Integrity Yacht

AM: Visit the highlands of Santa Cruz for a special opportunity to view the islands’ most famous reptiles: the giant tortoises in their wild habitat. What a privilege to see an endangered species roving in this lush environment! The vegetation of the area includes the Scalesia Forest (an endemic giant daisy tree) and birds such as Darwin’s finches (most of them from the tree-finch group), particularly the famous Woodpecker Finch. If you’re lucky, you may spot a rare vermilion flycatcher that will delight with its scarlet feathers against an emerald green forest.

PM: You will visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and Galápagos National Park headquarters to learn first-hand about the conservation and research efforts in the islands. There, you’ll see several subspecies of adult tortoises, lots of hatchlings, and learn of the repatriation programs that are saving several subspecies of tortoises and iguanas from extinction. Later In the afternoon, you will board our yacht, Integrity, for dinner and set sail on our Island cruise. You will live aboard the yacht and spend as much time exploring the islands as park rules permit. Each night, you’ll travel on to the next destination.

AM: You’ll stroll along a magnificent white sand beach where sea lions lounge, marine turtles nest, and the curious Española mockingbirds follow your every footstep. You can take a brief swim on the beach or wait for an amazing snorkel in the company of schools of colorful fish, turtles, sea lions, and possibly small sharks along the underwater cliffs of Gardener- by-Española, a small satellite islet.

PM: This is one of the Galapagos’ most famed visitor sites. You’ll be dazzled by spectacular cliff views of pounding surf and seemingly unlimited populations of an amazing variety of seabirds. Brightly colored marine iguanas and the largest lava lizards of Galapagos frequent the coastline and rest on the trail. From the clifftop, you’ll watch a blowhole spray water 30 meters in the air. Española is the only island where you’ll see waved albatrosses and possibly observe their fascinating mating dance.

AM: Disembarking onto the small beach, visitors are confronted by the strong stench and cacophony of barking sea lions. A steep gully leads up the cliff to a breeding ground for Boobies of all three varieties: Red-footed, Blue-footed, and Nazca. It’s the only place in the Galapagos where you can see all three species of boobies nesting together. Two species of frigatebirds are also present, as are Swallow-tailed Gulls and Storm Petrels. The trail across the Punta Pitt site offers a closer look at the hardy vegetation that manages to thrive in this volcanic wasteland. From Saltbush and spiny shrubs next to the beach the trail leads up to an area of Palo Santo trees, big yellow-green shrubs, tiny cacti, and, in the dry season, carpets of red Vesuvius.

PM: A short panga ride along the cliffs of Cerro Brujo will be followed by a visit to the lovely coral sand beach, frequented by waders and migrant birds. Guests will enjoy a leisurely sunset cruise as Integrity navigates to the following day’s activities.

AM: After landing on a white beach usually covered with sea lions, you’ll walk into a giant Opuntia cactus grove where you’ll have the opportunity to see the endemic land iguanas. The land visit will be followed by snorkeling and/or kayaking in the turquoise waters of the bay, full of sea lions, rays, urchins, eels, and fish of all colors.

PM: We will see another species of Galapagos land iguana as well as cactus finches. Both North and South Plazas were formed by geological uplift and tilt to the north, with cliffs on their southern coasts. On small islands like this, terrestrial and marine

species interact more than on the larger islands, and the occasional hybrid iguana (land and marine) with its “zebra-like” stripes can often be observed. The south-facing cliffs swarm with a myriad of bird species. Bachelor sea lions climb cliffs in the late afternoon to spend nights away from the larger dominant bulls.

AM: At the north side of Darwin Bay, this beach was formed by the rim of a sunken crater. Red mangroves along the hiking trail provide habitat for Yellow Warblers, Yellow-crowned night herons, and pintail ducks. The highlight of this site is the incredible abundance of Red-footed Boobies, Great Frigatebirds, Swallow-tailed Gulls, and Yellow-crowned night Herons. Although the most abundant booby in the islands, this is one of the few places visitors can observe Red-footed Boobies.

