Puerto Ayora
The tour starts between 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m from Puerto Ayora – Santa Cruz Island. We will inform you the exact time as soon the tour is confirmed.
A bus or truck will take you to a 45 minute ride towards Canal Itabaca to board the motor boat to sail from the channel to North Seymour Island, located 2 km from this site.
The tour will begin with a dry landing on slippery black basalt stone, please make sure you bring appropriate shoes as the tour involves some hiking in uneven terrain.
The hike takes a short uphill walk over “pillow lavas”, afterwards the terrain becomes more regular and easily to walk.
Frigates can be observed along the trail along with other species such as blue-footed boobies, lava gulls, sea lions, brown terns, pelicans, tropical birds.
The endemic plant of this island is the lignum vitae tree, an icon of the site. In the summertime they look like dead trees, but after the February rains, they become green overnight.
This give the island a very special appearance. Other plant species abundant in the area are the Opuntia cactus, Croton, Castile and Sesuvium. Sometimes you can watch green iguanas taking shade under bushes.
A box lunch and a short break will take place before you cotinue exploring the islands.
The tour will end with a snorkel in isolated Bachas Beach before returning to the boat and back to Puerto Ayora around 16h30.
What to expect:
Location: North of Baltra (or South Seymour). The total distance of the trail is 2 miles.
Wildlife – Land: Blue-Footed Boobies, Frigatebirds, Colonies of California Sea Lions, Marine Iguanas, Land Iguanas (occassionally), Swallow-tailed Gulls, Red-billed Tropicbirds and Nazca Boobies (occassionally).
Marine Wildlife: White-tip Sharks, Galapagos Sharks, Rays, Pelagic and Reef Fish.
Difficulty Level: Moderate – some hiking over unpathed and rocky trails.
Activities: Hiking, Snorkeling Swimming.
IMPORTANT NOTE: In order to fulfill this tour, you must be at Santa Cruz Island (Puerto Ayora) one day prior to departure.