One of the most famous visitors to Galapagos was Charles Darwin. He spent nine days out of the nineteen on this island. Exploring this island on three visitor sites is like going back in time.
It is amazing to be able to say that the island is in better shape that when Darwin was here! This is thanks to the restoration programs carried on across the archipelago. Lindblad Expeditions adopted this island to support until declared free of goats and pigs.
Sep 21
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National Geographic Islander
On the first full day of our expedition, we visited Bartolome Island in the morning. It was a typical September morning, right in the middle of the dry, cool season, and the air was mild and breezy. Considered a jewel in the crown of the Galapagos Islands, Bartolome is small but due to its youth, it is like a field guide of geological features and is also dotted with small craters and cones. Bartolome is also home to a small colony of endemic Galapagos penguins, which find little lava tubes and caves along its shores where they can safely nest. In the afternoon we reached the northern coast of Santa Cruz, and visited a place called Cerro Dragón or Dragon Hill. This area is protected by the National Park Directorate for the remaining population of endemic land iguanas, as they have disappeared from the rest of Santa Cruz. We hiked through the arid zone of the lower slopes of the island, where the dominant trees were prickly pear, candelabra cacti, and palo santos, the fragrant incense trees.
Sep 21
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National Geographic Islander
A long, mostly smooth overnight navigation took us back to the central islands of the Galapagos archipelago. We awoke to find gray skies and a chilly breeze; these were pleasant conditions for the kayaking and hiking we had scheduled for this morning. All those who went to the shore enjoyed walking the long calm beach, and watching blue-footed boobies diving offshore, or exploring the mangrove and palo santo forests where finches and warblers were feeding among the branches. The kayakers paddled along the dramatic cliffs and inlets to Buccaneers Cove and appreciated the brisk following wind that helped push them along. Everyone worked up an appetite for our late breakfast! Captain Cifuentes moved and anchored the ship in scenic Buccaneer’s Cove and here we had a choice between snorkeling or a Zodiac cruise along the weathered and sculpted cliffs. No sooner had we anchored than the captain announced there were two active manta rays right beside the ship, so we took our Zodiac ride immediately after breakfast! While we watched from the Zodiacs, our Video Chronicler Ivan filmed these beautiful creatures underwater. Two groups went out to snorkel in the cool water among myriad fish species. We were entertained by a young sea lion gracefully swirling through schools of endemic black striped salema and grabbing small fish as often as he could. In the afternoon, we disembarked on a black sand beach at Puerto Egas. Our naturalists took us inland and then along the coast where we hiked on the black lava shore which has been eroded into tunnels and grottos by the relentless pounding of the sea. The coastal scenery was stunning, the wildlife was varied and abundant, and we once again enjoyed taking many photos of the unique and utterly fearless inhabitants of these enchanted islands.
Sep 21
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National Geographic Islander
We awoke with the ship anchored at the base of Alcedo Volcano and headed off for a nice walk at Urbina Bay. This incredible geological formation did not exist before 1954—it was the sea floor! We walked along the coastal area and saw plenty of Galapagos land iguanas as we headed inland. The surprise of the day was an Alcedo giant tortoise right on the path! We were also delighted with the opportunity to swim from the black sand beach on this sunny morning. The afternoon was spent at Tagus Cove. Once a place for whalers and buccaneers, it was the perfect area for deep-water snorkeling, a long hike to the top of the tuff cone, and a Zodiac ride to observe the unique wildlife of the western part of the archipelago. It was a great day of adventure in Galapagos!
