Day 1: Our volunteer trip begins in the Galápagos Islands at 2:00 PM at our hotel on San Cristóbal Island.

We will have an orientation and briefing at the hotel beginning at 2:00 PM where you will meet the other volunteers, the trip leaders and our local guide. Then we will visit the Interpretive Center at Darwin Bay for an introduction to the history of the Galápagos and the flora and fauna of the island, followed by our first group dinner.  (Dinner and hotel lodging included.)

In the morning, we visit the Centro de Crianza de Tortugas, which is part of the Galápagos National Park’s semi-natural breeding program for giant tortoises, to begin familiarization with giant tortoises. 

In the afternoon, the group will have its first of several experiences snorkeling while photographing sea turtles, to provide data to the sea turtle research project conducted by the University of San Francisco de Quito. (All meals and lodging included.) 

We will meet with the researchers from the Galápagos Science Center, University of San Francisco de Quito, to learn about the purpose and importance of our sea turtle volunteer project.

We will be participating in a survey and census of sea turtles as part of ongoing research on the impacts of increased boat traffic on sea turtles. On this trip you will have several opportunities to photograph turtles while snorkeling at different sites, to help identify the individuals by their unique markings, patterns and any injuries, and provide other onshore assistance with the survey.

Most snorkeling sites are close to shore, although one of the sea turtle research projects will involve taking a boat to the research site near Kicker Rock with surface snorkeling in water that is too deep to touch or see the ocean bottom. Flotation devices will be provided and are required. (All meals and lodging included.)

We will spend the morning shuttling by small plane from San Cristóbal to the largest island in the Galápagos, Isla Isabela,

We will check into our hotel in the village of Puerto Villamil where we will spend our first two nights on Isla Isabela. Those who arrive on an early shuttle will have time to explore the nearby coastline (look for marine iguanas!) while the others are transferring to Isabela.

In the afternoon we will visit nearby Centro de Crianza, the Tortoise Center of Isabela, and learn about the National Park’s captive breeding program. The Center houses several species of tortoise, and we will see both hatchlings and the older breeding animals. 

Before dinner we will mountain bike to the Wall of Tears. Watch for a diversity of birdlife along the way! The wall, towering 65 feet in places, was constructed in the 1940’s by convicts when Isabela was a penal colony. We will have dinner after we return to our hotel in Puerto Villamil. (All meals and lodging included.)

In the morning, we will hop a boat to the islet of Tintoreras, where we conduct a sea turtle census. Watch for sea lions, turtles, marine iguanas, rays and sharks in the crystal blue waters!

After we return to shore, we transfer to Campo Duro Eco-Camp, in the foothills of the Sierra Negra Volcano, for our Galápagos giant tortoise project. Campo Duro works in concert with Galápagos National Park, providing a reserve to help raise giant tortoises from 3 to 8 years old. In the afternoon, we will be oriented to the projects at Campo Duro and work on projects which may include planting and weeding tortoise enclosures; building a pond for the tortoises; repairing and building enclosure fences; and working in the organic garden.

Campo Duro is set in the cooler lush, tropical highlands. We will spend the night at Campo Duro. Amenities include fully equipped sleeping tents with mattresses and bedding, outdoor private cold-water showers, bathrooms with flush toilets, and an open-air thatched roof restaurant and bar. Most of the fruits and vegetables served are grown organically in the on-site gardens. Food is cooked in wood-fired stone ovens. (All meals and lodging included.)

After finishing our tortoise habitat projects at the eco-camp, we will drive through the highlands where giant tortoises feed on the abundant vegetation to the slopes of the Volcan Sierra Negra. A moderate 9-mile hike will take us through rugged terrain which ends at the stunning caldera, the second largest intact crater in the world after the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. We will return to the hotel in Puerto Villamil at the end of the day. (All meals and lodging included.)

 After breakfast we will be transported by boat to Los Tuneles snorkeling area, known for its rich population of sea life, where we will have our final opportunity to snorkel and photograph sea turtles. The offshore tunnels created by lava flows provide a different perspective on the lava formations from what the group has previously seen. Then we will return to our hotel in Puerto Villamil for one last evening in the Galápagos and a farewell dinner. (All meals and lodging included.) 

After breakfast we fly from Isla Isabela to Galápagos International Airport (GPS) on the Island of Baltra where you can catch a departure flight in the afternoon from Galápagos International Airport to the mainland of Ecuador. (Breakfast included)