Origin, Theory & Evolve Galapagos Cruises

Spend the morning with a panga cruise at Cerro Brujo, a breathtaking white coral beach with expansive views and good birdwatching and interesting geological formations like The Cathedral. After the cruise, take a peaceful walk along the beach, swim with sea lions or use the kayaks or stand-up paddleboards.

Return to the yacht for lunch served on the sun deck (weather permitting) before going ashore for a hike at Punta Pitt, a tuff formation that serves as a nesting site for many seabirds including all three types of boobies (blue-footed, red-footed and Nazca), both frigatebird species, swallow-tailed gulls, storm petrels, shearwaters and brown pelicans. Punta Pitt is considered one of the best sites for birds in the archipelago and is also home to a colony of sea lions. At Pitt Rock, enjoy a snorkel or swim with sea lions and colorful fish such as King Angel and surgeon fish before returning to the ship for a briefing and dinner.

Today disembark at Punta Suarez on Espanola Island, home to the greatest number of endemic species found in Galapagos. Sea lions bark noisy greetings as you land on the beach, while curious mockingbirds peck at your shoelaces. Colonies of blue-footed boobies engage in sky-pointing to show off for potential mates. From April to December, the waved albatross, found only on Espanola, performs its wild mating ritual. Other easily spotted wildlife are the Nazca boobies busily caring for their young and stunning swallow-tailed gulls, the only nocturnal gulls in the world. You will also find Darwin’s finches, Galapagos doves, red-billed tropicbirds and Galapagos hawks, as well as a unique species of marine iguanas with traces of red and green colorings. Follow the trail to the dramatic ocean blowhole and watch for colorful Sally Lightfoot crabs crawling along the shoreline. Return to the ship for lunch on board.

In the afternoon, disembark at Gardner Bay, where large colonies of sea lions dot the seemingly endless white-sand beach. Enjoy time to take a leisurely stroll or relax on the beach, watching for birds such as the Galapagos hawk, Darwin’s finch, or Hood mockingbird. Swim with the playful sea lions from the beach, explore the bay and islets by kayak or take a panga ride to explore the caves covered with invertebrates. Admire the colorful array of underwater life at the excellent snorkeling site near Tortuga Rock. Return to the ship for a briefing followed by dinner.

Step ashore at Punta Cormorant on Floreana Island, one of the few populated islands in Galapagos with a rich and intriguing human history. The olive-sand beach is alive with the sounds of sea lions, lava herons, yellow-crowned night herons, blue-footed boobies and penguins. Follow a trail to a brackish lagoon, home to Bahama ducks, common stilts, Galapagos flycatchers, yellow warblers and the greater flamingos. Wind your way past a rich variety of plants including the morning glory, cut-leaf daisies, mangroves (black, red and white), palo verde and scalesia. The trail leads to a beach where sea turtles lay their eggs in the powdery sand dunes and sting rays swim in the shallow water. After the walk, there is an opportunity to snorkel at Devil’s Crown, a shallow sunken crater colonized by a brilliant array of colorful fish and coral, white-tipped sharks, sea turtles, spotted eagle rays and sea stars. Lunch is served aboard on the sundeck, weather permitting.

After lunch, visit one of the most famous sites in Galapagos: Post Office Bay, where a post barrel was erected in the late 18th Century for use by English whaling vessels. Visitors are invited to leave a post card and to pick up any mail destined for their home area. There is an opportunity to swim from the beach with sea lions. Late afternoon, take a panga or paddleboard ride near Baroness Point to look for sea turtles and rays before returning to the yacht for a briefing followed by dinner.

Disembark at Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, the social heart of the Galapagos, with a population of 24,000. Travel by bus to a higher altitude with beautiful geological formations including the lava tunnels at El Mirador and Los Gemelos (the twins), a pair of massive craters. The guides will explain how they were formed. The highlight of the morning is a visit to Rancho Primicias, a privately-owned ranch where tortoises roam free. These slow-moving giants can grow to be over 500 pounds!

In the afternoon, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, the tortoise corrals and breeding center with hatchlings and miniature tortoises that will be repatriated when grown. Visit the exhibit honoring Lonesome George, a worldwide icon of conservation as the last surviving tortoise from Pinta Island that tragically died of natural causes. There’s another story with a happier ending: Diego, a tortoise from the San Diego zoo, brought his species back from the brink of extinction by fathering hundreds of offspring. Return to the yacht for the briefing and customary delicious multi-course dinner.

Wake up in solitude with no other boats in sight. Choose one of two options for a morning activity on Bartolome Island: a challenging hike or a panga cruise. The 400-wooden-step hike winds past mini lava cones and ends in a panoramic view of Pinnacle Rock. The panga ride around the island looks for penguins. Next, snorkel with schools of tropical fish, white-tipped reef sharks and Galapagos penguins. Return to the vessel for lunch served on the sundeck (weather permitting).

The afternoon itinerary depends on your yacht. Origin guests go ashore at Sombrero Chino (Chinese Hat), a small island off the southern tip of Santiago that owes its name to its shape. Sea lions, marine iguanas, oystercatchers and volcanic rubble await. Theory guests visit Bachas Beach, including a wonderful opportunity for snorkeling after searching for flamingos in the interior lagoons. Evolve guests enjoy a slow panga excursion at Black Turtle Cove, listening for the telltale deep inhale of a sea turtle and watching for the wings of a school of golden rays. A guide aboard each yacht will offer an enrichment lecture on Charles Darwin and evolution or ongoing social/environmental projects, tonight after dinner.

Today’s visit is at South Plaza, a small geological uplift with tall cliffs where swallow-failed gulls, shearwaters, and red-billed tropicbirds build their nests. The trail leads you through opuntia (prickly pear) and sesuvium, and land iguanas are seen feeding on cactus leaves. The island is also home to a colony of bachelor sea lions, with dominant bulls in various stages of recovery from battles over prime beach territory. Return to the ship for lunch as the yacht repositions to anchor between North and South Seymour in deeper water. After lunch, snorkel at North Seymour, a small geological uplift which hosts swallow-tailed gulls, blue-footed boobies, endemic land iguanas and the largest colony of magnificent frigatebirds in the Galapagos. Watch for marine iguanas and sea lions body surfing the northern swells. Return to the ship for the captain’s farewell cocktail party and dinner, followed by a slideshow presentation.

Disembark after breakfast and travel by bus to the Interpretation Center on San Cristobal to gain a more complete understanding of the natural and human history of the Islands. Afterwards, spend time in port before heading to the airport for your flight back to the mainland.