Petrel Galapagos Cruises

Isabela Island is the largest of all the Galapagos Islands, about 75 miles long, and is peculiarly shaped like a seahorse. It is one of the few islands that are populated, with about 2,200 people living on the southern part of the island.  The island was formed by 6 different shield volcanoes from north to south that erupted continuously, eventually joining together to form on entire land mass.  Of all the islands in the archipelago, Isabela is the most active with the latest eruption coming from Wolf Volcano in January of 2022. There are lots of unique wildlife on Isabela such as the pink iguana, and more wild tortoises than any other island with a different type of species near each of the 6 volcanoes.

On Vicente Roca Point the geological formations are simply outstanding and it is a great place to view various bird species such as blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, gulls, storm petrels and brown noddy terns. Activities here are all done on the water by either dinghy or panga, or snorkeling.  On this western part of the island, the Cromwell Current provides cold water and many nutrients. Due to this it is possible to see various feeding frenzies of an assortment of animals such as whales, dolphins, sea lions and marine birds diving. At times it may also be likely to see fur seals.

In the afternoon, go ashore at Fernandina, the youngest island of the archipelago. No foreign species have ever invaded Fernandina Island, and therefore it is one of the world’s most pristine island ecosystems. It is one of the most active islands and is the westernmost island in the archipelago. The volcano “La Cumbre” dominates the landscape with lava fields reaching the ocean. The Cromwell Current also flows here making the cold and nutrient-rich water an ideal habitat for the Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants that nest here.

Espinosa Point area on Fernandina also provides a great opportunity to see the Galapagos hawk. Land iguanas are found on the inner parts of the island near the volcanoes caldera and marine iguanas will nest on the coast during certain times of the year. There is only one visitor site on Fernandina, which may involve a hike or snorkeling opportunity, making the rest of the island unspoiled in a most natural state.

Spend the morning at Tagus Cove. This cove is located on the upper west part of the island and was named after and English war ship that used to pass the islands in the 1800s. This was a famous spot for many pirates and sailors who have even left their names and the names of their ships inscribed on volcanic rock. Look for signs of various volcanic activities such as large volcanic rocks or small little balls of petrified rain. Follow your guide to hike the path that leads to Darwin Lake with a tuff cone.

A bit more south of Tagus Cove is Urbina Bay. Urbina Bay is an interesting site due to the uplifts of the island caused by volcanic and tectonic activity. When it rose, so did the corals and reefs that were under the surface. You can still see them although they are beginning to deteriorate due to air exposure. There are chances of seeing giant tortoises, land iguanas and more flightless cormorants near the coast.

Start the day with dinghy rides visiting Elizabeth Bay, down in the southern part of Isabela Island. There are a series of islets, a lagoon and mangroves surrounding it. The mangroves provide a great place to observe many birds, and at the lagoon it is possible to see sea turtles resting and feeding. The bay is also considered to be the largest nesting area for the Galapagos penguin (the only species of penguin that lives north of the equatorial line).

On the southwestern point of Isabela Island is Moreno Point. With striking black geological features, it is home to endemic species known only to the barren lava flows found here. Various activities are possible such as a hike, a panga ride to better see various sea birds, geological features and snorkeling to view the vibrant underwater life.

Today’s adventure reaches Sierra Negra Volcano, one of the oldest of Isabela Island’s volcanos. A hike will show different types of vegetation and geological zones and possibly inside the caldera where petrified lava is present.

In the afternoon, visit the Arnaldo Tupiza Breeding Center, where two species of giant tortoise are bred to increase the population of these incredible animals, playing an essential role in protecting the future of the Galapagos. As you walk around the center you will also be able to enjoy the beautiful gardens that boast of a wide variety of native plants.

Just outside Puerto Villamil you can also take a walk around the Isabela wetlands, comprised of lagoons, swamps and mangroves, which have become a paradise for migratory birds such as stilts and flamingos.

Today, visit Santa Cruz Island, one of the most popular tourist sites. With a population of about 12,000 Galapagos natives, it has the longest paved road in the entire archipelago. One of the biggest conservation efforts is to eliminate all non-native plants and animals that are destroying native and endemic species on the island. There is no longer any volcanic activity, but that does not mean there is no evidence.

Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, which conducts many different research projects and provides assistance to other researchers and governmental institutions and agencies, especially the Galapagos National Park. Many of the results are later published online, in magazines and popular scientific journals. The research station also plays a big part in educating the community and public schools in Galapagos. There is also the longtime running giant tortoise restoration program that includes various stages of the giant tortoise from eggs, hatchlings and adults.

Later in the day, head towards the Highlands of Santa Cruz to visit the Twin Craters or Gemelos, meaning twins in Spanish, are two caved in magma chambers of a previous volcano. After years of erosion and extinction, the once-full chambers caved in leaving two similar craters that can be seen on a short hike that passes by a Scalesia forest.

Then, be prepared to admire the famous giant tortoises in the wild. It is impressive to see these endemic animals that give the name to the archipelago, Galapagos. Birdwatching is also one of the activities in the highlands, since this area is home of finches and other Galapagos birds. Finally,  walk into lava caves to see the enormous lava flows that formed the islands before continuing back to the M/C Petrel.

South Plaza is one of the smallest islands with a visitor site, but is home to an incredible amount of diverse flora and fauna. It has a large population of Sesuvium plants like the prickly pear cactus tree that is an important source of food for the land iguana. Just a few years ago, mice were finally eradicated from the island, helping the population of land iguanas grow healthily once more. Enjoy an easy hike here with a wet landing.

Santa Fe Island is home to the unique Santa Fe land iguana and is the only place to find Opuntia cactus. Giant tortoises were once native to this island, but after the many years of pirates and buccaneers visiting the island and taking the tortoises aboard as food, they became extinct. The Island is also called Barrington Island, named after British Admiral Samuel Barrington. Large numbers of sea lions can be found on the landing beach and Galapagos hawks can also sometimes be seen.

San Cristobal Island is the fifth largest island in the Galapagos and lies farthest east. It is where Darwin first landed back in 1835 and where the first permanent settlements were founded. Today the main port, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, is the capital of Galapagos and houses many government offices, the Ecuadorian Navy and an airport with daily flights to the mainland of Ecuador.  Conservation challenges the island faces include invasive plants like blackberry and guayaba and insects like the blackfly.

Lobos Island is an islet about an hour away from San Cristobal. Blue-footed boobies will nest here seasonally. In recent years frigate birds have begun to nest here. Sea lions are abundant, as well as marine iguanas. It is a very calm and tranquil site with beautiful views, including Kicker Rock off in the distance.

After visiting Lobos Island, disembark and you’ll be transferred to your scheduled departure from San Cristobal Airport to mainland Ecuador. Safe travels!

South Plaza is one of the smallest islands with a visitor site, but is home to an incredible amount of diverse flora and fauna. It has a large population of Sesuvium plants like the prickly pear cactus tree that is an important source of food for the land iguana. Just a few years ago, mice were finally eradicated from the island, helping the population of land iguanas grow healthily once more. Enjoy an easy hike here with a wet landing.

Santa Fe Island is home to the unique Santa Fe land iguana and is the only place to find Opuntia cactus. Giant tortoises were once native to this island, but after the many years of pirates and buccaneers visiting the island and taking the tortoises aboard as food, they became extinct. The Island is also called Barrington Island, named after British Admiral Samuel Barrington. Large numbers of sea lions can be found on the landing beach and Galapagos hawks can also sometimes be seen.

San Cristobal Island is the fifth largest island in the Galapagos and lies farthest east. It is where Darwin first landed back in 1835 and where the first permanent settlements were founded. Today the main port, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, is the capital of Galapagos and houses many government offices, the Ecuadorian Navy and an airport with daily flights to the mainland of Ecuador. Conservation challenges the island faces include invasive plants like blackberry and guayaba and insects like the blackfly.

Lobos Island is an islet about an hour away from San Cristobal. Blue-footed boobies will nest here seasonally. In recent years frigate birds have begun to nest here. Sea lions are abundant, as well as marine iguanas. It is a very calm and tranquil site with beautiful views, including Kicker Rock off in the distance.

In the afternoon, visit the David Rodriguez Giant Tortoise Breeding Center to learn about the origin and evolution of the giant tortoise, and why the center is so vital in safeguarding the future of these incredible creatures. Walking through the trails of the reserve, you can see baby tortoises being reared in semi-natural conditions, a brilliant demonstration of the commitment the local people have to preserving the wildlife that makes the Galapagos so special.

