Monserrat Galapagos Cruises

Transfer to the boat to meet the guide and get on board. In the afternoon, visit the highlands of Santa Cruz and see the Galápagos giant tortoise in its natural surroundings. Explore the area and its incredible underground lava tunnels—some are more than 0.6 miles (1km) long! Wander along the volcanic tubes and keep an eye out for the (mainly) nocturnal barn owls that sometimes roost here.

This morning, the boat arrives at a small uniquely shaped island off the southern tip of Santiago called Chinese Hat. Here it is often possible to see Galápagos penguins, and the marine life is fantastic for snorkeling. Snorkel right from the white-coral sand beach and come face to face with playful sea lions and large schools of tropical fish. Keep an eye out for marine iguanas and penguins too! There is also a large sea lion colony as well as many marine iguanas that can be seen while walking amongst the volcanic scenery. Explore Chinese Hat’s beautiful landscape and spectacular white-coral sand beach followed by snorkeling with sea lions and penguins and swimming opportunities in the cove. Trek to see good views of the island’s volcano.

This afternoon, walk through Sullivan Bay for an extraordinary journey into the volcanic origins of the Archipelago. The hike will take you across a perfectly preserved Pahoehoe lava flow, providing the opportunity to observe the delicate textures of this rare type of lava. While it may appear to be a barren and lifeless landscape, a closer look reveals resilient pioneer plants, scurrying lava lizards and small birds. Along the shore, penguins, pelicans and oystercatchers add a touch of life to the stark environment. After the excursion, you have snorkeling time from the beach with sea turtles, sea lions, reef sharks and Galapagos rays.

Visit North Seymour for guided walks to observe birds and wildlife, including vast sea lion colonies. This island is teeming with life! Follow trails to see all the action (you may need to give way to a passing sea lion or marine iguana while walking). See blue-footed booby nests where mating pairs perform their courtship dance. Head to a rocky shore to see flocks of pelicans having lunch in a dive bomb feeding frenzy, then turn inland to a large nesting site of magnificent frigatebirds.

The trail will walk you through a forest of low, bushy vegetation, where you’ll have the opportunity to witness the fascinating courtship dance of the blue-footed boobies. The island’s coastline also lets you observe sea lions and marine iguanas basking in the sun. The large frigate bird colonies are a sight, especially when the males expand their bright red throat pouches to attract mates.This is an ideal spot for birdwatching and photography.

Start the afternoon with a snorkel at North Seymour. Whitetip reef sharks, colorful fish, rays, sea lions and sea turtles inhabit the waters of North Seymour, making it one of the best snorkeling sites in Galapagos.

Next, take a guided walk around Santa Fe. This Island is known for its picturesque bay and turquoise waters, perfect for swimming and snorkeling. The island hosts a large amount of land iguanas unique to Santa Fe. Watching for these magnificent creatures as you walk through the giant prickly pear cactus forest will make a unique experience. The island’s calm and clear waters are ideal for spotting the marine life, including sea turtles, rays and colorful schools of fish. Santa Fe also offers a chance to see the Galapagos hawk and various endemic finches.

Morning landing at Punta Pitt on San Cristóbal Island. Enjoy amazing wildlife watching and interesting geological formations on this fascinating expedition. Arrive at a quiet cove on the eastern tip of San Cristóbal to explore Punta Pitt. Made up of volcanic tuff substrate, it’s the only site in the Galápagos where it’s possible to see three species of boobies and two species of frigatebirds. Snorkel around Punta Pitt Island and spot schools of fish swimming below. On the shore, admire the nesting birds and sun bathing sea lions.

In the afternoon, land at Cerro Brujo, a breathtaking white-sand beach on San Cristobal Island’s northern coast. This beach was one of the first sites visited by Charles Darwin. It’s an attractive spot for walking and enjoying the landscape, with its powdery white sand and turquoise waters. The area is home to a large sea lion colony, and the nearby lagoon often hosts several bird species, including pelicans and blue-footed boobies. The clear waters also make it an ideal spot for snorkeling, where you can encounter rich marine life.

In the morning, visit Tijeretas, a great viewpoint and spot for wildlife encounters. Tijeretas Hill bears its name thanks to the frigatebirds as “Tijeretas” is how people locally call them. Here we will enjoy from a great view of beautiful landscapes at the foot of a frigatebird nesting colony. In the afternoon, disembark and be transferred to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno airport for your flight back to the Ecuador mainland.

