THE ISLANDS

The Galapagos Archipelago, or Province of Galapagos, is made up of 13 islands, 16 islets and 47 rocks, covering an area of 3,029 square miles, with a total population of nearly 10,000 residents. Their total isolation from the continental mass, due to their volcanic origin, has allowed unique ecosystems to flourish with special fauna and flora.

GENOVESA

Basaltic lava flow; Opuntia cacti; holy wood trees; sea lions; fur seals; marine iguanas; storm petrels; gulls; shear waters; tropic birds; masked and red footed boobies; frigate birds; etc.

BARTOLOME

Pinnacle rock; mangrove region; volcanic landscape with spatter cones and lava tubes; swimming beach with some coral development and assorted marine life (penguins).

SANTIAGO

Flycatchers; mocking birds; yellow warbles; oyster catchers; marine iguanas; pelicans; brown noddies; boobies; fur seals; sea lions; sally light-foot crabs; lava lizards; blue footed boobies; etc.

SEYMOUR

Swallow-tailed gulls; sea lions; blue footed boobies; yellow warbles; lava (dusky) gulls; red-billed tropic birds; Galapagos snake; land iguanas; frigate birds; holy wood trees; varied vegetation.

RABIDA

Red sand beach, sea lions, holy wood tree, pelicans.

FERNANDINA

Punta Espinoza; mangrove forest; recent lava flow with different lava formations (AA, ropery, pillow); hawks, blue-footed boobies, lava lizards; land and marine iguanas; fur seals; etc.

PLAZA SUR

Sea lions; Darwin finches; Opuntia cacti forest; sessuvium; swallow-tailed gulls; tropic birds; petrels; land iguanas; lava lizards; sally light-foot crabs; Audubon's shear water etc.

FLOREANA

Is the side for flamingos, Darwin finches, shorebirds and turtles. Mail your postcards here in a barrel at Post Office Bay, according to an old whalers custom. Enjoy snorkeling at Devil's Crown.

ISABELA

Active volcanoes; penguins; flightless cormorants; noddy terns, crater with salt lake; marine iguanas; pelicans; Audubon's shear water, galapagos hawk.

SAN CRISTOBAL

Its a new starting point for inter-island cruising. Nearby is the spectacular, natural rock formation, Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock).

ESPAÑOLA

Sea lions; mocking birds; marine iguanas; blue footed boobies; swallow-tailed gulls; albatross; petrels; finches; lava lizards; sally light-foot crabs; oyster catchers; Galapagos dove; blowhole etc.

SANTA FE

Has land iguanas, sea lions and cactus.

SANTA CRUZ

Academy Bay; Charles Darwin Research Station; tortoises, Darwin finches; lava gulls; herons; lava lizards; marine iguanas; Pto. Ayora Village; scalesia forest; mangrove trees; the tunnels, etc.