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| A Bit of Travel
869 Grand Ave
Carlsbad Ca 92008
760-729-1181
800-747-TRAVEL |
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8 Day Naturalist Cruise of the Galapagos aboard the Alta
Presenting itself as the most elegant sailing ship in the Galapagos, the Alta is ideal for those looking for an experience that is as unique as it is exclusive. Under sail, she cuts an attention-grabbing profile while making for an exhilarating onboard experience. The architecture of her eight well-appointed cabins is spacious and charming and the salon, where you will receive daily briefings from a naturalist guide, is stylishly furnished and equipped with an entertainment center. You can choose to eat either inside or al-fresco, and there are plenty of places to relax on board. When conditions permit, the sails are hoisted aboard the Alta, one of the truly beautiful yachts in the archipelago. Set along the Equator, some 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos is a crown jewel of the natural world. The skies are almost always sunny and the sea breezes create a comfortable air temperature. The ocean is an inviting turquoise and the long sandy beaches are coral white, pink and volcanic black. There are crystal coves and mangrove lagoons to enjoy. And that is just for starters. What will make your visit truly exceptional are the many opportunities for close encounters with wildlife. The islands and surrounding waters are literally teeming with exotic and colorful creatures that have never learned to fear humans. This translates into a series of daily experiences that range from snorkeling with playful sea lions, tracking giant tortoises and trading stares with unconcerned iguanas. Bird life is abundant and fearless. You may have to give way as a blue-footed booby crosses your path, or see a Galapagos hawk perched just a few steps away, as an albatross launches itself off a cliff on a journey that will encompass thousands of miles. The environment beneath the ocean surface is extraordinary, with large tropical and cold water fish found swimming together. Pacific green sea turtles, Galapagos penguins and rays are all in abundance while dolphins, whales and whale sharks are frequent visitors to these waters. |
| Call (800) 747-8728 for more information or to book today! Mention code 8044854 | | eWaterways | | | | Day | Destination | Description | | Day 1 | Playa Ochoa | The turquoise blue water surrounding the coast is visible from the air as you approach the island of San Cristobal. Upon arrival in Puerto Baquerizo, the administrative capital of the islands, you'll pass through Park Inspection, after which you'll be met by your guide. Heading to the port, you'll be treated to views of the harbour where the Alta awaits you. After lunch we pay a visit to Leon Dormido. Also known as Kicker Rock, this spectacular formation rises 152 meters out of the Pacific and is a landmark in the Galapagos. Then we head to our first landing at Playa Ochoa, an inviting powdery beach which is home to a small colony of sea lions. This is a great introduction to the islands and offers your first opportunity to go snorkeling with sea turtles and the archipelago's playful "wolves of the sea". | | Day 2 | Darwin Bay | Tower Island could serve as a film set for a secret submarine base, with is ocean-filled caldera ringed by the outer edges of a sizeable and mainly submerged volcano. It is also known as "Bird Island", a name it lives up to in a spectacular way. Named for a visit by the British Monarch in 1964, Phillips Steps leads to a narrow stretch of land which opens out onto the plateau surrounding Darwin Bay. Here you can see red-footed boobies, masked boobies and "Storm Petrels" fluttering out over the ocean in swarms. In the afternoon we land at Darwin Bay where swallow-tailed gulls, the only nocturnal gulls in the world, can be seen nesting. A brief panga ride takes us to the base of the cliffs to reveal the full variety of species sheltering in the ledges and crevices. This is also an intriguing place to snorkel, and fortunate swimmers may spot one of the giant mantra rays that frequent the inner cliff walls. | | Day 3 | Tagus Cove | Our destination this morning is Punta Espinosa, a narrow spit of land in the northeast corner of Fernandina Island, where a number of unique Galapagos species can be seen in close proximity. As our panga driver navigates the reef, penguins show off by throwing themselves from the rocks into the water. The landing is a dry one and a short walk through the vegetation leads to a large colony of marine iguanas resting atop one another in friendly heaps along the shoreline. Nearby, sea lions frolic in a sheltered lagoon. This is one of the few places you can