Galapagos Island Information

Here is a brief profile of major islands and representative species & sub-species of flora & fauna. It is not meant to be a complete list nor a guarantee that all species listed will be seen.
NORTH SEYMOUR:	Located slightly to the north of Baltra, North Seymour is a low flat island, formed as a result of an uplift of a submarine lava flow. It is covered with low, bushy vegetation which contains the largest colony of magnificent frigate birds. There is also a large colony of blue-footed boobies when nesting conditions are night. What to see: Swallow-tailed gulls, fur sea lions, blue-footed boobies, yellow warblers, lava (Dusky) gulls, redbilled tropic birds, Galapagos snakes, land iguanas, frigate birds, Palo Santo trees, varied vegetation.
HOOD (Espanola) ISLAND:	Punta Suarez: This rocky point of land sustains one of the most impressive and varied colonies of sea birds in the Galapagos. Along the southern shore, high cliffs rise up from the sea, affording spectacular views of soaring birds and the famous blowhole, where water spouts up 50 to 75 feet into the air, according to the intensity of the surf. What to see: Waved Albatross (April to December), blue-footed boobies, masked boobies, marine iguanas, lava lizards, mockingbirds, Red-billed tropic birds, swallow-tailed gulls, sea lions, Galapagos doves, Sally Lightfoot crabs, tide pools, blow hole. Gardner Bay: Located on the eastern coast of Hood Island, Gardner Bay provides an excellent beach for swimming. What to see: sea lions (occasional), Galapagos Hawks, finches
FLOREANA (Charles) ISLAND:	Punta Cormorant has one of the best flamingo lagoons and a beach whose sand has a large proportion of fine olivine crystals, giving the entire beach an olive-green tone. What to see: Flamingos, olivine beach, arid zone vegetation, white-cheeked pintail ducks, whimbrels, ruddy turnstones, common stilts, willets. Post Office Bay: historically this site is the location of a wooden barrel which was placed there in the 18th century by the crew of a whaling ship. It has been utilized since then by whalers, yachtsmen and tourists alike as a post office. If you find a letter or card addressed to someone living near you, take it with you and continue an ancient tradition. Devil's Crown is a marine site located a short distance off of Floreana. It consists of a picket-fence like remains of a small volcanic cone which has been eroded away by the sea in various places, creating in its interior an ideal habitat for several types of corals, fish and other marine life. What to see: coral formations, fish, hammerhead sharks, pelicans, red-billed troipic birds, lava gulls
SOUTH PLAZA ISLAND:	One of a pair of small uplifted islands, South Plaza has a unique Sesuvium and Opuntia landscape which provides some of the most interesting wildlife in the islands. What to see: Sea lions, Darwin finches, Opuntia cacti forest, Sessuvium, swallow-tailed gulls, tropic birds, petrels, land iguanas, lava lizards, Sally light-foot crabs.
SANTA CRUZ (Indefatigable) ISLAND:	Turtle Cove: One of the impressive Galapagos marine sites, Turtle Cove consists of a deep maze of tranquil sea water inlets, surrounded by mangrove thickets of three species. Its waters are still, usually rather murky and are the resting (and sometimes mating) place for marine turtles, rays and small sharks. What to see: sea turtles, white-tipped sharks, oysters, spotted eagle and mustard rays, lava herons and mangrove thickets Puerto Ayora: Village with growing number of shops, boutiques, hotels and restaurants. The main attraction is the Charles Darwin Research Station & tortoise breeding pens. Wildlife easily viewable include Darwin's finches, lava gulls, herons and lava lizards.
DAPHNE ISLAND:	Daphne is a rather large tuff cone, lightly vegetated but within the two craters nest thousands of blue-footed boobies, in season. Nesting masked boobies on the rim and tropicbirds soar overhead. What to see: blue-footed boobies, masked boobies, red-billed tropic birds, swallow tailed gulls and brown noddies.
BARTOLOME ISLAND:	A small barren island, located in Sullivan Bay off James Island, there are two visitor sites. The first is the climb to the summit of the island for spectacular panorams, and the second is swimming and snorkeling at the base of Pinnacle Rock. What to see: Pinnacle Rock, mangrove region, volcanic landscape with spatter cones & lava tubes, swimming beach with some coral development and assorted marine life.
