SUNDAY I
Upon arrival in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (SCY) SAN CRISTOBAL Island, our guides will be waiting for you to escort you to the right vessel. After a short bus ride and Zodiac transfer to the yacht anchored in the bay, you’ll get your cabin assignment and be treated to a delicious buffet lunch. You will be required to participate in a brief safety drill and pick your snorkel equipment. As the yacht sets sail, choose from a selection of guide books or fiction in the library, or climb to the top deck for a circumnavigation around “Kicker Rock” (Leon Dormido = Sleeping Lion), an ancient volcanic rock, which was shaped by the erosion throughout thousands of years, that sticks out of the open ocean. Join your guide on deck for an exploration of the Southern skies full of stars if weather permits. If you are in the Letty, you will begin your vacation with a delicious buffet lunch before traveling to Cerro Colorado to visit Centro de Crianza Jacinto Gordillo (La Galapaguera-2). Here, you’ll learn about the breeding program for giant tortoises that the national park has established to ensure that these animals continue to thrive despite the endangered status of some species. At the visitor center, you’ll have a chance to learn about the evolution of tortoises and the threats they face, from invasive species to habitat loss. Along the trail, your first exposure to Galapagos wildlife may include the San Cristobal mockingbird and Calandrinia plant, both endemic to this island. Back on either yacht, after a briefing, the captain and crew will welcome you with a cocktail reception and a briefing of the next day’s activities. With the small number of passengers on your yacht, you’ll have an opportunity to dine with the captain later in the week. But for tonight, enjoy meeting your fellow passengers as our kitchen staff treats you to a multi-course dinner complete with complimentary wine.