We booked the 360 tour to circle the entire island of San Cristobal. We ended up on the “golden reel” fishing boat. The boat was a bit jangy, especially when compared to the Natural Paradise. The guide was “fair”, compared to James, but it was a full 8 hour day with lots of varied activities (snorkeling with hammerhead and eagle rays, beach time, deep sea fishing, lagoon swim, and on the way back we spend some time hanging out with a couple hundred bottle nosed dolphins). So

We decided to rent a bicycle to explore San Cristobal on our own time. There are bicycle rentals everywhere so no need to book in advance. Do triple check that the the bike is fully functional (especially the brakes as it’s a steep decent from the highlands)., We rented from a tour operator on Herman Melviille street since it was only a few buildings away from the Sunset Galapagos hotel. Cost was $20 for the day. Included helmets and an emergency repair kit. They are open 7-7

Sea lions take over the streets at night The island of San Cristobal is the second most populated island in the Galapagos, home to approximately 10,000 people (Santa Cruz has a population of 25,000 and Isabela a population of 4,000 people). However, it’s the sea lions that steal the show here in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (downtown San Cristobal) where sea lions will take over city benches and peers. These marine mammals are known for their playful behavior, barking, and ability

On the day of debarkation we had one final dingy ride to observe the inhabitants of Los Lobas Island off the coast of San Cristobal. We did this early in the morning (before breakfast) to catch the animals especially active and to watch the sunrise over San Cristobal Island. The name of this island means "Sea Lion Island." This appropriately named island is ripe with noisy, frolicking, jolly sea lions who will welcome you to their home with open, well, fins. This island also

In the AM we did a dry landing at Suarez Point. This area is great for spotting blue-footed boobies, albatrosses, and Nazca boobies. A beautiful site on the oceanfront, the large waved albatrosses use the cliff as a launching pad. The famous attraction is the magnificent blowhole, spurting water high into the air. This site presents wonderful photography opportunities. WE were greeted by playful sea lions and Christmas iguanas as we landed at Suarez Point for an early morning

In the early morning we took a hike to Suarez Point on the island of Espanola to see massing colony of Nazca Boobies (and of course sea lions and blue footed boobies). After breakfast we went for our last snorkeling excursion of the trip to Gardner Bay to swim with juvenile sea lions and observe coral along cliff walls. This turned out to be my favorite of the trip. Our very last snorkel of the trip was my absolute favorite!! After breakfast we went out to snorkel with Juve

The crew of the Natural Paradise always goes above and beyond to ensure our wildlife encounters are amazing!! After a full day of excursions we were instructed to turn on all our balcony lights. This brought in many flying fish, which in turn brought in 6-10 foot Galapagos Sharks and sea lions. Interestingly, during the day sharks and sea lions do not get along, but at night they can hunt together in a symbiotic relationship. At one point we watched a flying fish crash into t