glimpse iguanas grazing on seaweed underwater. After lunch we head to Isabela, the largest island in the archipelago. On the way to Tagus Cove we will sail through the Bolivar Channel, where dolphins and whales are frequently seen. Tagus Cove's quiet waters make for an ideal panga ride and you can see blue-footed boobies, brown noddies, pelicans and the penguins who have made the cove's sheltered cliffs their home. | | Day 4 | Punta Vicente Roca | An easy wet landing leads us onto a gently sloping beach at Urbina Bay, where three mils of marine reef have been lifted out of the water by volcanic movement. Now you can walk amongst the dried coral heads, molluscs and other organisms that once formed the ocean floor. A highlight of this excursion is the sight of giant land iguanas with their vivid and gaudy yellow skin. After lunch, we head to Punta Vicente Roca, a popular anchorage spot from which you can take panga rides along the caves to see a partially sunken cave. There is also an abundance of marine life here, making this one of the most sought after dive spots in the archipelago. | | Day 5 | Black Turtle Cove | Bartolome Island is famous for Pinnacle Rock, a towering spearheaded obelisk that rises from the ocean's edge and is the best known landmark in the Galapagos. Galapagos penguins walk precariously along narrow volcanic ledges at its base, sea lions snooze on rocky platforms, ready to play with passing snorkelers and just below the surface, shoals of tropical fish dodge in and out of the rocks. Sea turtles use the beach to the east of the Pinnacle as a nesting site and can sometimes be found wading in the shallow water or resting in the sand. In the afternoon we sail to the north shore of Santa Cruz for a panga ride through the mangroves. Here you are likely to see spotted eagle rays, diamond-shaped mustard rays and reef sharks as they slip beneath the boat. Pelicans, herons and egret all feed in this peaceful cove. | | Day 6 | Puerto Ayora | Santa Cruz is the second largest island in the Galapagos and something of a hub for the archipelago. This morning we head to the Santa Cruz Highlands, where the sparse, dry coastal vegetation transitions to lush wet fields and forests overgrown with moss and lichens. Our destination is the Tortoise Reserve, where we will have chances to track and view these friendly ancient creatures in their natural setting. Puerto Ayora is home to the Charles Darwin Research Station, the center of the great restorative efforts taking place in the National Park. Here we go ashore to visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding and Rearing Program run by the research station, which began by rescuing the remaining 16 tortoises on the island of Espanola in the 1970s. This program has restored the population of animals there to over 1,000 today. | | Day 7 | Gardner Bay | This morning we land at Punta Suarez. The quantity and variety of wildlife here is remarkable. Sea lions surf the waves beyond the breakwater landing, and tiny pups are known to greet your toes upon arrival. A few steps inland is the largest variety of marine iguana in the Galapagos. Our trail takes us beside the western edge of the island and then descends to a rocky beach before rising to an open area and a large gathering of nesting blue-foot boobies. Galapagos doves, cactus finch and mocking birds forage by, unconcerned by human presence. Further east along the cliffs is the "Albatross Airport" where "Waved albatross" line up to launch their great winged bodies from the cliffs, soaring out over the dramatic shoreline. Our second landing of the day is at Gardner Bay, a magnificent long white sandy beach, where colonies of sea lions laze in the sun. Offshore, the snorkeling offers encounters with playful young sea lions and large schools of surprisingly big tropical fish. Sleepy reef sharks can be seen napping on the bottom. | | Day 8 | Galapagos National Park Visitor Centre | Today our voyage comes to an end. But before we bid farewell to the Alta, we visit the Interpretation Center. In 1998 the Galapagos National Park Visitor Center opened for the benefit of islanders and travelers alike, presenting a comprehensive exhibit of the Islands' natural history, human interaction, ecosystems, flora and fauna. Our guide will use the exhibits to provide an illustrated overview of the natural history of the islands. From the Center, a short trail arrives at Frigate Bird Hill, where both "magnificent-frigates" and "great-frigates" can be seen in the same colony. Following this visit we return to Puerto Baquerizo, where you'll have time for some last minute shopping. Then it's off to the airport to catch flights back to mainland Ecuador (flights not included). |
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