8-Day Wildlife & Island Discovery - Hermes Catamaran - Galapagos Cruise

Upon arrival at Baltra Airport, a Hermes guide will welcome you to the Galapagos Islands and escort you to Seymour dock. Here, you will board the superyacht and enjoy lunch before beginning your first exploration. In the afternoon, travel from the coast into the lush and misty Santa Cruz Highlands, experiencing the noticeable environmental change as you enter the wet zone. At a private reserve, observe Galapagos Giant Tortoises roaming freely in their natural habitat, where they may be seen grazing, resting, and bathing in the mud. Your exploration also reveals the island’s volcanic origins as you walk through impressive lava tunnels created by ancient molten rock and observe large craters formed by collapsed volcanic chambers.

Begin the day at Dragon Hill on Santa Cruz Island. After a dry landing, hike through different coastal zones and pass a brackish lagoon while looking for Greater Flamingos and other wading birds. Continuing toward the dry forest, search for the colorful Galapagos Land Iguanas that were reintroduced to this area as part of conservation efforts. Higher sections of the trail provide views over the anchorage and surrounding islands. In the afternoon, make a wet landing at Chinese Hat, an islet named for its distinctive cone shape. Follow a short circular trail across the volcanic landscape, observing marine iguanas resting on dark lava and searching for Galapagos Penguins. Later, snorkel in the turquoise channel between Chinese Hat and Santiago Island, where sea lions, tropical fish, and white-tipped reef sharks may accompany your underwater exploration.

Your morning begins at Prince Philip’s Steps on Genovesa Island, where a steep rocky path carved into the cliff leads to a flat plateau and an extensive seabird nesting area. Follow a circular trail among Red-footed Boobies nesting in low Palo Santo trees while also observing Nazca Boobies and Storm Petrels around the lava fields. After the hike, explore the caldera cliffs by dinghy before snorkeling in deeper waters, where you can look for Eagle Rays, sharks, large schools of pelagic fish, and boobies plunging into the ocean. In the afternoon, make a wet landing at Darwin Bay. Walk a coastal trail through large nesting colonies of Red-footed and Nazca Boobies while also looking for Swallow-tailed Gulls and Darwin’s Finches. Finish with swimming or snorkeling in the sheltered bay alongside sea lions and colorful reef fish.

Spend the morning quietly exploring Black Turtle Cove, a secluded mangrove inlet accessible only by panga. Gliding through its calm, shallow waters provides an opportunity to observe marine nursery life without making a landing. Juvenile Whitetip Reef Sharks, rays, and young sea turtles are among the wildlife described for this protected environment. In the afternoon, continue to Bachas Beach on Santa Cruz Island. The beach consists of soft white sand formed from decomposed coral and is used by nesting sea turtles. Along the lava rocks near the water, look for colorful Sally Lightfoot crabs. The area also provides opportunities to observe frigatebirds, Blue-footed Boobies, and sea lions, bringing together coastal scenery and wildlife encounters during your afternoon exploration.

Explore Tagus Cove, a historic anchorage on Isabela Island once frequented by whalers and pirates dating back to the 1800s. After a dry landing, hike along the slopes of Darwin Volcano to panoramic viewpoints and Darwin’s Lake, a saltwater crater lake above sea level. A dinghy excursion along the cliffs provides opportunities to observe Blue-footed Boobies, Brown Noddies, and Flightless Cormorants. Snorkeling in the cove may reveal Galapagos Penguins, schools of fish, and sea turtles. In the afternoon, make a wet landing at Urbina Bay, an area transformed by a dramatic uplift in 1954 that exposed part of the shallow seabed and coral reef above sea level. Walk among coral fossils while searching for Galapagos Land Iguanas and enjoying views of Alcedo Volcano. Snorkeling offers opportunities to see Galapagos Penguins and marine iguanas feeding underwater.

Begin at Espinoza Point on Fernandina Island. Following a dry landing, hike across black basaltic lava flows and encounter one of the large concentrations of marine iguanas described in the itinerary. Look for endemic Flightless Cormorants, natural tide pools filled with marine life, and vivid Sally Lightfoot crabs against the dark volcanic landscape. The site also offers views across the Bolivar Channel toward Isabela Island and Fernandina’s La Cumbre Volcano. In the afternoon, explore Vicente Roca Point on Isabela’s northwestern coast. There is no landing here, so the experience takes place by panga and in the water. Cruise beneath towering cliffs while looking for Blue-footed Boobies, Nazca Boobies, and Flightless Cormorants. Snorkeling provides opportunities to encounter Green Sea Turtles, Galapagos Penguins, Red-lipped Batfish, and Mola Mola.

Visit Egas Port on Santiago Island, distinguished by black lava sand, volcanic formations, and remnants of a former salt mine that operated during the 1960s. Follow a coastal hiking route past grottos and natural lava pools while searching for Galapagos Fur Seals, marine iguanas, and Sally Lightfoot crabs. Later, snorkel from the beach in waters where the itinerary describes opportunities to swim with sea lions, sea turtles, and schools of tropical fish. In the afternoon, continue to historic Buccaneer Cove, once used by pirates, whalers, and buccaneers. This excursion takes place entirely on the water. Travel by panga beneath high cliffs and distinctive rock formations, observing sea lions and fur seals on small beaches and looking for seabirds such as Brown Pelicans nesting among the crevices. The dramatic geology and wildlife also create excellent photographic subjects.

Conclude your Galapagos journey with a morning excursion to North Seymour Island. Following a dry landing, walk along a circular trail through an active wildlife nesting area where sea lions and marine iguanas may share the path with visitors. One of the central experiences is observing Blue-footed Boobies, including their distinctive courtship behavior. Continue to a large nesting area of Magnificent Frigatebirds, where males may be seen displaying their inflated scarlet throat sacks to attract mates. This close encounter with some of the archipelago’s characteristic birdlife provides the final wildlife experience of the itinerary before the journey continues to Baltra Airport, bringing the 8-day/7-night Hermes Galapagos Mega Catamaran adventure to its conclusion.