Galápagos Islands | Birding the Eastern and Central Islands aboard M/C Seaman

Upon arrival in Quito you will be met and escorted to your hotel.

This morning, take a city tour of Quito, Ecuador's capital. Surrounded by volcanoes, Quito is a unique city that boasts one of the most extensive and best preserved historic centers in Latin America, earning it recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant to savor some traditional Ecuadorian food. Later, travel north of the city to the equator and the Middle of the World Monument complex to experience being in two hemispheres at the same time. Lastly, attend a lecture titled "Introduction to Geology of the Galápagos Islands."

Fly from mainland Ecuador to Baltra Island. After boarding M/C Seaman, attend your first orientation and have a light snack. Then, explore North Seymour Island, a low and flat island that was uplifted from the sea by underground seismic activity. Observe Blue-footed Boobies, which nest here from May to November, as well as marine iguanas, pelicans, frigatebirds, shore birds, sea lions, and the endemic palo santo trees. Return to the boat for dinner. Each day of this journey, there will be a briefing about the next day's activities and daily opportunities for swimming, snorkeling, and/or kayaking. Please note: Cruise itineraries are subject to change without prior notice due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g. weather) or at the discretion of the captain, guide, or the Galápagos National Park.

This morning, visit El Barranco, a cliff composed of fragile lava flows located in the southern part of Darwin Bay on Genovesa Island. The trail to reach it is on volcanic rock, and it comprises almost a mile, which can be walked in about 2 hours. The youngest part of the island, from a geological point of view, lies in this area. The natural erosion in the lava flows here has become the ideal nesting place for two species of storm petrels. After lunch, explore Darwin Bay on a walk and observe frigatebirds, herons, mockingbirds, boobies, shorebirds, turtles, marine iguanas, and more. There will be time for those who would like to swim, snorkel, or kayak. Have dinner on the boat before an orientation about conservation efforts made to protect the Islands.

Disembark at South Plaza Island, which is characterized by its unique and colorful vegetation. Sesuvium is a bright red succulent plant that carpets the rocks here and creates vivid photo opportunities against the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean. The taller Opuntia cacti also found here provide food and shade for the numerous land iguanas that dig nesting burrows all over the island. Continue walking toward the Island's sea cliffs to view many sea birds, such as Red-billed Tropicbirds, Galápagos Shearwaters, Swallow-tailed Gulls, and Nazca and Blue-footed Boobies. Next, sail to Santa Fe Island for the chance to see a different species of land iguana, endemic only to this island and recognizable by its paler yellow coloration. Walk by scenic cliffs and a forest of Santa Fe Opuntia cacti to observe the iguanas, along with Galápagos Hawks, Darwin's finches, Galápagos Mockingbirds, racer snakes, and more. Before going back to the boat, spend time at the beach swimming and snorkeling among sea lions.

Spend today visiting the David Rodríguez Tortoise Breeding Center in San Cristóbal Island. Formerly known as the Jacinto Gordillo Tortoise Breeding Center since the Galápagos National Park Service established a program for the breeding and care of tortoises in captivity in 2002, the center changed its name in 2016 to commemorate the 39 years of service of its park ranger. Located on the southeast of San Cristóbal, the breeding center is easily accessible by bus from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, which takes approximately 40 minutes. The purpose of the center revolves around protecting and increasing the population of San Cristóbal giant tortoises, the subspecies endemic to San Cristóbal Island, in an environment with conditions similar to their natural state, and in this way, promoting the sustainable development of tourism in San Cristóbal. After lunch, visit the Gianni Arismendy Environmental Interpretation Center to learn about conservation and the geological, natural, and human history of the Islands while enjoying stunning ocean views and lush gardens.

Begin your day with a wet landing at Punta Pitt, located on the northeastern coast of San Cristóbal Island. A trail takes you through an olivine beach and ascends to the top of a volcanic tuff hill, passing through several natural viewpoints along the way. This is the only site in the Islands where you can observe three species of boobies and two species of frigatebirds all nesting in the same area. For those who would like, there will be time to swim or snorkel here. After lunch on the boat, explore Isla Lobos to observe more Blue-footed Boobies, frigatebirds, other sea birds, rays, and sea lions. There will also be the optional chance to spend time snorkeling or on a panga ride in the area. Return to the boat for dinner and a nightly orientation.

After breakfast, disembark at Gardner Bay for a walk on the beach to observe sunbathing sea lions, which inhabit the beach in great quantities during the breeding season. While exploring the beach, keep an eye out for the endemic Española Mockingbird and Darwin's finches. Then, take a scenic panga ride around Osborn Islet and the islets of Gardner to search for more wildlife and enjoy some swimming or snorkeling before heading back to the boat. After lunch aboard the boat, visit Punta Suárez on Española Island to hike along lava beds and scenic cliffs to observe green and red marine iguanas, sea lions, lava lizards, and unique colonies of marine birds. From mid-March to December, this is one of the best places in the world to see the Waved Albatross, which nests primarily on this island. These large and graceful flyers start to perform intricate courtship rituals in April, and by May begin nesting. Española is the oldest island in the archipelago, geologically speaking, and is also rich in plant life, with an interesting mix of flora representative of littoral, arid, and transitional zones.

Today, explore Cormorant Point on Floreana Island. This site features one of the best and largest flamingo lagoons in the Galápagos. It is situated between two tuff lava cones that give the area a special atmosphere. There are also various species of shorebirds to observe here besides flamingos. The most frequent are Black-necked Stilt, White-cheeked Pintail, and other migratory birds. It is fascinating to see the two distinct beaches found in Floreana, the Green Beach, which gets its name from the high percentage of olivine crystals in the sand, and Flour Beach, which gets its name from the presence of fine, pulverized coral in the sand. After an unforgettable walk, visit Champion Islet, a great place to enjoy snorkeling and underwater wildlife. Some of the animals that can be seen are sea turtles, sea lions, and plenty of colorful fish thanks to the nearby coral reef. After lunch, disembark on the beach at Post Office Bay and follow a short trail to its historic mail barrel site. In the 18th century, British whalers placed a wooden barrel here to use as an informal post office, and today, visitors continue the tradition by leaving their own postcards in the barrel. Continue to Baroness Viewpoint, named after the Baroness Eloise von Wagner, who once lived here. Enjoy the beautiful landscape and observe the ruins of her house.

This morning, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and Fausto Llerena Breeding Center in Santa Cruz Island to learn about the station and center's important conservation and education work and see some of the giant tortoises that are being raised for reintroduction into the wild. After the visit, you will be taken to Baltra Island in time for your flight back to the mainland. Your guide will accompany you on the bus ride directly to the airport, where you will have lunch on your own. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure in Quito before gathering for a farewell dinner at the hotel this evening. For those departing this evening, you will be taken to the Quito International Airport for your flight(s) home.

Travel to Quito International Airport for your flight(s) home.