Bartholomew and Santiago Island
Today we visited the central realm of the archipelago where we had a magnificent chance to explore the coastal region both on land and underwater. Our first trip began in the early hours of the day for a climb to the top of Bartholomew Island, which gave us the opportunity to learn about the volcanic origin of the archipelago and its amazing geology. One of the most enjoyable aspects of Bartholomew is the gorgeous landscapes and how we can be transported to what the islands looked like in the beginning.
After the wonderful hike we returned aboard for breakfast and got ready to go again ashore where some of our guests took snorkeling lessons and those who already had some experience went around the very famous pinnacle rock. They had the company of some Galápagos sea lions, white tipped reef sharks, lots of fish, and a couple of penguins.
Our next outing was on the western coast of Santiago Island. There were two options: those who wanted to snorkel and walk and those who wanted to walk only. Along the trail there was a great variety of wild life. We were astonished by the large number of Sally lightfoot crabs and their bright red and orange colors contrasted against the black lava rocks. Galápagos marine iguanas were returning from feeding and were looking to absorb the warmth of the last rays of the sun. Some of the iguanas were already piled in large knots in an attempt to keep warm during the night. We found Galápagos fur seals resting in sheltered lava fissures and watched blue footed boobies plunge diving and fishing just off the coast. We returned in the late afternoon to the Islander and admired a splendid sunset accompanied by “ceviche” on the Sky Deck.
Today we visited the central realm of the archipelago where we had a magnificent chance to explore the coastal region both on land and underwater. Our first trip began in the early hours of the day for a climb to the top of Bartholomew Island, which gave us the opportunity to learn about the volcanic origin of the archipelago and its amazing geology. One of the most enjoyable aspects of Bartholomew is the gorgeous landscapes and how we can be transported to what the islands looked like in the beginning.
After the wonderful hike we returned aboard for breakfast and got ready to go again ashore where some of our guests took snorkeling lessons and those who already had some experience went around the very famous pinnacle rock. They had the company of some Galápagos sea lions, white tipped reef sharks, lots of fish, and a couple of penguins.
Our next outing was on the western coast of Santiago Island. There were two options: those who wanted to snorkel and walk and those who wanted to walk only. Along the trail there was a great variety of wild life. We were astonished by the large number of Sally lightfoot crabs and their bright red and orange colors contrasted against the black lava rocks. Galápagos marine iguanas were returning from feeding and were looking to absorb the warmth of the last rays of the sun. Some of the iguanas were already piled in large knots in an attempt to keep warm during the night. We found Galápagos fur seals resting in sheltered lava fissures and watched blue footed boobies plunge diving and fishing just off the coast. We returned in the late afternoon to the Islander and admired a splendid sunset accompanied by “ceviche” on the Sky Deck.