Fly to Baltra Island, be met by your guide and transferred to the ship. Then sail to Dragon Hill on the west coast of Santa Cruz. Dragon Hill is a great introduction to the Galapagos Islands. Here you can relax, swim and snorkel on its crystalline waters.

For some prime birdwatching, take a short walk from the beach to a hypersalinic (saltier than the ocean) lagoon frequented by pink flamingos, common stilts, pintail ducks and other species of birds. Pass through a Scalesia tree forest; endemic to the area, there are only 400 specimens of Scalesia trees left in the world.

After an exciting land excursion, you snorkel off the beach along the rocky shoreline. This is a great snorkeling site where you can swim with green turtles, sharks and rays.

Santiago Island has seen its share of human activity from whalers and pirates over the years, and despite the introduction of goats to the island many years ago, the wildlife of Santiago has otherwise flourished and provides outstanding viewing opportunities. The island boasts marine iguanas, sea lions, fur seals, and land and sea turtles, among others. Enjoy great wildlife viewing both on land and in the water.

Morning excursion to Buccaneer Cove to witness the towering cliff wall rock formations during a panga excursion. Buccaneer Cove was a favorite hideout for pirates looking to stock up their boats with food and water. Spot sea lions relaxing on the beach and seabirds nesting in the cove—there’s lots to see at this site. After the panga ride, you can jump in the water and snorkel along playful sea lions and fur seals.

Continue to Puerto Egas to see the salt crater as well as a dark-sand beach and tidal pools. Explore the spectacular shoreline of Puerto Egas, also known as James Bay. Grab a snorkel and jump into the water right off the beach to explore Puerto Egas’ interesting underwater world. Keep your eyes peeled for rays, turtles and reef sharks. After, visit the large tidal pool area—marine iguanas and Sally Lightfoot crabs are everywhere.

Today, visit Vicente Roca Point on Isabela Island, famous for its rich underwater sea life thanks to its location on the Bolivar Channel. Vicente Roca Point has great deep-water snorkeling. Vicente Roca Point is renowned for its Galápagos green turtles, which are very numerous on the bay. Although the spot is known for its high concentration of green turtles, sharks and rays can also be observed when underwater visibility is good. Take a dinghy ride along the coast to observe a great diversity of sea and coastal birds; Nazca and blue-footed boobies, noddies, brown pelicans, penguins and flightless cormorants. The upwelling of cold-water currents in this part of the Galapagos gives rise to an abundance of marine life. Snorkel along the cliffs for the chance to explore two shallow underwater caves with rich marine wildlife.

In the afternoon, visit the most western visitor site of the Galapagos, Espinoza Point in Fernandina Island. This island is also one the most pristine on the archipelago as no foreign species have been introduced. From here you can see the island of Isabela across the Bolívar Channel, an area that boasts some of the highest diversity of endemic sea fauna in the Galapagos. Fernandina is the youngest of the Galapagos Islands and a visitor favorite. When landing, check out the tidal pools where there is abundance of sea life, including small fish and mollusks. If you are lucky, a sea turtle or ray may appear in the pools. A little further ahead you will pass through some marine iguana burrows and sea lion colonies. The trail continues to where several flightless cormorants have their nests. This remarkable bird is only found in western Galapagos, and experts estimate that there may only be a few hundred individuals in total. After the exciting hike, you experience one of the best snorkeling sites on the archipelago. Marine iguanas, Galapagos penguins and sea turtles are some of the species inhabiting this site.

After a long journey from the central part of the Galapagos, you will arrive to the pristine and remote West of the archipelago. Your visits today are Urbina Bay and Tagus Cove on the west of Isabela Island, where you will have your first encounters with flightless cormorants, penguins, giant tortoises, as well as beautiful landscapes and amazing snorkeling opportunities.

Urbina Bay is a fascinating visitor site that came to be as the shallow sea bottom uplifted in 1954, showing a large coral reef sticking up above sea level. Because of this, Urbina Bay is one of the newest features in the Galapagos. This visitor site is located on the western shore of Isabela and provides spectacular views of the Alcedo volcano. The long trail starts on the beach where a wet landing is made. In this location, you will likely see wild Galapagos giant tortoises and Galapagos land iguanas. As the trail circles back towards the shoreline you’ll come across colonies of the unique Galapagos flightless cormorant which lost its ability to fly. This is also a great spot for snorkeling, as you can come close to a Galapagos penguin colony and see Galapagos marine iguanas feeding underwater.

