Itinerary 5 Days B

On departure from Quito Airport, a US$20 per-person transit card and a US$100 national park entry fee are payable. These transactions can be complicated and time-consuming so please have cash available.

A National Park Guide will meet you at the airport's arrival hall and transfer you to the catamaran "M.Y." Grand Queen Beatriz. Lunch will be served aboard the boat

Charles Darwin Station

Today you'll visit Santa Cruz, which is the second-largest island in the Galapagos. Puerto Ayora, the small town at the archipelago's economic center, is home to the Charles Darwin Research Station. The station is responsible for vital conservation work and provides the best opportunity for close encounters to giant tortoises. Baby tortoises as well as land iguanas will be on display.

North Seymour Island

Today's morning excursion will take you to North Seymour. North Seymour's trail traverses the inland and through the island before reaching the coast. The trail takes you through colonies of blue-footed boobies as well as frigate birds. The majestic frigate bird is a large, black bird that has a wide wingspan and a hooked beak. It has great vision and excellent speed. The large, red pouch at the neck of Frigate birds is a hallmark. The red pouch is a sign of male dominance.

The relationship between frigates and boobies is interesting. Blue-footed blueboobies and frigate birds share the same nesting area at North Seymour. They nest on the ground, using the twigs from the palo Santas trees to make their nests, while the frigate bird nests in the saltbushes just above them.

Mosquera Islet

You will be visiting the small, sandy island of Mosquera after lunch. It's a peaceful, picturesque place. Sally lightfoot crabs, also known as red lava crabs, can be seen hopping around the rocks and in the tide pools, skipping over small bodies of water to find food. The brightly colored shells and blue undershells of these crabs contrast beautifully with the black lava.