- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Punta Moreno (Isabela Island) In the morning, following a meander through the mangroves in search of sea turtles, we disembark amid a landscape dominated by the giant volcanoes of southern Isabela Island, some still active. The rugged trail loops inland from the coast, giving us plenty of opportunity to enjoy unique lava formations, pioneer lava cactus and interesting scalesia trees, as well as plenty of wildlife: Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants, brown pelicans, herons, sea lions, marine iguanas, and dozens of Sally Lightfoot crabs. The inland lagoons are home to Bahama-pintail ducks, common stilts, Galapagos flamingos, and even Galapagos hawks and mockingbirds. Following our walk, we can take to our glass-bottom boats or deep-water snorkel.
Punta Mangle (Fernandina Island) Venturing across to Fernandina Island, in the afternoon we board our pangas (inflatable dinghies) to explore the coastline of the archipelago’s youngest ecosystem, a virgin, pristine world of tiny bays, tall mangroves (Mangle is Spanish for mangrove) and tranquil coves, home to diminutive Galapagos penguins and green-eyed flightless cormorants preening on the shore’s black rocks. Beneath the waves, rays and sea turtles might glide by. The nutrient-rich waters of the Bolivar Channel, which separates Fernandina and Isabela Islands, attract dolphins and whales. With luck, we’ll be able to spot them. Depending on sea conditions, we end our visit with a glass-bottom boat ride or deep- water snorkel.