Española Island, 4/22/2018, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
On our first full day of exploration in Galapagos, we started on Española Island, also known as Hood Island. Española has its own special magic, being the oldest. For 3.4 million years, it has been a natural laboratory for evolution and is home to various endemic species such as the Hood mockingbird, the Hood lava lizard and the most colorful marine iguanas in the archipelago.
The day started at beautiful Gardner Bay with a sunrise that took our breath away, with cotton-candy clouds and the ocean calm as a cup of tea. The morning was filled with water activities starting with kayaking and then snorkeling at Gardner Islet. It ended at a flawless white sand beach, home to a colony of Galapagos sea lions. In the afternoon, we disembarked at Punta Suarez where we hiked along sea bird and marine iguana territory. One of the highlights of the hike was witnessing the laying of an a waved albatross egg, something very rare to see.
Most of Gianna´s memories seem to be dreams, made on flawless white sandy beaches with black lava rock contours and gorgeous turquoise ocean waters. Most of it happened while barefoot, in an enchanting place that some people regard as an ideal natura...
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Today we finished our last day in paradise on Genovesa Island, one of the most exuberant and popular islands of the Galapagos. We started the morning by walking among red-footed boobies, frigatebirds, and swallow-tailed gull colonies around Darwin Bay. To close a very productive photo expedition week, we walked Prince Philip’s Steps at sunset. This gorgeous cliff is an airstrip for tropicbirds, petrels, and boobies. Guests were delighted to put to use new photo skills to collect memories, and thousands of new images are waiting to be organized and processed…
On National Geographic Endeavour II today, we explored Bartolome, home of a small colony of Galapagos penguins. Bartolome is one of the youngest islands, and it is located next to Santiago Island in the central part of the archipelago. After an amazing sunrise, we went ashore for a walk, and we were transported back to a time when the land was newly formed. We began our day by hiking to the top of a tuff cone known as the islet of Bartolome, named after the First Officer of The Beagle . Walking on this young island allowed us to understand the formation and volcanism of the Galapagos Islands. The rocks are a great way to understand the area and its geology. We spotted a few lava lizards and painted locusts, some of the very few animals on this island. As we reached the top, we had a great view. Our guests enjoyed the magnificence of Pinnacle Rock. After we visited one of the most iconic geological formations of the Galapagos, our breakfast was enhanced by dramatic views of the impressive volcanic landscape. We visited the beach near Pinnacle Rock, where we enjoyed how the sun made the sand sparkle due to a concentration of silica. Later, we went snorkeling along the channel between Santiago and Bartolome Islands. Many of our guests spotted whitetip reef sharks and very colorful parrotfish. The landscape was beautiful with lots of sea stars. We enjoyed the chance to be surrounded by Galapagos penguins and feel accepted as part of this environment. After a delicious Mexican lunch, we had lectures on the photography of reptiles and Darwin. Afterwards, we went to Chinese Hat Islet to snorkel from the Zodiacs. The area is home to a small colony of Galapagos penguins. In a sandy-bottomed, sheltered channel, our guests enjoyed swimming with whitetip reef sharks, rays, and many fish. It was a nice and sunny afternoon. After snorkeling, we had the chance to explore the unique, small volcano that formed an island in front of Santiago on a sunset Zodiac ride. After a spectacular day full of activities in the field, we returned on board. Every day in the Galapagos is an opportunity to reconnect with the beauty of nature through unbelievable encounters!
Today, National Geographic Endeavour II visited Cerro Dragon, located on the north part of Santa Cruz Island. We found one of the largest colonies of land iguanas. During our hike, we spotted the iguanas all around the trail. Some basked on the vegetation, and others were active. We saw the zigzag head movement they use to protect their territory and impress females. An Ecuadorian buffet lunch was set up in the dining room. We started with the traditional ceviche and ended with tres leches for dessert! We enjoyed snorkeling and Zodiac rides. We observed wildlife all over the place, including spotted eagle rays, sharks, blue-footed boobies, great blue herons, marine iguanas, and hundreds of other animals. They all reminded us why the Galapagos is so special.