Tagus Cove is located on the Northwestern coast of Isabela. It is a historical site visited by Charles Darwin in 1835, where graffiti has been carved into the rock walls by visitors over the past centuries. This spot has been frequented by whalers and pirates since the 1800s that used the area as anchorage. The name of the site dates back to 1814 when it was visited by a British ship, The Tagus, which had anchored there in search of giant tortoises to be used as food supply on the boat.

Here, admire a variety of seabirds, such as blue-footed booby, brown noddy, terns, flightless cormorant and Galapagos penguins depending on the season. Occasionally you might see woodpecker finches, the Galapagos hawk, the yellow warbler or a large-billed flycatcher. After a dry landing, climb up the trail to visit Darwin ‘s Lake. The lake is located on the slopes of Darwin Volcano and is, surprisingly, a saltwater lake above sea level. Your naturalist guide will tell you the different scientific theories for this occurrence. Meanwhile, while snorkeling there are chances to see sharks, turtles and sea stars. You may also see various different types of colorful fish.

Take a morning panga ride and look for marine life in Black Turtle Cove. Explore the mangroves by panga to find rich marine wildlife between the fresh and salt waters. Keep any eye out for manta rays and sea turtles in this tranquil ecosystem. White-tip reef sharks can also be seen gliding by. In the afternoon, disembark at Baltra for your flight back to the Ecuador mainland.

Transfer to the boat to meet the guide and get on board. In the afternoon, visit the highlands of Santa Cruz and see the Galápagos giant tortoise in its natural surroundings. Explore the area and its incredible underground lava tunnels—some are more than 0.6 miles (1km) long! Wander along the volcanic tubes and keep an eye out for the (mainly) nocturnal barn owls that sometimes roost here.

This morning, the boat arrives at a small uniquely shaped island off the southern tip of Santiago called Chinese Hat. Here it is often possible to see Galápagos penguins, and the marine life is fantastic for snorkeling. Snorkel right from the white-coral sand beach and come face to face with playful sea lions and large schools of tropical fish. Keep an eye out for marine iguanas and penguins too! There is also a large sea lion colony as well as many marine iguanas that can be seen while walking amongst the volcanic scenery. Explore Chinese Hat’s beautiful landscape and spectacular white-coral sand beach followed by snorkeling with sea lions and penguins and swimming opportunities in the cove. Trek to see good views of the island’s volcano.

This afternoon, walk through Sullivan Bay for an extraordinary journey into the volcanic origins of the Archipelago. The hike will take you across a perfectly preserved Pahoehoe lava flow, providing the opportunity to observe the delicate textures of this rare type of lava. While it may appear to be a barren and lifeless landscape, a closer look reveals resilient pioneer plants, scurrying lava lizards and small birds. Along the shore, penguins, pelicans and oystercatchers add a touch of life to the stark environment. After the excursion, you have snorkeling time from the beach with sea turtles, sea lions, reef sharks and Galapagos rays.

Visit North Seymour for guided walks to observe birds and wildlife, including vast sea lion colonies. This island is teeming with life! Follow trails to see all the action (you may need to give way to a passing sea lion or marine iguana while walking). See blue-footed booby nests where mating pairs perform their courtship dance. Head to a rocky shore to see flocks of pelicans having lunch in a dive bomb feeding frenzy, then turn inland to a large nesting site of magnificent frigatebirds.

The trail will walk you through a forest of low, bushy vegetation, where you’ll have the opportunity to witness the fascinating courtship dance of the blue-footed boobies. The island’s coastline also lets you observe sea lions and marine iguanas basking in the sun. The large frigate bird colonies are a sight, especially when the males expand their bright red throat pouches to attract mates.This is an ideal spot for birdwatching and photography.

Start the afternoon with a snorkel at North Seymour. Whitetip reef sharks, colorful fish, rays, sea lions and sea turtles inhabit the waters of North Seymour, making it one of the best snorkeling sites in Galapagos.

Next, take a guided walk around Santa Fe. This Island is known for its picturesque bay and turquoise waters, perfect for swimming and snorkeling. The island hosts a large amount of land iguanas unique to Santa Fe. Watching for these magnificent creatures as you walk through the giant prickly pear cactus forest will make a unique experience. The island’s calm and clear waters are ideal for spotting the marine life, including sea turtles, rays and colorful schools of fish. Santa Fe also offers a chance to see the Galapagos hawk and various endemic finches.

