. A water taxi reaches Santa Cruz for the Media Luna highlands (Miconia, tree ferns, Galapagos Martin, Galapagos Petrel colony, Galapagos Crake, tree and warbler-finches), El Chato lunch with Western Santa Cruz Giant Tortoises, and a Puerto Ayora finch scan before boarding the Samba.
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