A - Southern/Central Galapagos Cruise - Peregrine Travel Centre

Description

Wildlife wanders freely and almost fearlessly in the Galapagos. This remote island group with its dramatic and desolate beauty is home to some of the most unique species in the world. Many are endemic such as the Galapagos tortoise, marine and land iguanas, the flightless cormorant and, of course, Darwin’s famous finches. Darwin noted that different species adapted to fit different niches on individual islands, which gave rise to his idea of natural selection.

You may glimpse a frigate bird in courtship, his bright-red breast puffed up in a dazzling display, or the spectacular dive of a blue-footed booby fishing close to shore, or the graceful waved albatross – so comical and clumsy when taking flight. It’s all here in the Galapagos, a treasure-trove of natural history awaiting your discovery.

We offer all kinds of active exploration. Go on a nature walk and marvel at pre-historic land iguanas and lava lizards. Slip into a sea kayak and discover hidden tide pools, mangrove forests, beaches of red, green and black sand and the hardened lava fields smeared into the edges of the shores. Swim back and forth across the equator with sea lions that perform an underwater ballet. Go birding to look for the Nazca booby. Or put on a mask and enter the delicate balance of life underwater, watching schools of graceful spotted eagle rays gliding beneath you.

Experience moment after moment of wonder in a land where time stands still. Our comprehensive 7-night cruise itineraries explore the entire archipelago. And thanks to an outstanding guide-to-guest ratio, you’ll venture ashore in small groups of no more than ten fellow explorers, experiencing this magical realm in the most authentic and educational way possible.

• On departures where Family is noted above, one or both yachts will be designated for families traveling with children. We do not offer these weeks for adults who are traveling without any children. Children age 6 to 11 get 25% discount off the cruise rate and teens age 12 to 17 get 15% discount off the cruise rate (excluding holiday weeks) and cannot be combined with other discounts. There is a limit of one child or teen discount per adult or full fare.

• On holiday departures that fall over Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, there are no discounts offered of any kind and a single cabin has 100% supplement. In addition, there is a holiday supplement.

• 6 Night Itinerary Option – Passengers can disembark on Saturday in Baltra for a shorter, 6 night cruise. Term and Conditions apply – please contact us for more details.

Trip Name

A - Southern/Central Galapagos Cruise

Days

Overview

Type: Motor Yacht Year Built / Refurbished: 1994 / 2018 Capacity: 20 (10 double cabins) Length: 25 meters Accommodation Ten double outside facing cabins (95 square feet) with a window or porthole view, one double bed or two twin lower beds, fully airconditioned with climate controls and private bathroom. Cabin amenities Nightstand and closet with overhead storage, towels (for bath and beach), hair dryer, bio-degradable hand soap, body wash, shampoo and conditioner in dispensers. Cabins are cleaned twice daily. Food & Beverage Each meal is carefully prepared, with dinner a beautifully plated four-course menu with Ecuadorian and International specialties using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Hot and cold snacks are served after each excursion. Our chef oers a cooking demonstration and can provide vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and meet most dietary requests. Dining room & Bar Our dining room features four tables with seating for four and one table for seating up to six. An intimate bar is always open for cocktails, red, white and sparkling wine, beer, sodas, juices, coee, and tea. All non-alcoholic beverages are included. House wine and local beer are served complimentary during dinner service. Unwind A comfortable lounge area adjacent to the bar for evening gatherings, Captain’s welcome and farewell parties, and conversations with your naturalists and fellow ship mates. Boutique Clothing and logoed items and sundries are available for purchase. Library A selection of books dedicated to the Galapagos and Charles Darwin and board games Spacious sundeck Partially shaded and fashioned with chaises lounges. Tables and chairs are set up for a BBQ lunch and cooking Sports equipment Two double kayaks, one single kayak, two stand up paddle boards, full 3mm wet suits, masks, fins and snorkels and beach towels are provided at no additional cost.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Day 1: Sunday - Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, SAN CRISTOBAL (Chatham) Cerro Tijeretas & Leon Dormido, SAN CRISTOBAL

Fly to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on SAN CRISTOBAL Island (SCY), transfer by bus to the main dock and then by zodiac to the ERIC or LETTY anchored in the bay. After the welcome briefing and safety drill, a delicious buffet lunch is served on board. In the afternoon, travel by bus to Cerro Tijeretas or “Frigatebird Hill” one of two sites where you can see nesting colonies of both species of frigate birds (Great and Magnificent), as well as lava lizards, the medium ground finch and Chatham mockingbird. Walk along the trail to Punta Carola for scenic views, then return to the yacht for a briefing followed by our Captain’s welcome cocktail party and dinner prepared by our culinary school-trained chefs.

