Today, join the tour group at the indicated meeting point and time. Then, depart by bus to the Itabaca Channel, and board the Galaxy Daily, thus beginning your adventure to North Seymour Island. This island is located north of Santa Cruz Island. It is known for its large colonies of blue-footed boobies and frigate birds, known as the Galapagos pirates.
After arriving in North Seymour, have a dry landing and immediately start hiking on a 2.5 km (1.55 miles) trail. You can go clockwise along the coast or head inland first to visit the colony of boobies. During this tour, access the nesting sites of the largest breeding colonies on the islands. You will then understand why Seymour is known for its rich wildlife. Get ready to spot land iguanas and marine iguanas; also, a colony of sea lions, lava lizards, and pelicans!
While you advance along the path, observe several trees where the male and female frigates nest. As you continue through the trail, the terrain becomes rocky. Then, have the opportunity to appreciate the nesting place of the spectacular blue-footed boobies. This species is fascinating for its courtship dance in which they can dance for hours until finally captivating the female attention to nesting together. Did you know that these boobies never build a nest? That is because a ring of white guano marks their nesting area. If you like plants, see some endemic flora species in North Seymour during the walk, such as Opuntia, Croton, Castela, and Sesuvium cacti.
After visiting North Seymour and having a delicious lunch aboard, go to the beach called Bachas, located north of Santa Cruz Island. Here, you can snorkel or take a relaxing walk on the beach. For this, make a wet landing, and jump from the panga to the shore of the beach. Again, disembarking barefoot and wearing light walking shoes for the rest of the journey is recommended. Bachas beach is lovely, ideal for swimming, with a lagoon behind and a longer coast for walking and wildlife watching. The saltwater lagoon behind the beach often has great blue herons and small birds. Both the large and small beaches are nesting areas for green sea turtles.
As for snorkeling, during the activity, you may see many types of colorful reef fish and various rays, among other marine species. At the end of the experience in Bachas, return to the Itabaca Channel. Then, transfer to Puerto Ayora's pier to end your day-long adventure.
