This morning, we will depart on the 3-hour flight to the island of San Cristóbal in the Galapagos. Upon arrival in San Cristóbal, we will be met by our Expedition Leader(s), board our yacht and embark on our journey.

At Playa Ochoa, we disembark to find a long, beautiful white sand beach with a short trail leading to a tidal lagoon that is frequented by flamingos, finches, and the Chatham mochingbird. Here, we will have our first opportunity to snorkel with a small colony of sea lions and sea turtles. At sunset, we cruise around Kicker Rock (known as “Leon Dormido,” as it is shaped liked a sleeping lion) – a vertical tuff cone formation that abruptly juts up almost 500 feet out of the ocean. The rock is split in two, with towering vertical walls on either side, forming a narrow channel through which small vessels can navigate. On the cliffs, we find blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies and frigate birds.

On our way to Tower Island, the most northeastern part of the archipelago, we may encounter dolphins, whales and immature red-footed boobies, which sometimes land on the boat’s railings and lines to hitch a free ride home.

The island of Tower is a collapsed volcano, and ships are able to sail directly into its large breached caldera to anchor at the foot of the steep crater walls. Tower attracts vast numbers of pelagic seabirds that come here to nest and breed. This morning we will explore a trail known as “Prince Philip’s Steps”, which leads us to an open area popular with frigate birds and red-footed and Nazca boobies. At the end of this trail are thousands of band-rumped storm petrels at the cliff’s edge, where they nest in crevices. Short-eared owls can also sometimes be seen, hunting the storm petrels during daylight hours. After lunch, sea kayaks will be available to paddle along the shoreline, and we will also have an opportunity to swim with the sea lions.

This afternoon, we will land at Darwin Bay, which is a caldera of an extinct, partially eroded volcano, with the surrounding cliffs forming the inner portion of the rim. Here we follow along a trail that leads from a coral beach, past tidal lagoons where lava gulls and yellow-crowned night herons are seen. We continue on to a forest of optuntia cactus and mangroves where magnificent frigate birds nest. Here we can swim from the beach with sea lions.

This morning we will visit Fernandina, the youngest and most active volcano in the archipelago, with eruptions taking place every few years. The flat lava of Punta Espinosa offers a stark and barren landscape, but here flightless cormorants build their nests on the point, sea lions sprawl on the beach or play in the tide pools and large numbers of marine iguanas dot the sand.

Be on the lookout for whales and dolphins as we pass through the Bolivar Canal en route to Tagus Cove on the island of Isabela, the largest in the Galapagos, where six volcanoes flowed together. We discover saltwater lagoons, graffiti dating back to the 1800s and lovely ocean views. Explore the cove by panga or sea kayaks to observe penguins, pelicans and other seabirds.

This morning we will visit Puerto Egas to search the tidepools for octopus, starfish, and other sea life. During low tide, we may also see marine iguanas feeding on exposed algae, and birdlife abounds with glimpses of great blue herons, lava herons, oystercatchers, and yellow-crowned night herons.

This afternoon we will visit the island known as Sombrero Chino – or Chinese Hat – located off the southern tip of Santiago. This small uprising boasts a primeval landscape of volcanic rubble and lava tubes. The island is home to sea lion colonies as well as marine iguanas and pairs of oystercatchers.

We will spend this morning on Bartolomé. Most likely the first of the islands to rise from the sea, Bartolomé is a small island that has beautiful white sand beaches and luxuriant green mangroves. Here, penguins may join us at the white sand swimming beach, and a hike to the summit of a once-active volcano rewards us with beautiful panoramic views of the often-photographed Pinnacle Rock. The other side of the island reveals sea turtles and white-tipped sharks.

This afternoon enjoy a panga trip through Black Turtle Cove, a nursery for many sharks and rays, and a favorite turtle mating site.

Those who wish to participate in our unique camping opportunity will disembark at Itabeca Canal and be transferred to the remote highlands of Santa Cruz for the night. Our private campsite is tucked away among lush vegetation that attracts gigante tortuga, or giant tortoise, and offers views of the ocean. This evening you will camp beneath the stars, an experience of a lifetime. A bus will pick you up in the morning to rejoin the group for the day's activities. Please note: At times, the Tortoise Camp may be closed due to poor weather conditions.

This morning, we will visit Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz’s main population center of about 10,000 people. We will journey by bus into the highlands to Los Gemelos – two deep pit craters situated in the Scalesia forest that host a variety of interesting birdlife. Here, we may go for a walk through the giant lava tubes and visit the Tortoise Reserve to search for giant tortoises in their natural surroundings.

In the afternoon, we will visit the world-famous Charles Darwin Research Station. The research center aids the National Park Service in its efforts to save the Galapagos wildlife; the museum at the station has a facility for rearing tortoises, a project to increase the depleted population. During our tour, we observe “feeding day” and have the opportunity to see the famed “Lonesome George.”

One of the oldest of the islands in the Galapagos, Hood is small and flat with no visible volcanic crater or vent. Located on the western tip of the island, one of the world’s densest and most diversified concentrations of wildlife is found at Punta Suarez. The area is famous for its marine iguanas with unique copper-red patches, swallow-tailed gulls, lava lizards, finches, long-billed mockingbirds, blue-footed and Nazca boobies and oystercatchers. When heavy swells are running, Punta Suarez is also the site of a spectacular blowhole, with thundering spray shooting 30 yards into the air.

Gardner Bay, located on the eastern shore, hosts a magnificent beach frequented by a transient colony of sea lions and is a major nesting site for marine turtles. Around the small islets nearby, snorkelers will find many fish and possibly turtles and sharks. On a trail leading to the western tip of the island, we will pass the only nesting sites in the Galapagos of the waved albatross. These huge birds nest here from April to December and represent the majority of the world’s population.

San Cristóbal is the easternmost and one of the oldest islands of the archipelago, and is comprised of ancient volcanic peaks in the north and lush vegetation in the south. We will drop anchor in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the second largest settlement area in the islands and the capital of the providence of Galapagos, where we will visit the impressive Interpretation Center, which opened in 1999. Here, we gain a more complete understanding of the natural and human history of the islands. You may have some free time today to spend at your leisure in town.