PM: While riding in a panga along the base of the eastern cliffs of Darwin Bay, you’ll scour the cliff crevices for all kinds of animal life. You’ll come to a rockfall that forms a natural staircase up the cliffs, known as Prince Phillip’s Steps or the “Stairway to Seabird Heaven.” You’ll walk through massive colonies of Red-footed and Nazca Boobies and an extraordinary Palo Santo forest on the way to a lava ridge where thousands of Wedge-rumped Storm Petrels dart about while Short-eared Owls stalk them for prey.

AM: You’ll walk across a recent lava flow and view its beautiful structural characteristics. Formed in the second half of the 19th Century, the flow is too young for many plants or animal life. It is the lava itself and the contrasting black pahoehoe flow and the reddish-yellow tuff cones that are the stars of this visit. The colors and shapes of the lava are fantastic for photos.

PM: Arguably the most recognized landmark in Galapagos, Pinnacle Rock juts straight out of Bartolomé’s northern bay. Snorkeling in the bay provides visitors with a chance to swim with Galapagos Penguins. Climbing up the 600-m trail to the top of the island provides spectacular views of Pinnacle Rock, Santiago Island, and Daphne Major and Minor.

AM: You’ll land at Red Beach where wading birds and ghost crabs dot the sand. Behind the beach is a saltwater lagoon where Pintail ducks and Common Stilts are frequently seen along with a group of bachelor sea lions. Brown pelicans nest in the nearby salt brush. A short trail inland provides a chance to observe finches, Galapagos Doves, Yellow Warblers, and mockingbirds, as well as the occasional snake.

PM: The turquoise waters near Sombrero Chino provide one of our best opportunities to see Galapagos Penguins. A panga ride in search of wildlife is followed by a snorkel that often includes sharks, sea lions, penguins, and rays. We will land at a beautiful white sand beach for a short walk along a trail that meanders over varying types of lava.

AM: We’ll have breakfast on board Integrity, then disembark at Baltra Island.

AM: Visit the highlands of Santa Cruz Island for a special opportunity to view the islands’ most famous reptiles: the giant tortoises in their wild habitat. What a privilege to see an endangered species roving in this lush environment! The vegetation of the area includes the Scalesia Forest (an endemic giant daisy tree) and birds such as the vermilion flycatcher will delight everyone with their scarlet feathers against an emerald green forest. Look for Darwin’s finches (most of them from the tree-finch group), particularly the famous Woodpecker Finch.

PM: You will visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and Galápagos National Park headquarters to learn firsthand about the conservation and research efforts in the islands. There, you’ll see several subspecies of adult tortoises, lots of hatchlings, and learn of the repatriation programs that are saving several subspecies of tortoises and iguanas from extinction. Later in the afternoon, you will board our yacht, Integrity, for dinner and set sail on our Island cruise. You will live aboard the yacht and spend as much time exploring the islands as park rules permit. Each night, you’ll travel on to the next destination.

AM: You’ll land on a green, olivine sand beach next to a large lagoon usually adorned with feeding flamingos and other water birds. A short hike through one of the more varied plant communities leads to Flour Beach where sea turtles nest and small rays frolic in the surf. Then you’ll try our snorkeling at Champion Island with curious, playful sea lions and hope to catch a glimpse of the rare Floreana Mockingbird.

PM: First you’ll stop at the wooden barrel that has served as a mariner’s “post office” since the 18th Century where you have the opportunity to continue the “postmaster” tradition. Then you head into the Floreana Highlands to visit a collection of tortoises and learn about the island’s intriguing human history at Wittmer Caves and one of Galapagos’ only freshwater springs. Your day ends with a walk on Black Beach and a barbecue onboard INTEGRITY.

AM: You walk onto this young lava flow at the base of Cero Azul, past cacti, and other early colonizing plants. This flow is dotted with numerous “oases” of brackish lagoons containing a wide variety of life, including flamingos, Paint-billed Crakes, White-cheeked Pintails, and Common Gallinules.