Morning landing at Punta Pitt on San Cristóbal Island. Enjoy amazing wildlife watching and interesting geological formations on this fascinating expedition. Arrive at a quiet cove on the eastern tip of San Cristóbal to explore Punta Pitt. Made up of volcanic tuff substrate, it’s the only site in the Galápagos where it’s possible to see three species of boobies and two species of frigatebirds. Snorkel around Punta Pitt Island and spot schools of fish swimming below. On the shore, admire the nesting birds and sun bathing sea lions.

In the afternoon, land at Cerro Brujo, a breathtaking white-sand beach on San Cristobal Island’s northern coast. This beach was one of the first sites visited by Charles Darwin. It’s an attractive spot for walking and enjoying the landscape, with its powdery white sand and turquoise waters. The area is home to a large sea lion colony, and the nearby lagoon often hosts several bird species, including pelicans and blue-footed boobies. The clear waters also make it an ideal spot for snorkeling, where you can encounter rich marine life.

In the morning, visit Tijeretas, a great viewpoint and spot for wildlife encounters. Tijeretas Hill bears its name thanks to the frigatebirds as “Tijeretas” is how people locally call them. Here we will enjoy from a great view of beautiful landscapes at the foot of a frigatebird nesting colony.

In the afternoon, explore tiny Lobos Island by foot and boat for some great wildlife encounters. Take a panga ride to view the sea and shore birds nesting and feeding. You will be able to spot a small colony of blue-footed boobies as well as two species of sea lions. After the excursion, you have time to discover the marvelous marine wildlife inhabiting this site, including sea turtles and playful sea lions, while snorkeling.

Enjoy the day on Española Island, one of the oldest in the archipelago. Visit Gardner Bay’s magnificent white sandy beach, home to sea lions and seabirds. Be sure to explore the beautiful turquoise water and its incredible sea life. Spot young sea lions and large schools of surprisingly big tropical fish, including yellow-tailed surgeonfish, king angelfish and bump-head parrot fish. Look for white-tipped reef sharks napping on the bottom.

After lunch, sail to the western side of the islands to Punta Suárez, known for its amazing bird colonies and home to the waved albatross (April and December). Punta Suárez is one of most rich wildlife landing sites in the Galápagos. Be greeted by surfing young sea lions on arrival. Head to the trail to find many species of nesting seabirds and, if lucky, see the waved albatross. Follow the path up to a cliff for great views over the ocean and watch seabirds gliding in the wind.

Land at Punta Cormorant, the only landing site on Floreana Island, and discover two amazingly different beaches: one with green sand, colored by olivine crystals, and another with white sand particles known as Flour Beach. Spend the afternoon observing flamingos and other shore birds feeding in the lagoon. Spot penguins and marine iguanas at the water’s edge, and explore the lava tubes with your naturalist guide.

At Champion Islet, jump on in and get up close and personal with the playful sea lion colony that reside in the waters off this tiny island. Keep an eye out for sea turtles, rays and colorful fish swimming by. There can be currents in this area, this activity should be done by strong swimmers only.

Lastly, visit Post Office Bay and learn about its unique history. In the late 18th century, English whaling vessels placed a barrel here to be used as a post office. Today, the box is used mainly by tourists, who may drop off and pick up unstamped letters to be carried to far destinations. Continue the tradition—leave a letter and take one to deliver (be sure it makes it to the correct location).

Disembark in Puerto Ayora and visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to see the giant Galápagos tortoises. Visit Fausto Llerena Breeding Center, a great place to observe many species of tortoises and land iguanas in captivity. Brought back from the brink of extinction, see the famous Galápagos tortoise up close—a corral houses adult tortoises and a nursery cares for the young until around age three when their shells have hardened.

This area also houses the Charles Darwin Research Station, a scientific organization initiated in 1964, which works to preserve the Galápagos’ ecosystem through the conservation efforts of scientists, researchers and volunteers. While the offices themselves are not open to visitors, the research station provides a study location for international scientists and environmental education for the local community. In the afternoon, fly back to the Ecuador mainland from the Baltra airport.

