Bartolome & Santiago Islands
We took an early morning hike to the summit of Bartolome Island and encountered great weather that allowed us to enjoy a spectacular view of Pinnacle Rock. All of the pioneer plants are in blossom, and the very small lava lizards are at the peak of their reproductive stage where the females display their very intense red color on their throat. A solitary snake was present but at the same time impressed us with its torpor being totally oblivious to our presence. We were surrounded by the charming presence of the numerous Spatter cones that dominated the landscape. A couple of hours late,r we were snorkeling at the base of Pinnacle Rock being escorted by a Galápagos Penguin, a White Tip Reef Shark and myriads of fish.
At noon, we were blessed again this time with the presence of at least 150 Pacific Bottle Nose Dolphins. We paid a visit to them aboard the Zodiacs and accompanied them for half an hour, seeing them rejoicing in their swimming, surfing the waves we created.
In the afternoon, we found how refreshing the ocean was; it was eighty degrees Fahrenheit! The hike took place all the way up to the Fur Seals Grottos where we found as many as twelve individuals in the most leisure positions. What a life! And certainly we felt invigorated. The tide was coming in so many Marine Iguanas were visible along the shore, as well as a very high number of shore birds such as the Whimbrels and Plovers. The resident Oystercatchers were resting on the rocks together with the lava herons that were very active.
At the end of the day, we were in peace with ourselves having had such a delightful time.
We took an early morning hike to the summit of Bartolome Island and encountered great weather that allowed us to enjoy a spectacular view of Pinnacle Rock. All of the pioneer plants are in blossom, and the very small lava lizards are at the peak of their reproductive stage where the females display their very intense red color on their throat. A solitary snake was present but at the same time impressed us with its torpor being totally oblivious to our presence. We were surrounded by the charming presence of the numerous Spatter cones that dominated the landscape. A couple of hours late,r we were snorkeling at the base of Pinnacle Rock being escorted by a Galápagos Penguin, a White Tip Reef Shark and myriads of fish.
At noon, we were blessed again this time with the presence of at least 150 Pacific Bottle Nose Dolphins. We paid a visit to them aboard the Zodiacs and accompanied them for half an hour, seeing them rejoicing in their swimming, surfing the waves we created.
In the afternoon, we found how refreshing the ocean was; it was eighty degrees Fahrenheit! The hike took place all the way up to the Fur Seals Grottos where we found as many as twelve individuals in the most leisure positions. What a life! And certainly we felt invigorated. The tide was coming in so many Marine Iguanas were visible along the shore, as well as a very high number of shore birds such as the Whimbrels and Plovers. The resident Oystercatchers were resting on the rocks together with the lava herons that were very active.
At the end of the day, we were in peace with ourselves having had such a delightful time.