ISABELA (Albermarle) ISLAND:	Tagus Cove was a favorite site of early pirates and whalers, who left the names of their ships painted on the high cliffs which enclose the protected bay. The tour along the cliffs gives the visitor a good chance to see the illusive Galapagos penguin. What to see: Cinder volcanoes, penguins, flightless cormorants, noddy terns, crater with salt lake, marine iguanas, pelicans, Audubon Shearwater, blue-footed boobies. Urbina Bay: located on the western coast at the foot of Alcedo Volcano, this area was uplifted from the sea in 1954. The site is relatively flat, distinguished by corals and other marine formations which were lifted out of the sea by the uplift. What to see: flightless cormorants, brown pelicans, large marine iguanas, rays, marine turtles Elizabeth Bay on the western shore is an extremely interesting area for observing marine life in many different forms.After motoring past a few small islands, it is possible to enter a narrow passage lines with mangroves and emerge into an enclosed cove where marine turtles, rays and flight cormorants may be seen in the sheltered waters. What to see: area of giant red mangroves, occasional penguin, sea turtles, pelicans, sea lions, lava herons, rays, flightless cormorants
FERNANDINA (Narborough) ISLAND:	Punta Espinosa is a narrow spit of sand and lava rock extending from the base of a volcano in the sea. It is renowned for its large colonies of marine iguanas and it is home to a number of unique Galapagos species. What to see: Mangrove forest, recent lava flow with different lava formations, hawks, blue-footed boobies, lava lizards, land & marine iguanas, fur seal, flightless cormorants, penguins, Sall lightfoot crabs.
JAMES (Santiago) ISLAND:	Sullivan Bay: A unique opportunity to view a recent lava flow, together with all of its structural characterists. THe tiny fragile Mollugo plants can be spotted growing out the fissures as they begin to colonize the arid terrain. There is a beach and snorkeling area. Puerto Egas: Located in western James Island, Puerto Egas has been altered consdierably by the activities of a salt extraction operation and by the large quantity of introduced animals. What to see: Fur seal grottos, flycatchers, mockingbirds, yellow warblers, oystercatchers, pelicans, brown noddies, boobies, fur seals, sea lions, seal & sea lion grotto, Sally light-foot crabs, marine iguanas, lava lizards.
TOWER (Genovesa) ISLAND:	Darwin Bay: Behind the small beach are a number of tide pools with trail that follows the border of the vegetation with an abundance of frigates and other sea birds. What to see: Nesting area for frigate birds, masked boobies, red-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, white-cheeked pintail ducks, yellow-crowned night herons, Galapagos doves, lava gulls, finches, sea lions. Prince Philip's Steps: Part of the narrow arm of land which encircles the easter section of Darwin Bay, The trail passes a section of dry forest and emerges onto a ridge of lava, whose cracks and crevices are nesting sites for thousands of storm petrels. What to see: Storm petrels (two species), red-footed boobies, frigate birds, swallow-tail gulls, tropic birds, short-eared owls, fur seals, palo santo and Opuntia cacti.
RABIDA (Jervis) ISLAND:	Behind the picturesque dark red beach lies a salt water lagoon where the beautiful flamingo is usually seen. There is a side trail to the interior of the island. What to see: Salt water lagoon with flamingos, white-checked pintail ducks, swimming beach with occasional sea lion.
SAN CRISTOBAL ISLAND (Chatham):	Also known as Chatham, is the easternmost island in the Galapagos and one of the oldest. This is where Darwin first went ashore in 1835. Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, with 4,000 inhabitants, located on the southeast coast, is the Capital of the Province of Galapagos. Another small town, El Progreso, is the oldest surviving settlement in the Galapagos, established in 1869. The Interpretation Center, inaugurated in 1998, consists of various exhibits including human history, natural history and conservation. It is located in a natural setting with the express purpose to enhance the educational experience. Kicker Rock, a spectacular rock formation and important nesting site for Tropic Birds, Blue-footed Boobies, Nazca Boobies and Frigate Birds.
ISLA LOBOS (near San Cristobal):	This small island is separated from the main island by a narrow stretch of calm waters.The atmosphere is one of tranquility and scenic primitve beacuty. What to see: Blue footed boobies, sea lions, endemic lava lizards, palo santo.
SANTA FE (Barrington) ISLAND:	The small bay on the northeast coast has a picturesque anchorage and provides to trails - on to the top of a cliff for scenic views and eventually to a species of land iguana unique to t his island, with the second trail to an unusually tall forest of prickly pear cactus. What to see: land iguanas and Opuntia cacti, sea lions, the Galapagos hawk, and sea turtles