Transfer to the boat to meet the guide and get on board. In the afternoon, visit the highlands of Santa Cruz and see the Galápagos giant tortoise in its natural surroundings. Explore the area and its incredible underground lava tunnels—some are more than 0.6 miles (1km) long! Wander along the volcanic tubes and keep an eye out for the (mainly) nocturnal barn owls that sometimes roost here.

Today you will be visiting the beautiful and remote Genovesa Island. This northern island, famous for its red-footed colony, is a paradise for bird lovers. It is estimated that about 200,000 red-footed boobies live on this island.

El Barranco, otherwise known as Prince Phillips’s Steps, was named after a visit by the British Monarch in 1964. El Barranco’s steep 81-foot stairway leads up to a high cliff-face that opens out onto the plateau surrounding Darwin Bay. Here an amazing view can be appreciated. Once at the top of the stairway, you will meet Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, mockingbirds and finches along the way of a palo santo trail. It will also be possible to see wedge-rumped storm petrels swarm and short-eared owls.

Darwin bay was formed by the collapse of the flooded caldera of Tower Island, another name used for Genovesa. After landing at a small sand and coral beach, it is easy to realize why this island is a bird lover’s paradise. Among the bird species found here, the most common are swallow-tailed and lava gulls, mockingbirds, yellow-crowned night herons, lava herons, Galapagos doves and yellow warblers. Continue on a short and flat trail to encounter red-footed booby and great frigatebird nests. Visit a tidal lagoon where sea lions swim playfully, ending your path on a cliff with magnificent views of this remote part of the Galapagos.

This morning you will have an excursion to Bartolomé for a guided tour to see the dramatic volcanic features before hiking to a panoramic viewpoint. Hike to Bartolomé’s summit for a stronger perspective of the islands’ not-too-distant volcanic origins and enjoy a panoramic view—it’s one of the best among the islands! See other Galápagos Islands in the distance as well as Pinnacle Rock. Take the opportunity to swim and snorkel around Pinnacle Rock, one of the most iconic volcanic rock formations on the islands. Home to Galápagos penguins, friendly sea lions, sea turtles and a huge variety of fish, Bartolomé and its surrounding waters are a fantastic place to explore the natural wonders of the Galápagos.

In the afternoon, you will visit one of the last off-the-beaten-path sites in the Galapagos Islands. Only a couple of cruises visit Bowditch Point. This pristine site offers you a great snorkeling session with giant schools of black-striped salema, parrotfish and Mexican hogfish, or you can enjoy kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding if you prefer. Afterwards, spend time on the beach relaxing or walking around it.

This morning, sail to Bachas Beach, where the sand is made of decomposed coral, making it soft and white. Here you can relax and swim in its crystalline waters. This site also gives visitors the opportunity to see frigatebirds, blue-footed boobies and sea lions. Spot abundant Sally Lightfoot crabs on the lava rocks along the water’s edge—these crabs will eat anything they can get their claws on! Trek to see a wide range of wildlife, including flamingos, hermit crabs, black-necked stilts and sea lions. Then go snorkeling or swimming right off the white-sand beach. Spot all sorts of marine wildlife in the shallow waters and tidal pools. Bachas is also one of the most important beaches for the green turtle as a nesting site.

Then sail to Dragon Hill on the west coast of Santa Cruz. Here you can relax, swim and snorkel on its crystalline waters. For some prime birdwatching, take a short walk from the beach to a hypersalinic (saltier than the ocean) lagoon frequented by pink flamingos, common stilts, pintail ducks and other species of birds. Pass through a Scalesia tree forest; endemic to the area, there are only 400 specimens of Scalesia trees left in the world. After an exciting land excursion, you snorkel off the beach along the rocky shoreline. This is a great snorkeling site where you can swim with green turtles, sharks and rays.

Santiago Island has seen its share of human activity from whalers and pirates over the years, and despite the introduction of goats to the island many years ago, the wildlife of Santiago has otherwise flourished and provides outstanding viewing opportunities. The island boasts marine iguanas, sea lions, fur seals, and land and sea turtles, among others. Enjoy great wildlife viewing both on land and in the water.

Morning excursion to Buccaneer Cove to witness the towering cliff wall rock formations during a panga excursion. Buccaneer Cove was a favorite hideout for pirates looking to stock up their boats with food and water. Spot sea lions relaxing on the beach and seabirds nesting in the cove—there’s lots to see at this site. After the panga ride, you can jump in the water and snorkel along playful sea lions and fur seals.

