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Calipso, Naturalist Cruise ex San Cristobal Return

Cruise Calipso, Naturalist Cruise ex San Cristobal Return
Cruise Line Royal Galapagos
Ship Calipso
Destination South America
Brief Description 7 Night cruise departing roundtrip from San Cristobal onboard Calipso.
Type of Cruise Expedition
Departure Date 23 Sep 2021
Cruise Description 7 Night cruise departing roundtrip from San Cristobal onboard Calipso.

The recently refurbished M/Y Calipso allows you to explore the Galapagos Islands in both Naturalist and Diving itineraries. Calipso boasts a spacious lounge, dining area, fantastic new dive deck, sundeck with a Jacuzzi, and 10 comfortable cabins to accommodate up to 16 passengers.

Highlights of this cruise:

Witch Hill
Located on the northern coast, this eroded hill and its surroundings present one of the most picturesque beaches in the Galapagos with its white powdery sand and the abundance of animals. Wildlife includes sea turtles, rays, and various types of booby birds. The clear water provides an excellent opportunity for enjoying swimming and snorkeling.

Bartholomew Island
Home of the famous Pinnacle Rock, Bartholomew consists of an extinct volcano with a variety of red, orange, black and even green volcanic formations. A trail of stairs leads to the summit of the volcano, boasting one of the best views of the islands. The beach is perfect for snorkeling and possible sightings of the Galapagos penguin.

Chinese Hat Islet
This small islet is located near the southeast coast of Santiago Island. Its name comes from the distinct shape of the islet's summit. This small islet is a great location to view many geological formations such as lava tubes and lava flows.

Espinoza Point
No foreign species have ever invaded Fernandina Island, and therefore it is one of the world's most pristine island ecosystems. The volcano “La Cumbre” dominates the landspace with lava fields reaching the ocean. The island's highlight features the flightless cormorant nesting site. This area provides a great opportunity to see the Galapagos hawk.

Tagus Cove
Tagus Cove is located across from Fernandina Island near the Bolivar Channel dividing the two islands. This spot has been frequented by ships since the 1800s using the area as an anchorage site. Trails winding by Lake Darwin up to a ridge display wonderful views. Punta Tortuga, just north of Tagus Cove, is another lovely beach surrounded by mangroves.

Urbina Bay
Urbina Bay is located at the base of Alcedo Volcano on the west coast between Tagus Cove and Elizabeth Bay. This area experienced a major uplift in 1954 causing the land to rise over 16 feet. The coast expanded half a mile out leaving marine life stranded on the new shore. This area is also a great place for snorkeling.

Moreno Point
Moreno Point is located near Elizabeth Bay on the west coast of Isabela Island. The plethora of birds seen during a dinghy ride along the striking rocky shores or a hike along path through lava rock leading to tide pools and mangroves create a birdwatcher’s delight. In the tide pools, green sea turtles or white-tip sharks can be spotted.

North Seymour Island
Galapagos sea lions, blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigatebirds are abundant on North Seymour Island. The island was formed by a series of submarine lava containing layers of sediment that were uplifted by tectonic activity. The island is characterized by its arid vegetation zone.

South Plaza Island
In the morning, you will head to South Plaza Island. This small island with steep cliffs was formed by rising lava and is now covered by Opuntia cacti. It is also home to one of the largest sea lion colonies as well as colorful yellow and red land iguanas. The most characteristic plant is Sesuvium. During the rainy season its color is a greenish to yellowish tone and in the dry season (end of June through January) a bright red.

Post Office Bay
In the 18th century whalers passing through the islands placed a wooden barrel on Floreana Island for use as an unofficial mail box. The tradition continues today as visitors leave addressed postcards in the barrel and sort through left mail to deliver at home.

Cormorant Point
This site hosts a large flamingo lagoon where other birds such as common stilts and white-cheeked pintails can also be seen. The beaches on this island are distinct: The “Green Beach” named so due to its green color, which comes from a high percentage of olivine crystals in the sand, and the “Four Sand Beach” composed of white coral.

Santa Fe Island
Santa Fe (Barrington) is home to the small picturesque bay and anchorage on the island’s northeast coast. The bay has two visitor trails, one leading to a scenic viewpoint atop a cliff, and the other spanning from a small beach to a tall prickly pear cactus forest.

Charles Darwin Station / Fausto Llerena Breeding Center
The Charles Darwin Research Station is home to turtles ranging from 3-inches (new hatchlings) to 4-feet long. Subspecies of turtles interact with one another and many of the older turtles are accustomed to humans stretching out their heads for a photo opportunity. The babies are kept until they are about four years old and strong enough to survive on their own.

Gianni Arismendy Interpretation Center
The Gianni Arismendy Interpretation Center was opened in 1998 as a phase of the project “Interpretation and Environment Education Project.” Visitors enjoy expositions on natural history, human history, and conservation. The conservation efforts represent the movement to protect the wildlife and natural environment through means of population and tourist control. The Gianni Arismendy Interpretation Center has an outdoor stadium, audio-visual equipment, and meeting rooms.
Sailing Dates
14 Jan 2021
28 Jan 2021
11 Feb 2021
11 Mar 2021
25 Mar 2021
08 Apr 2021
22 Apr 2021
06 May 2021
20 May 2021
03 Jul 2021
17 Jun 2021
01 Jul 2021
15 Jul 2021
29 Jul 2021
12 Aug 2021
26 Aug 2021
09 Sep 2021
23 Sep 2021
07 Oct 2021
21 Oct 2021
04 Nov 2021
18 Nov 2021
02 Dec 2021
16 Dec 2021
18 Jul 2020
30 Jul 2020
13 Aug 2020
27 Aug 2020
10 Sep 2020
24 Sep 2020
08 Oct 2020
Pricing
Please enquire for pricing
Cruise Itinerary
Date Port Arrive Depart
23 Sep 2021 San Cristobal Is, Galapagos Is
24 Sep 2021 Bartolome Island, Santiago
25 Sep 2021 Fernandina Island, Galapagos Islands
26 Sep 2021 Isabela Island (Caleta Tagus), Ecuador
27 Sep 2021 North Seymour, Galapagos
28 Sep 2021 Floreana Island, Ecuador
29 Sep 2021 Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos
30 Sep 2021 San Cristobal Is, Galapagos Is
All itineraries and ports of call at the discretion of the cruise line subject to local weather conditions and may change without notice.

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