Day 2 - Day 2: Monday - Cerro Brujo (SN, PR, KY) SAN CRISTOBAL Punta Pitt, (SN, PR) SAN CRISTOBAL

We spend the morning at Cerro Brujo, a breathtaking white coral beach, with expansive views and good bird-watching. Take a peaceful walk along the beach, or swim with sea lions from the beach. Take out the kayaks or stand up paddle boards for a different perspective of the marine life. Enjoy a scenic Zodiac ride that takes us through a cave called The Cathedral. Return to the yacht for lunch. Go ashore this afternoon at Punta Pitt, a tuff formation that serves as a nesting site for many sea birds including all three types of boobies – blue-footed, Nazca and red-footed boobies, 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, we snorkel with sea lions and colorful fish such as the King Angel and Surgeon fish. Return to the yacht for a briefing followed by dinner.

Day 3 - Day 3: Tuesday - Punta Suarez, ESPANOLA (Hood) Gardner Bay (SN, PR, KY) ESPANOLA

Disembark at Punta Suarez on ESPANOLA (Hood) Island, home to the greatest number of endemic species found in Galapagos. Sea lions bark noisily as we land on their beach. Curious Hood mockingbirds peck at our shoelaces. From April to December, the waved albatross, found only on Espanola, perform its wild mating ritual. Colonies of blue-footed boobies engage in “sky-pointing” to show off for potential mates. Easily spotted wildlife are the Nazca boobies busily caring for their young, stunning swallow-tailed gulls, the only nocturnal gulls in the world and red-billed tropicbirds take shelter under the cliffs. We also find Darwin’s Finches, Galapagos Doves and Galapagos Hawks, as well as a unique species of marine iguana identified with traces of red and green colorings. Follow the trail to the dramatic ocean blow hole, and watch for colorful sally light-foot crabs crawling along the shoreline. Return to the yacht for lunch on board. Disembark at Gardner Bay, where large colonies of sea lions dot the seemingly endless white sand beach. Take a leisurely stroll or relax on the beach, watching for the Galapagos Hawk, Darwin’s Finches or Espanola Mockingbird. Swim with playful sea lions right from the beach, explore the bay and islets by kayak or stand up paddle board. Take a Zodiac ride to explore the caves covered with invertebrates. Admire the colorful array of underwater life at this excellent snorkeling site near Tortuga Rock. Return to the yacht for a briefing followed by dinner.

Day 4 - Day 4: Wednesday - Punta Cormorant (PR), Devil’s Crown or Champion (SN), FLOREANA Post Office Bay (SN), Baroness Point (PR), FLOREANA (Charles)

Step ashore at Punta Cormorant on FLOREANA (Charles) Island, where 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), paldo 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 Champion Islet, a shallow sunken crater colonized by a brilliant array of colorful fish and corral, white-tipped sharks, sea turtles, spotted eagle rays and sea stars. Lunch is served back on board on the sundeck, weather permitting. Floreana is one of the few populated islands in the Galapagos with a rich and intriguing human history. After lunch, visit on of the most famous sites in Galapagos, Post office Bay, where a post office barrel was erected in the late 18th Century to use by English whaling vessels. Visitors are invited invited to leave a post card and to pick up any mail destined for their home town. There is a chance to swim from the beach with sea lions. Late afternoon, take a Zodiac ride near Baroness Point to look for sea turtles and rays. Return to the yacht for a briefing followed by dinner.

