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Information on this small island in the Galapagos archipelago

Daphne Islands Galapagos   The Galapagos Islands feature among the most awe-inspiring creations of the natural world, drawing tourists from all across the globe all year through. Travelers who have visited this atoll of unrestrained natural beauty confirm that God’s excellence in creation has nowhere been better exemplified than this and there is a wealth of splendor hidden here for you to explore. Officially termed as “The Archipelago of Colon”, this group of isles is situated amidst the Pacific Ocean, approximately 972 kilometers away from the Ecuador coast. The Archipelago contains 6 main islands, Cristobal, Isabella, Santa Cruz, Santiago, Floreana and Fernandina. At the northern side of the Santa Cruz and western side of Baltra lies the Daphne Islands. This is a volcanic island, and the molten lava residue has given shape to two craters in it, one of which is known as the Daphne Major and the other, Daphne minor. Out of the two, the former is the most recent and also the most visited one. What to do? Isla Daphne is a haven for bird-watching.  Travelers exploring this isle can expect to watch a gamut of birds here like the Nazca booby, the Blue-footed Booby, the Masked Booby, the Finch, the Short-eared Owl, the Magnificent Frigate birds and most importantly the Galapagos Martins. 120 meters in height (above sea level), the steep trail is often a hiking delight for enthusiastic trekkers. How/When to visit The best acclaimed way to travel around the exotically beautiful surroundings of the island is via cruise, which is available for the whole year, i.e. from January-December. How to get there? The Island of Baltra is considered to be Galapagos’s entrance point, since the main airport of the archipelago is situated here. Flights to the island are available easily, and leave from Guayaquil and Quito every day. On arrival, the visitors are transported immediately, by bus, to any one of the 2 docks. The first of the docks is situated in a tiny bay in which boats regularly cruising around the Galapagos wait on passengers. The second dock is more of a ferry port that serves as a connection between Baltra and Santa Cruz. Specialty The Daphne isles are a special treasure that only a lucky few manage to get a glimpse of. The NPS or the “National Park Service” has directives for the same. Cruises with 12 passengers (or less) are allowed to go into the isle. The other ceiling that exists here is that only 1 visit per month is sanctioned and not more than that. The Galapagos is a paradise on earth. Here peace lives in varied forms and nature has left no stone unturned to invest beauty and grandeur in varied destinations of it. So come and explore it and learn about nature and biology in this live classroom.

Tours and Excursions Description

Visitors who do gain permission to go a shore venture up a steep trail to the crater rim. Finches, Masked Boobies, Short Eared Owls and Galapagos Martins are visible along the way.

Nearing the summit Red-Billed Tropicbirds nest inGalapagos Blue Footed the cliffs. These elegant birds with long white tail feathers and a coral-red bill, nest in the over hanging ledges and crevices of the steep slopes. Magnificent Frigatebirds build their nests in the little vegetation that occurs on the islands slopes and near the crater rim. On the floor of the crater Blue-Footed Boobies make their nests between April and December. The presence of these sea birds makes Daphne an exceptional island to visit. A place where thousands of birds can be seen soaring overhead.