After arriving at Baltra airport you will meet a Cruises representative and then board a bus that will take us to Puerto Ayora for the first visit on the islands: the Fausto Llerena Tortoise Breeding Center. Here, we will see tortoises from different islands. The animals are found in large semi natural
pens for their protection, but also to ensure an easy view for the tourists. The pens are divided according to four different stages: eggs, neonates, juveniles (held here until they are mature enough to be “repatriated”), and adults.
Afterwards we will head back to Puerto Ayora, where we will have some time to explore the town and shops by ourselves before boarding the Mary Anne at around 5:00 p.m. Once on board, we will be welcomed by the crew and captain, have a short security drill and enjoy dinner and the briefing for the next day´s activities.
We spend the day on Floreana, legendary homestead of infamous Baroness Eloise Von Wagner de Bousquet. Wet landing onto the olivine beaches of Punta Cormorant we will be seeking Greater Flamingos on our way to another special beach with the finest sand you’ll set foot on, a sea turtle nesting ground where sharks and rays also visit regularly. We end the outing with a short panga ride to Devil’s Crown, a key snorkeling site.
After lunch we will visit Post Office Bay (wet landing), where you can drop your postcards in the barrel as the whalers did centuries ago and select cards to hand deliver when you return home