Day 5 - Day 5: Thursday - Highlands of SANTA CRUZ (Indefatigable) CCFL (Darwin Station), SANTA CRUZ

Disembark at Puerto Ayora, SANTA CRUZ Island, the social heart of the Galapagos, with a population of 24,000. Travel by bus to the highlands, passing through all seven vegetation zones found in Galapagos. Visit Rancho El Manzanillo, a privately-owned hacienda where giant tortoises roam in their natural habitat. Stop at the lave tunnels at El Mirador, the largest in the archipelago, and visit Los Gemelos (The Twins), a pair of large craters. Return to the yacht for lunch on board and a briefing. This afternoon, visit Centro de Crianza Fausto Llerena (formerly Charles Darwin Research Station) and see the tortoise and land iguana corals and the breeding center with new hatchlings and miniature tortoises that will be repatriated when grown. A new exhibit recently opened honoring Lonesome George, a worldwide icon of conservation as the last surviving tortoise from Pinta Island that tragically died of natural causes. We stop at a chocolate shop to learn how high quality “Arriba cacoa” is produced in Ecuador. Stroll through town to shop for souvenirs or stop in at a museum or internet café – or if you prefer an active afternoon, we can arrange for kayaking at Punta Estrada or to go on a bicycle ride (additional charges apply). Return to the yacht for dinner or as you wish, remain ashore for dinner on your own. Zodiac shuttles from the Eric and Letty to the main dock will be offered throughout the evening.

Day 6 - Day 6: Friday - Bartolome (PR, SN) Las Bachas (SN) or Black Turtle Cove (PR) or Sombrero Chino (PR,SN)

This morning guests onboard the ERIC visit Las Bachas, Spanish for “barges” on the northern side of Santa Cruz. Explore the long stretch of a soft white sand beach and interior lagoons populated by greater flamingos. There is also a chance to snorkel here from the beach. Guests on board the Letty will have a Zodiac ride at Caleta Tortuga Negra (Black Turtle Cove) through a series of coves and inlets surrounded by mangroves. See pairs of mating sea turtles (Sep to Feb), white-tipped reed sharks and golden cow-nosed rays. Return to the yacht for lunch. Disembark at BARTOLOME, a young Island that is inhospitable to most plants and animals. Climb the long wooden staircase to the summit of a dormant volcano, pausing along the way to marvel at lava bombs, spatter and cinder cones. It seems as if we are walking on the moon! The panoramic view from the top encompasses the entire island, including the distinctive eroded tuff cone known as Pinnacle Rock. The crystal clear water below beckons of snorkeling with schools of tropical fish, white-tipped reef sharks and Galapagos Penguins. Take a Zodiac ride along the rocky shoreline. Return to the yacht for the evening briefing followed by dinner.

Day 7 - Day 7: Saturday - South Plaza Island North Seymour (PR, SN)

Today’s visit is at SOUTH PLAZA, a small geological uplift with tall cliffs where swallow-tailed gulls, shearwaters and red-billed tropicbirds build their nests. The trail leads us through Opuntia (Prickly Pear) and Sesuvium, and land iguanas are seen here feeding on the cactus leaves. The island is 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 yacht for lunch. Later, snorkel between North and South Seymour in deeper water. Go ashore at North Seymour, a small geological uplift to observe swallow-tailed gulls, blue-footed boobies and endemic land iguanas. Visit the largest colony of Magnificent frigate birds in Galapagos, and watch for marine iguanas and sea lions body surfing the northern swells. Return to the ERIC or LETTY for the Captain’s farewell cocktail party and dinner, followed by a slide show presentation by your guides.

Day 8 - Day 8: Sunday - Interpretation Center, SAN CRISTOBAL (Chatham)

After breakfast, travel by bus to the Interpretation Center 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.

Day 9 - SN = snorkel, KY = kayak, PR = panga (dingy) ride

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Day 10 - Please Note:

All itineraries are subject to change at any time for any reason and without prior notice. Last minute changes to the itinerary can occur at any time including but not limited to changes in National Park rules or at the discretion of the Captain of the vessel or company for any reason including mechanical failure.

Trip Dates

Start	End	Price From	Room Type

Inclusions

Pinnacle Rock on Bartolome
All three boobies (Nazca, blue and red footed)
Marine and land iguanas
Great and Magnificent Frigatebirds
Snorkel with Galapagos penguins
Giant tortoises in the highlands
Waived Albatross on Espanola
Kayak and swim with sea lions at Cerro Brujo and Gardner Bay