PM: You silently float in our skiffs through the narrow channels of this mangrove lagoon to see rays, Flightless Cormorants, penguins, pelicans, lava herons, sea turtles, sea lions, Blue-footed Boobies, many fish, and other species that inhabit this vital zone.

AM: This site is very unique. In 1954, volcanic activity caused a 6 km stretch of coastline to be uplifted 5 m in a matter of hours, stranding coral heads, and all sea life that couldn’t escape, more than a km away from the new shore. You walk among the skeletal coral garden, now home to lizards and mockingbirds. Urbina Bay is also home to large, colorful land iguanas. During certain times of the year, you may encounter Alcedo tortoises that come down from the highlands to nest in the warm sands of Urbina Bay.

PM: This peninsula is on the most pristine and youngest island of the Galapagos. Fernandina is highly volcanically active with eruptions occurring frequently, the latest in 2008. Upon landing, you are met by an abundance of small, dark marine iguanas and brightly colored Sally Lightfoot Crabs. You walk out on a pahoehoe lava flow—younger than the one at Punta Moreno - past a few pioneering plants. Along the sandy shore, you can see Flightless Cormorants, pelicans, and numerous, lounging sea lions. Sunsets are often stunning.

AM: Pirates and whalers in the 19th Century using Tagus Cove for anchorage left their marks on the cliffs of this sunken caldera, a tradition of graffiti that continues to today. A short, steep hike passes Darwin Lake, which sits within a tuff cone and is filled with saltwater. This site is an excellent place for viewing land birds, including Ground and Tree Finches, Galapagos Hawks, Yellow Warblers, Large-billed Flycatchers, and even sometimes the Woodpecker Finch. A rare sighting of land iguanas is a treat. A dinghy ride or kayak along the cliffs provides views of geologic features, as well as penguins and other bird species.

PM: The large cave and cleaved tuft cone and caldera wall are impressive geological formations and provide a beautiful backdrop for nesting birds, including Blue-footed and Nazca Boobies, gulls,

Storm Petrels, and Brown Noddy Terns. It also forms a calm gathering area for sea turtles. Along with sea turtles, snorkelers can see many species of colorful fish, penguins, sea lions, sea anemones, small jellyfish, and other sea life.

AM: There are two separate trails here. The first meanders along the coast to the fur seal grottoes, a haven for the shy Galapagos Fur Seal amongst the crags and swimming inlets, and home to American Oystercatchers, marine iguanas, and ubiquitous sea lions. The second, less-used trail heads inland to a lagoon at the Salt Mine Volcano where flamingos and other birds are found.

PM: Espumilla is a red-sand beach and a sea turtle nesting site, with an inland trail that passes a small lagoon and into the arid zone where it is possible to view many land birds in a beautiful landscape, including Galapagos Hawks. While snorkeling or kayaking at Buccaneer Cove, you may see sea lions, fur seals, sea turtles, rays, sharks, pelagic fishes, and amazing underwater geologic formations.

AM: North Seymour is the flattest Island you’ll visit. The trail at North Seymour heads inland where you will see the largest colony of Magnificent Frigatebirds in Galapagos, Blue-footed Boobies, and occasionally bush-climbing land iguanas. You then head along the coast where you will have ample opportunity to observe sea lions and marine iguanas. Snorkelers will enjoy their last underwater experience in the channel between North Seymour and Mosquera, which can be one of the most interesting sites.

PM: Enjoy a quiet and peaceful morning at Bachas’ fine, white sand beach. Two small lagoons just over the dunes sometimes host flamingos. “Bachas” comes from the remains of a barge which ran aground decades ago, leaving just a few rusty spines visible today. Caleta Tortuga Negra is a silent skiff ride into a mangrove lagoon to see sea turtles feed and mate in the calm waters. You’ll also see sharks, rays, egrets, and Lava Herons. Caleta Tortuga Negra is a shark nursery and you may see very small sharks in the shallows. Afterward, enjoy the final sunset aboard Integrity.

AM: You’ll have breakfast on board Integrity, then disembark at Baltra Island.