Cormorant II Itinerary B - 8 days

DAY 1: SATURDAY
AM: SANTA CRUZ: BALTRA ARRIVAL AND TRANSFER TO THE BOAT
You will arrive at Baltra Island in the morning. After passing through immigration and baggage claim, you will be met by a Cormorant II staff member and transferred to the yacht. You will be shown to your cabin where you will have some time to settle in before lunch and a welcome briefing.

PM: SANTA CRUZ: HIGHLANDS / YOU WILL VISIT “FAUSTO LLERENA”
Accessible by bus from Puerto Ayora, the highlands of Santa Cruz are a deep green which contrast beautifully with the dry, lower part of the islands. The predominant vegetation in the highlands are Scalesia trees which create a lush green forest. The lava tunnels, over half a mile long, are underground and walking through them is a unique, surreal experience. At this place you’ll have lunch.
Highlands, Santa Cruz Island
Possible Activities: Hiking (1.5 miles / 2 ½ km)
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Lava tunnels, Finches, wild tortoises, tortoise nesting site.
Tortoise Breeding Center in Puerto Ayora, where giant tortoises are bred in captivity. This is home to tortoises ranging from 3-inches (new hatchlings) to 4-feet long adults. Subspecies of the giant tortoises interact with one another, and many of the older tortoises are accustomed to humans stretching out their heads for a photo opportunity. The babies are kept until they are about four years-old and strong enough to survive on their own.
Fausto Llerena Breeding Center, Santa Cruz Island
Possible Activities: Walking
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Giant tortoises, finches, Galapagos rails

DAY 2: SUNDAY
AM: ISABELA: TINTORERAS ISLET / SIERRA NEGRA VOLCANO
Located a short distance from Puerto Villamil, is home to a great variety of wildlife. Its turquoise, crystalline waters are inhabited by white-tip reef sharks, Galapagos penguins, marine turtles and sea lions. One of its beaches surrounded by mangroves is one of the few sites where marine iguanas can reproduce successfully.
Tintoreras Islet, Isabela Island
Possible Activities: Dinghy ride and hike
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: White-tipreef sharks, penguins, marine turtles, sea lions, marine iguanas.
Visit to the Sierra Negra Volcano, which is the largest basaltic caldera in the Galapagos with a diameter of 6.2 miles (10 km). The site offers impressive views and the opportunity to observe up to seven species of finches and a rich display of vegetation. The north side of the caldera provides evidence of its most recent volcanic activity in 2005.
Sierra Negra Volcano, Isabela Island
Possible Activities: Hiking, walking
Difficulty: Difficult
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Basaltic caldera, stunning views, finches

PM: THE WETLANDS / ARNALDO TUPIZA BREEDING CENTER
Of Isabela Island are located just outside of Puerto Villamil. They consist of lagoons, swamps, and mangroves and are home to a variety of unique bird species such as common stilts, whimbrels, white-cheeked pintails, and gallinules. The Wetlands can be visited on foot via a path through the swamps.
Wetlands, Isabela Island
Possible Activities: Hiking
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Giant mangroves, shore birds, flamingos
Is located about one mile (1.5 km) from Puerto Villamil. Here, tortoise populations from South Isabela, Sierra Negra Volcano, Cerro Azul, Cazuela, Cinco Cerros, Roca Union, San Pedro, Tables and Cerro Paloma have been bred in captivity. In total there are 330 juvenile and adult tortoises.
Arnaldo Tupiza Breeding Center, Isabela Island
Possible Activities: Walking
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Two of the five species of the giant tortoise 

DAY 3: MONDAY
AM: ISABELA: MORENO POINT
Is located southwest of Elizabeth Bay. Here a dry landing onto what was once flowing lava is possible. The lava has left craters in its wake which formed crystal tide pools. By looking into the pools, you can peer into another world as the marine life drifts by your window. In the brackish pools of this area, you may see pink flamingos, white-cheeked pintails, and common gallinules. If you look carefully into the pools, you may see white-tip reef sharks and some sea turtles.
Moreno Point, Isabela Island
Possible Activities: Snorkeling, panga ride & hike (1.2 miles / 2km)
Difficulty: Moderate/Difficult
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Flamingos, gallinules, pintail ducks, turtles, white-tip reef sharks.

