Española Island, 1/7/2024, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
Today we had the first full day of our expedition on one of the jewels of the crown, Española Island. This is one of the oldest islands in the archipelago with some of the most amazing scenery and wildlife. Our guests had an amazing experience! In the morning, we had close encounters with sea lions at Gardner Beach, where we were able to play with them during our first snorkeling session. In the afternoon, we were so lucky and found a pod with over 500 bottlenose dolphins during our Zodiac ride. We also enjoyed a beautiful sunset. What a day!
Born and raised in the Galápagos, Roberta Schiess Bahamonde’s grandparents were among the first permanent inhabitants of Santa Cruz Island, arriving from Switzerland in the 1940s. Her mother is also a naturalist guide in the Galápagos, so this is a p...
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As the early morning rays began to peek over the cone spattered profile of Floreana Island, our early bird guests woke to greet the day with a kayak excursion and Zodiac cruise along the shores. During their exploration, guests encountered juvenile blacktip sharks, marine turtles, rays, sleepy sea lions, and many birds, including a rare sighting of the white tern! After a delicious breakfast in the Beagle Grill, everyone headed out to further explore Post Office Bay, the lands where whalers, pirates, and the first colonizers of Galapagos explored. The group visited the ingenious Post Office barrel to continue a long existing tradition of hand delivering mail around the world. Afterward, we went deep into the earth (~30m) via a lava tunnel to explore the beautiful geological formations created by volcanoes. The day was far from over, as these were only the morning activities. After lunch everyone enjoyed a spectacular snorkel at Champion Islet where they encountered colorful reef fish, sea lions, rainbow runners, and more. A peaceful walk around Punta Cormorant at sunset to view flamingos and a storytelling session of the human history from Gaby after dinner, was the perfect way to finish a beautiful day.
Today’s morning adventure took us to Urbina Bay on Isabela Island. The highlight was spotting land iguanas and giant tortoises in the wild for the first time. Guests were thrilled to observe these incredible creatures in their natural habitat. The lush landscape was filled with Darwin's finches. In the afternoon, we hiked to a stunning viewpoint at Tagus Cove. The trail led us through dry, rugged terrain with glimpses of endemic plants. At the summit, the panoramic view was unforgettable.
Early this morning we rose to the outstanding view of Punta Pitt, located on the capital island of San Cristobal. After breakfast we initiated a strenuous hike along breathtaking tuff cones, following Darwin´s footsteps, as he once visited both sites on board HMS Beagle . On this walk, we had the chance to witness the coexistence of three species of boobies as well as some endemic lava lizards and mockingbirds. Later in the day, we took time to enjoy the beach and also with two rounds of kayaking along the cliffs of Cerro Brujo. Some of the kayakers were delighted and rewarded with a visit from bottlenose dolphins. We concluded our day with a circumnavigation of Kicker Rock.