Española Island is the southernmost island in the Galapagos, as well as the oldest. It is estimated to be about four million years old. Because it is so far away from the other islands it has the most endemic species. It is a wonderful opportunity for some great photography of endemic bird species that are found only on Espanola and awesome landscapes created by millions of years of erosion.
At Gardner Bay, visit one of the best beaches in the Galapagos. The white sandy beach is home to a large colony of friendly and playful sea lions. Three different types of finches can be seen. The Espanola mockingbird is very friendly, but probably looking for food. At one point in time, tourists must have given it water or food, which taught them bad habits. The site is also where green sea turtles will come to nest their eggs between January and March.
In the afternoon, visit Suarez Point, phenomenal site where you will get to see many of Espanola Island’s endemic species. The trail will pass by the only waved albatross breeding site. If you are lucky, you might see a young albatross, take off for its first flight for up to five years at sea. Older birds stay at sea for months at a time, only coming back to breed. They have the same mate for life and will meet each other each year, only here to reproduce. Other species that can be seen are marine iguanas that stay brightly colored year-round, Galapagos doves, Nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, red-billed tropic birds and Darwin finches.

Floreana Island is one of the most interesting when it comes to human history. The first Galapagos resident was an Irishman who lived on Floreana from 1807 to 1809. It is the site of the first post office within the islands created by whalers in the 1700s. Later, it became the first island to be colonized by Ecuadorians, but to this day is still very isolated. In the 1930s various disappearances occurred and is thought to be because of tension between a baroness and her three servants who arrived after an already settled husband and wife, who gave birth to the first to be born in Galapagos, and another couple who lived of the land from their garden. The small population of today lives off the land with homegrown farms and gets their water from rain-filled ponds during the rainy season. There is one hotel with the only phone in the port of Velasco Ibarra where most residents live, the rest live up in the highlands.

Here visit Devil’s Crown or Cormorant Point. Devil’s Crown is a visitor site that boasts the best snorkeling opportunities. Below the surface are amazing volcanic structures that have submerged over time. Hundreds of different colorful fish species can be found here among the coral reefs. Sharks, rays, sea turtles, hammerhead sharks and sea lions are also common visitors. It is an underwater spectacle that cannot be missed. At Cormorant Point, two beaches can be visited and flamingoes can be seen wading through brackish lagoons looking for shrimp, which gives them their bright and vibrant colors. One of the beaches looks green because of olivine crystals, and the other is appropriately called Flour Beach for its powdery white sand made from fine pulverized coral.

In the afternoon, stop by Post Office Bay, the first official post office created by passing whalers in the 1700s. To this day visitors continue the tradition leaving addressed messages on postcards in the barrel to be sent by future visitors while picking up postcards left behind by previous visitors to send or hand-deliver when they return home. It is a fun exchangeable activity many visitors enjoy. Alternatively, on the northern part of the island, visit Baroness Lookout Point for a beautiful landscape and historic view. It was named after the supposed Austrian baroness that was the subject of many mysterious disappearances and well-known stories of loathing by those on Floreana.

Today, visit Santa Cruz Island, one of the most popular tourist sites. With a population of about 12,000 Galapagos natives, it has the longest paved road in the entire archipelago. One of the biggest conservation efforts is to eliminate all non-native plants and animals that are destroying native and endemic species on the island. There is no longer any volcanic activity, but that does not mean there is no evidence.

Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, which conducts many different research projects and provides assistance to other researchers and governmental institutions and agencies, especially the Galapagos National Park. Many of the results are later published online, in magazines and popular scientific journals. The research station also plays a big part in educating the community and public schools in Galapagos. There is also the longtime running giant tortoise restoration program that includes various stages of the giant tortoise from eggs, hatchlings and adults.

After this visit, take an overland transfer to the Baltra Airport for flights back to mainland Ecuador.

Isabela Island is the largest of all the Galapagos Islands, about 75 miles long, and is peculiarly shaped like a seahorse. It is one of the few islands that are populated, with about 2,200 people living on the southern part of the island.  The island was formed by 6 different shield volcanoes from north to south that erupted continuously, eventually joining together to form on entire land mass.  Of all the islands in the archipelago, Isabela is the most active with the latest eruption coming from Wolf Volcano in January of 2022. There are lots of unique wildlife on Isabela such as the pink iguana, and more wild tortoises than any other island with a different type of species near each of the 6 volcanoes.