PM: ISABELA: ELIZABETH BAY
Is located on the east coast of Isabela Island. The bay contains many islets, which can be visited by dinghy. Penguins and blue-footed boobies can be spotted on the rocky islets. With an abundance of marine life and clear water, the area is perfect for snorkeling and viewing schools of colorful fish, sea lions, and perhaps even sharks.
Elizabeth Bay, Isabela Island
Possible Activities: Hiking (1.5 miles / 2 km) and dinghy ride
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: Mangrove forest (unique in Galapagos), sea turtles, penguins, rays, herons and sea lions

DAY 4: TUESDAY
AM: FERNANDINA: ESPINOZA POINT
Crossing the Bolivar Channel that divides Isabela and Fernandina Islands, you will land at Espinoza Point, and after walking past a colony of marine iguanas and a group of sea lions, you will reach the island’s highlight: the flightless cormorant nesting site. This area also provides a great opportunity to see the Galapagos hawk.
Espinoza Point, Fernandina Island
Possible Activities: Hike (approximately 1.2 miles / 2 km)
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Flightless cormorant, marine iguanas, ‘a‘ā lava, sea lions, penguins, active volcano “La Cumbre”.

PM: ISABELA: VICENTE ROCA POINT
Comprised of two separate coves, Vicente Roca Point is a large bay with spectacular sea life. Keep an eye out for seahorses, sea turtles, and the strange yet fascinating Mola mola (or sun fish) while you snorkel.
Vicente Roca Point, Isabela Island
Possible Activities: Snorkeling & dinghy ride
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Type of Landing: No Landing
Highlights & Animals: Penguins, blue-footed boobies, terns, Nazca boobies, two types of sea lions. Sea turtles, rays and puffer fish.  

DAY 6: THURSDAY
AM: BARTOLOME PINNACLE ROCK
You will head to Bartholomew Island where the famous Pinnacle Rock is found. Bartholomew consists of an extinct volcano with a variety of red, orange, black and even green volcanic formations. We will take a trail of stairs to the summit of the volcano (about 30 or 40 minutes) where you will enjoy one of the best views of the islands! You will also visit a small, beautiful beach surrounded by the only vegetation found on this barren island. The beach is perfect for snorkeling where you may even see and swim with Galapagos penguins.
Pinnacle Rock, Bartholomew Island
Possible Activities: Dinghy ride, snorkeling & hiking (1.2 miles/ 2 km)
Difficulty: Moderate/Difficult
Type of Landing: Dry & Wet Landings
Highlights & Animals: Pinnacle Rock, panoramic view, moonlike landscape, penguins, pioneer plants, lava cactus; snorkeling: penguins, reef sharks, rays, and great colorful fish.

PM: SANTIAGO: SULLIVAN BAY
You will visit Sullivan Bay located on the southeast part of Santiago. This place is interesting for its geology because the area is covered by lava flows. This place has elevations in the form of small volcanoes formed by the lava flows.
Sullivan Bay, Santiago Island
Possible Activities: Hiking
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Lava flows, small volcanoes lizard sierra negra volcano galapagos 

DAY 7: FRIDAY
AM: SANTIAGO: CHINESE HAT ISLET
This small islet is located near the southeast coast of Santiago Island. Its name comes from the distinct shape of the islet’s summit. Chinese Islet is a great location to view many geological formations such as lava tunnels and lava flows. Some of the lava flows were formed underwater and subsequently raised above sea level. The presence of coral heads on the lava flow indicates this phenomenon.
Chinese Hat Islet, Santiago Island
Possible Activities: Hike (1,9 miles / 3 km)
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: Lava formations, great site for snorkeling with an abundance of marine species such as sea lions, sharks, rays and penguins.

PM: SANTA CRUZ: DRAGON HILL
The visitors’ site at Dragon Hill is located in northwestern Santa Cruz Island and consists of a 1,600 m long trail that runs through three different environments. The beach is very rocky. At high tide it’s a nice place for snorkeling. At this visiting site you can find vegetation of the typical intertidal zone and dry zone.
Dragon Hill, Santa Cruz Island
Possible Activities: Panga ride & short hike
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Frigatebirds, herons, blue-footed boobies, rays, reef sharks 

DAY 8: SATURDAY
AM: NORTH SEYMOUR
In North Seymour you may see Galapagos sea lions, blue-footed boobies, and magnificent frigate birds which are abundant on this island. North Seymour was formed by a series of submarine lava flows containing layers of sediment that were uplifted by tectonic activity. The island is characterized by its arid vegetation zone.
North Seymour Island
Possible Activities: Dinghy ride & hiking (1.5 miles / 2.41 km)
Difficulty: Moderate/Difficult
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Land & marine iguanas, frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, sea lions; snorkeling: rays, reef sharks, fish, garden eels.

AM: BALTRA AIRPORT DEPARTURE