Bartholomew and Dragon Hill , 11/13/2021, National Geographic Islander
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander
Galápagos
Early wake-up to climb to the top of the Island of Bartholomew, which is an open book of geology to understand the formation and colonization of the islands by plants and animals. In addition, it has a spectacular landscape. About 400 steps protect the island from erosion and facilitates the people reach the top of it in an easier way.
Later after breakfast, we get suited up to explore the water and its fantastic life composed of all kinds of singular creatures, some of them found only here. A world of fish, stingray and many more underwater species make this area truly enjoyable and fascinating.
We then later navigate to reach the north of Santa Cruz where we visit Dragon Hill, one of the areas with the prehistoric-looking land iguanas. Right at landing, we meet several sea birds flying around and diving for fish. Marine iguanas basking in the sun before or after going in the sea for algae. The interior trail goes through a palo santo forest that then opens to a small ash-made hill mostly occupied by land Iguanas. In fact, they are here to show their beauty and grace but also to share a story of resilience.
This combination of colored landscape and special wildlife area gives us another day of joy in the Galapagos. The exploration continues on the next day for visiting Floreana.
Patricio, better known as Pato amongst his friends, was born in the Galápagos Island. His family moved to the islands from the mainland and settled on the island of Santa Cruz over thirty-five years ago. Pato had an enchanted childhood in the islands...
Today we woke up for an early walk uphill to the top of Bartolome, a satellite islet of Santiago Island. This relatively new islet is a good place to appreciate different geological formations, such as tuff and spatter cones and basaltic flows. The presence of pioneer plants, such as Tiquilia nesiotica and lava cacti, make Bartolome a good place to understand how life started in Galapagos after the first plants were established on the newly formed islands. We also had the chance to explore the underwater world of this place, and we had the opportunity to observe many species of fish and the elusive Galapagos penguin. During lunch, we navigated towards Dragon’s Hill on Santa Cruz Island, a few miles away from Bartolome. This place offered the opportunity to observe the iconic Galapagos land iguanas. In addition, it was a great surprise to find a few flamingos in a brackish pond, which offered a great moment for guests to practice photography skills during the golden hour at sunset.
As we approach the end of a wonderful exploration onboard National Geographic Islander , we visited the mysterious Santiago Island, also known as James Island, so named by pirates. We started our day with an early walk along the beach. After a wet landing, our guests enjoyed the peaceful and unique landscape of beaches and a button/white mangrove forest. Along the sandy area, we appreciated green turtle nesting sites. By late morning, we move to Buccaneer’s Cove, an anchoring spot for pirates and whalers who wandered to this island to hide and to look for food and water. We enjoyed experiencing the marine diversity and the geologic landscape of the site. At the end of the day, we visited Puerto Egas. Some of our guests enjoyed a relaxing time on the basaltic eroded beach, and others went for a walk along the island. The trail goes around the arid zone of the island and along the coastline. It was a nice opportunity to explore the intertidal zone.
Isabela is the largest island in the Galapagos, occupying 50% of the total area of the archipelago. It is one of the most beautiful islands with its diversity in fauna and flora and its incredible underwater world. Early in the morning, National Geographic Islander anchored in front of Urbina Bay, one of the most spectacular sites due to its incredible natural history. In 1954, 2 km² of underwater floor was lifted towards the sea surface, bringing with it gigantic coral heads, marine animals, and tiny crustaceans whose eco-skeletons can still be seen as petrified bodies in the rocks. Just as we were getting ready to board Zodiacs after breakfast to head for the beach at Urbina Bay, Juan Carlos Avila, our Expedition Leader, spotted a pod of dolphins swimming near National Geographic Islander . We boarded our Zodiacs, and we approached them. The show they gave us was unforgettable. Many jumped very close to us, while others swam below us, all of them officially welcoming us to this beautiful part of the Galapagos archipelago. We walked inland on the beach, and we saw our first land iguanas basking along the trail. Many of them looked at us indifferently, while others simply walked through the bushes, looking for food. Near the end of the trail, we came across some tortoises that probably came down from the top of the Alcedo Volcano to nest. Just before noon, National Geographic Islander began the voyage north toward Tagus Cove. One of the most popular and well-known sites for visitors of yesteryear, pirates and buccaneers used the site as a hideout after attacking and looting the Spanish galleons. At 2:45 p.m., our activities began in Caleta Tagus, where our guests could choose between kayaking or deep-water snorkeling. The ocean was completely clear and calm, perfect for discovering the incredible underwater world that surrounds Isabela. A pleasant surprise was meeting Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants, sea turtles, and sharks. The most incredible thing was probably coming face to face with three or four cat sharks that swam very close to us without even flinching. Then, we got ready for our last outing. Many guests opted for a walk around Lake Darwin, observing this beautiful natural formation of a brackish water lake located just behind Tagus Bay. We observed many finches throughout the palo santo forest. At the end of the trail, the gigantic lava flows rose in front of us, like silent witnesses to the explosive past of the Galapagos. I was with the guests who preferred the dinghy ride. Along the seashore, we saw many pelicans, sea turtles, and, of course, penguins and cormorants returning to their nests. Just before sunset, we returned to our beloved National Geographic Islander , tired but with the best memories of a day that will stay with us forever.
