Punta Pitt is the closest point to mainland Ecuador, about 600 nautical miles away, and San Cristobal is one of the oldest islands of the archipelago. Early in the morning we had our last visit on land, on a green sandy beach made up of ashes and olivine crystals. We had to climb through an eroded canyon which was created by the erosion of water and wind over hundreds of thousands of years. One of the goals of the morning was to see the three species of boobies found on these islands. We observed red-footed boobies nesting on trees and flying by, Nasca Bobbies on rocks, and blue footed boobies nesting in the middle of the trails!
The scenic views were also beautiful. We found Galapagos Nolana with its succulent leaves, Chatham’s giant daisy, and also Sesuvium portulacastrum, a powerful spell from the Harry Potter movies and an attractive succulent purple plant. After all that, we headed back to the beach for a refreshing swim with sea lions.
During the afternoon we went to Leon Dormido, a nearby tuff cone. Our purpose was to snorkel with big fish. We also saw many invertebrates, from bright colored sponges and sea urchins to cup corals colonizing the external walls of the cone. Many sea turtles were also spotted, and black tip reef sharks. It was a great adventure! At the end of the afternoon everyone met on the sky deck. There was an impressive sunset as we circumnavigated Leon Dormido. It was a wonderful last day in paradise.
