Northeast Islands

Arrive in Baltra and be escorted to the ship, the Solaris. Your first stop is Mosquera, an islet formed by a geological uplift. Here you will find a reef of rocks and coral as you walk along a great white sand beach. You may also find a population of sea lions, Sally Lightfoot crabs, and many species of shorebird.

Today explore the island of Genovesa. In the morning, head to Darwin Bay, a favorite for birdwatchers. Here, you may see wandering tattlers, lava gulls, red-footed boobies, masked boobies, whimbrels, sharp-beaked finches, Galapagos doves, swallow-tailed gulls, and yellow-crowned, blacked-crowned, and lava herons.

In the afternoon, climb Prince Phillip's Steps, where who can find a variety of birds nesting the the lava flows, including storm petrels and short-eared owls. You may also see large populations of red-footed and Nazca boobies hanging out in the trees.

Start the day with a trip to South Plaza Island, where you may find large populations of Plazas land iguanas, marine iguanas, land iguanas, and hybrid iguanas, as well as many different kinds of tuna, iguana's favorite food! South Plaza is also home to a variety of sea birds, including Audubon shearwaters, red-billed tropicbirds, frigate birds and brown pelicans.

After lunch, head to Santa Fe, where you may see many endemic species such as the Galapagos mockingbird, rice rats, two species of land iguanas, and the Galapagos hawk. As you walk along a beautiful trail, you may see many salt bushes, as well as giant prickly pear cactus. Take the opportunity to snorkel with playful sea lions and tropical fish in the clear waters of Santa Fe.

This morning we will get on the dinghy zodiac to explore the formidable cliffs of Witch Hill, carefully observing the marine life that feeds from the plankton that concentrates next to the rock. Next, we will have a wet landing at a huge, crescent-shaped coral sand beach. This paradisiacal bay serves as a refreshment spot for innumerable marine iguanas and sea lions, as well as a strategic place to observe endemic and migratory birds including pintails, and oystercatchers, whimbrels, sanderlings, tattlers, lava gulls, blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, pelicans, herons, and many others.

After this excursion, transfer to the airport for your connecting flight to either Quito or Guayaquil.