Continue to Puerto Egas to see the salt crater as well as a dark-sand beach and tidal pools. Explore the spectacular shoreline of Puerto Egas, also known as James Bay. Grab a snorkel and jump into the water right off the beach to explore Puerto Egas’ interesting underwater world. Keep your eyes peeled for rays, turtles and reef sharks. After, visit the large tidal pool area—marine iguanas and Sally Lightfoot crabs are everywhere.

Today, visit Vicente Roca Point on Isabela Island, famous for its rich underwater sea life thanks to its location on the Bolivar Channel. Vicente Roca Point has great deep-water snorkeling. Vicente Roca Point is renowned for its Galápagos green turtles, which are very numerous on the bay. Although the spot is known for its high concentration of green turtles, sharks and rays can also be observed when underwater visibility is good. Take a dinghy ride along the coast to observe a great diversity of sea and coastal birds; Nazca and blue-footed boobies, noddies, brown pelicans, penguins and flightless cormorants. The upwelling of cold-water currents in this part of the Galapagos gives rise to an abundance of marine life. Snorkel along the cliffs for the chance to explore two shallow underwater caves with rich marine wildlife.

In the afternoon, visit the most western visitor site of the Galapagos, Espinoza Point in Fernandina Island. This island is also one the most pristine on the archipelago as no foreign species have been introduced. From here you can see the island of Isabela across the Bolívar Channel, an area that boasts some of the highest diversity of endemic sea fauna in the Galapagos. Fernandina is the youngest of the Galapagos Islands and a visitor favorite. When landing, check out the tidal pools where there is abundance of sea life, including small fish and mollusks. If you are lucky, a sea turtle or ray may appear in the pools. A little further ahead you will pass through some marine iguana burrows and sea lion colonies. The trail continues to where several flightless cormorants have their nests. This remarkable bird is only found in western Galapagos, and experts estimate that there may only be a few hundred individuals in total. After the exciting hike, you experience one of the best snorkeling sites on the archipelago. Marine iguanas, Galapagos penguins and sea turtles are some of the species inhabiting this site.

After a long journey from the central part of the Galapagos, you will arrive to the pristine and remote West of the archipelago. Your visits today are Urbina Bay and Tagus Cove on the west of Isabela Island, where you will have your first encounters with flightless cormorants, penguins, giant tortoises, as well as beautiful landscapes and amazing snorkeling opportunities.

Urbina Bay is a fascinating visitor site that came to be as the shallow sea bottom uplifted in 1954, showing a large coral reef sticking up above sea level. Because of this, Urbina Bay is one of the newest features in the Galapagos. This visitor site is located on the western shore of Isabela and provides spectacular views of the Alcedo volcano. The long trail starts on the beach where a wet landing is made. In this location, you will likely see wild Galapagos giant tortoises and Galapagos land iguanas. As the trail circles back towards the shoreline you’ll come across colonies of the unique Galapagos flightless cormorant which lost its ability to fly. This is also a great spot for snorkeling, as you can come close to a Galapagos penguin colony and see Galapagos marine iguanas feeding underwater.

Tagus Cove is located on the Northwestern coast of Isabela. It is a historical site visited by Charles Darwin in 1835, where graffiti has been carved into the rock walls by visitors over the past centuries. This spot has been frequented by whalers and pirates since the 1800s that used the area as anchorage. The name of the site dates back to 1814 when it was visited by a British ship, The Tagus, which had anchored there in search of giant tortoises to be used as food supply on the boat.

Here, admire a variety of seabirds, such as blue-footed booby, brown noddy, terns, flightless cormorant and Galapagos penguins depending on the season. Occasionally you might see woodpecker finches, the Galapagos hawk, the yellow warbler or a large-billed flycatcher. After a dry landing, climb up the trail to visit Darwin ‘s Lake. The lake is located on the slopes of Darwin Volcano and is, surprisingly, a saltwater lake above sea level. Your naturalist guide will tell you the different scientific theories for this occurrence. Meanwhile, while snorkeling there are chances to see sharks, turtles and sea stars. You may also see various different types of colorful fish.

Take a morning panga ride and look for marine life in Black Turtle Cove. Explore the mangroves by panga to find rich marine wildlife between the fresh and salt waters. Keep any eye out for manta rays and sea turtles in this tranquil ecosystem. White-tip reef sharks can also be seen gliding by. In the afternoon, disembark at Baltra for your flight back to the Ecuador mainland.