On Vicente Roca Point the geological formations are simply outstanding and it is a great place to view various bird species such as blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, gulls, storm petrels and brown noddy terns. Activities here are all done on the water by either dinghy or panga, or snorkeling.  On this western part of the island, the Cromwell Current provides cold water and many nutrients. Due to this it is possible to see various feeding frenzies of an assortment of animals such as whales, dolphins, sea lions and marine birds diving. At times it may also be likely to see fur seals.

In the afternoon, go ashore at Fernandina, the youngest island of the archipelago. No foreign species have ever invaded Fernandina Island, and therefore it is one of the world’s most pristine island ecosystems. It is one of the most active islands and is the westernmost island in the archipelago. The volcano “La Cumbre” dominates the landscape with lava fields reaching the ocean. The Cromwell Current also flows here making the cold and nutrient-rich water an ideal habitat for the Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants that nest here.

Espinosa Point area on Fernandina also provides a great opportunity to see the Galapagos hawk. Land iguanas are found on the inner parts of the island near the volcanoes caldera and marine iguanas will nest on the coast during certain times of the year. There is only one visitor site on Fernandina, which may involve a hike or snorkeling opportunity, making the rest of the island unspoiled in a most natural state.

Spend the morning at Tagus Cove. This cove is located on the upper west part of the island and was named after and English war ship that used to pass the islands in the 1800s. This was a famous spot for many pirates and sailors who have even left their names and the names of their ships inscribed on volcanic rock. Look for signs of various volcanic activities such as large volcanic rocks or small little balls of petrified rain. Follow your guide to hike the path that leads to Darwin Lake with a tuff cone.

A bit more south of Tagus Cove is Urbina Bay. Urbina Bay is an interesting site due to the uplifts of the island caused by volcanic and tectonic activity. When it rose, so did the corals and reefs that were under the surface. You can still see them although they are beginning to deteriorate due to air exposure. There are chances of seeing giant tortoises, land iguanas and more flightless cormorants near the coast.

Start the day with dinghy rides visiting Elizabeth Bay, down in the southern part of Isabela Island. There are a series of islets, a lagoon and mangroves surrounding it. The mangroves provide a great place to observe many birds, and at the lagoon it is possible to see sea turtles resting and feeding. The bay is also considered to be the largest nesting area for the Galapagos penguin (the only species of penguin that lives north of the equatorial line).

On the southwestern point of Isabela Island is Moreno Point. With striking black geological features, it is home to endemic species known only to the barren lava flows found here. Various activities are possible such as a hike, a panga ride to better see various sea birds, geological features and snorkeling to view the vibrant underwater life.

Today’s adventure reaches Sierra Negra Volcano, one of the oldest of Isabela Island’s volcanos. A hike will show different types of vegetation and geological zones and possibly inside the caldera where petrified lava is present.

In the afternoon, visit the Arnaldo Tupiza Breeding Center, where two species of giant tortoise are bred to increase the population of these incredible animals, playing an essential role in protecting the future of the Galapagos. As you walk around the center you will also be able to enjoy the beautiful gardens that boast of a wide variety of native plants.

Just outside Puerto Villamil you can also take a walk around the Isabela wetlands, comprised of lagoons, swamps and mangroves, which have become a paradise for migratory birds such as stilts and flamingos.

Today, visit Santa Cruz Island, one of the most popular tourist sites. With a population of about 12,000 Galapagos natives, it has the longest paved road in the entire archipelago. One of the biggest conservation efforts is to eliminate all non-native plants and animals that are destroying native and endemic species on the island. There is no longer any volcanic activity, but that does not mean there is no evidence.

Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, which conducts many different research projects and provides assistance to other researchers and governmental institutions and agencies, especially the Galapagos National Park. Many of the results are later published online, in magazines and popular scientific journals. The research station also plays a big part in educating the community and public schools in Galapagos. There is also the longtime running giant tortoise restoration program that includes various stages of the giant tortoise from eggs, hatchlings and adults.

Then take an overland transfer to Baltra Island Airport for the flight back to mainland Quito or Guayaquil. Safe travels!