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Islands of the Galapagos
Marine iguanas
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Fernandina
Map not to scale
Fernandina is the westernmost, youngest
and most volatile of all the Galapagos
islands. The single volcano, La Cumbre,
erupts at regular intervals, most recently
during April 2009. In terms of wildlife,
marine iguanas are at their most prolific
at Punta Espinosa while other species
include flightless cormorants, penguins,
Sally Lightfoot crabs and sea lions. The
Bolivar Channel between Fernandina and
Isabela is the best place in the Galapagos
to spot dolphins and whales, particularly
between June and September.
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Flightless cormorant
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Isabela
Post Office Bay
The largest of all the Galapagos islands
is located in the west of the archipelago.
The main visitor sites line the western
shores where vast lava fields meet the
Pacific Ocean. Here, mangrove lagoons
and coves are home to rays, sharks,
turtles, penguins and flightless
cormorants. Isabela was formed by five
volcanoes and her highlands, home to
giant tortoises, provide some excellent
walking opportunities. In the south of
the island there are a couple of lodges in
the sleepy town of Puerto Villamil, which
can be used as part of an island hopping
tour or for some relaxation and further
exploration before or after a cruise.
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Floreana
One of Floreana’s best-loved attractions,
Post Office Bay, was used in the past
by whalers and sailors as a means of
staying in touch with their loved ones.
Letters left in the bay’s wooden barrel
were collected by other sailors who
took them home and distributed them.
Visitors are invited to test out this oldfashioned
delivery method to this day.
Floreana is a good place to spot
flamingos, who nest in the brackish
lagoons behind Punta Cormorant, as
well as finches, sea lions and turtle
nesting sites.
Pinnacle Rock
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Bartolomé
A small island off Santiago’s east coast,
Bartolomé is home to the iconic Pinnacle
Rock. A beautiful sandy beach at its base
is frequented by sea lions, and snorkelling
around the rock’s base will enable you to
see a wealth of underwater marine life as
well as giving you the chance to spot
Galapagos penguins.
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Blue-footed boobies
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North Seymour
One of the richest central islands in
terms of birdlife, with a large population
of frigate birds, blue-footed boobies and
gulls. North Seymour also has its own
population of land iguanas and the
western shores are home to sea lions
and marine iguanas.
Red-footed booby
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Genovesa
The sail into Darwin Bay on Genovesa
is impressive, as it sits in a partially
submerged volcanic caldera. The main
attraction of the island is the red-footed
booby, as this one of the few places in
the Galapagos it can be seen. Other
birds here include frigate birds, gulls,
tropic birds, storm petrels and shorteared
owls. Off the west coast of the
island it is common to watch sea lions
playing and surfing in the Pacific waves.
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Giant tortoise
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Santa Cruz
Waved albatross
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Española
In the far southeast of the archipelago,
Española is the only island on which the
waved albatross can be seen (between
April and November). Punta Suárez is
home to a variety of other birds
including frigate birds, blue-footed and
Nazca boobies, gulls and Galapagos
hawks, as well as giant tortoises and a
unique species of marine iguana with its
red and green colourings. At Gardner
Bay, on the opposite side of the island,
one of the archipelago's largest
population of sea lions bask on the
stunning white-sand beach.
The highlands of Santa Cruz island
provide a cool, lush retreat where giant
tortoises can be seen in the wild,
together with a variety of bird species.
Along the northern shores of the island
is Cerro Dragon, which is home to a
number of land iguanas and Las Bachas
beach, where Pacific green turtles lay
their eggs annually. At Black Turtle Cove
mangrove edged lagoons are home to
turtles, rays and even sharks in the
shallow waters. The most populated of
all the Galapagos islands, Santa Cruz’s
main town of Puerto Ayora has a
number of hotels and is home to the
Charles Darwin Research Station, the
world renowned giant tortoise
breeding centre.
www.audleytravel.com/galapagos ● 01993 838 635 ● Islands of the Galapagos 7