Bartolome Island and Dragon Hill, Santa Cruz Island, 10/1/2022, National Geographic Islander II
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander II
Galápagos
We woke up anchored off the coast of Bartolome Island. The day’s expedition started with a vigorous walk to the peak of the island to observe the most iconic and celebrated landscape of the Galapagos. We enjoyed snorkeling from the beach to discover the Galapagos underwater world. Later in the day, we walked through a dry forest to find yellow and black Galapagos land iguanas. Our wonderful day of exploration in the Galapagos Islands finished with a great sunset.
Patricio, better known as Pato amongst his friends, was born in the Galápagos Islands. 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 island...
What a day we had! Floreana Island has so much to offer. We kayaked early in the morning alongside sea turtles, Galapagos sea lions, and baby sharks. We became part of the history of the Galapagos as we visited Post Office Bay. We took part in the enduring tradition of taking letters with us, acting as couriers to deliver letters filled with emotions to the loved ones of the explorers before us, just as someone will do for our letters. In the afternoon, we were delighted by a hike, where we observed dozens of flamingos. We strolled along a white sand beach full of sea turtle nests with frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies above us. Our guests were filled with joy after another incredible adventure in the Galapagos archipelago.
Our day began in the highlands of Santa Cruz with a visit to Los Gemelos, twin volcanic sinkholes nestled in the lush Scalesia forest. Surrounded by endemic flora such as Scalesia trees, lichens, and ferns, the walk along the rim offered remarkable views of the dramatic craters, carved naturally through millennia of volcanic activity and collapse. We also spotted several species of Darwin’s finches and mockingbirds. Located within the island’s humid zone, we visited the Manzanillo Ranch. Here, we had an iconic encounter with giant tortoises in their natural habitat. It was humbling to observe these ancient reptiles grazing calmly among the highland grasses and wallowing in muddy pools. We visited the sugar mill where we got to taste sugarcane juice and enjoy snacks. At the end of lunch, we had a very enjoyable moment with the EcoArte group, who encouraged us to dance to the rhythm of the charango and other Ecuadorian instruments. In the afternoon, we descended to the coastal town of Puerto Ayora to visit the Breeding Center to see baby giant tortoises and learn a little more about conservation in the Galapagos.
In the morning, we explored a beautiful mangrove swamp for a Zodiac ride, and later we went kayaking. We found lots of blacktip sharks as well as sea turtles and different types of rays, like the spotted eagle and the golden cow rays. A group of blue-footed boobies started to fish in groups and jumped in the ocean like torpedoes to plunge dive. A diamond ray also passed by and stopped to eat some seashells. In the afternoon, we visited Bachas Beach, an important place for nesting sea turtles. Some guests walked to a lagoon to find shore birds, and other guests went deep-water snorkeling from the rocks. We found parrotfish and yellow-tailed damsel fish.
