Bartholomew and Santiago Islands
Today early (6:30am), we left the Islander for our first landing of the cruise. It was a sunny day, and the ocean was very smooth. It was an easy dry landing on a jetty, and a few feet forward, we were walking on volcanic ash going up to the top of the island.
Two groups, willing to get their muscles going, went up first on non-stop walks all the way to the summit; the other two took it more at leisure and began their walks admiring and learning from the start the geology of the island, which is like a geology book of the archipelago.
After we came back for an excellent breakfast, Cindy explained how to use the snorkeling gear, where to get it (the naturalist history staff did the work here) and other details; about 10:00 am we were out for a wet landing on a golden beach. There was a penguin in the area and some sea lions. Those who went across to the other beach got to see some white tip reef sharks which were feeding right at the shore. Then we went back to the landing beach to do some snorkeling.
Later, in between lunch and our third landing of the day, Cindy gave her well timed and clarifying introductory lecture about the natural setting of the islands.
The afternoon started at James Bay in Santiago. Here too, we had an option. Some guests chose to go snorkeling first and then make a fast walk; while others went straight for a longer, beautiful walk by a lava field bordered by the sea, full of small ponds and inlets with marine life. It was also sunny and windy enough to make it a very pleasant excursion. There were marine iguanas feeding on green algae fields (covered with fire red sally light foot crabs) which were exposed outside the water during low tide; there were sea lions basking on the lava, a Galápagos hawk, yellow warblers catching insects, a couple of pelicans drying their wings and at the end of the walk we saw some fur seals sleeping on ledges around the grotto, where, to our surprise, there were three sea turtles swimming inside accompanied by a white-tipped reef shark. We came back at sunset to enjoy some “ceviche” offered on the sun deck.
Today early (6:30am), we left the Islander for our first landing of the cruise. It was a sunny day, and the ocean was very smooth. It was an easy dry landing on a jetty, and a few feet forward, we were walking on volcanic ash going up to the top of the island.
Two groups, willing to get their muscles going, went up first on non-stop walks all the way to the summit; the other two took it more at leisure and began their walks admiring and learning from the start the geology of the island, which is like a geology book of the archipelago.
After we came back for an excellent breakfast, Cindy explained how to use the snorkeling gear, where to get it (the naturalist history staff did the work here) and other details; about 10:00 am we were out for a wet landing on a golden beach. There was a penguin in the area and some sea lions. Those who went across to the other beach got to see some white tip reef sharks which were feeding right at the shore. Then we went back to the landing beach to do some snorkeling.
Later, in between lunch and our third landing of the day, Cindy gave her well timed and clarifying introductory lecture about the natural setting of the islands.
The afternoon started at James Bay in Santiago. Here too, we had an option. Some guests chose to go snorkeling first and then make a fast walk; while others went straight for a longer, beautiful walk by a lava field bordered by the sea, full of small ponds and inlets with marine life. It was also sunny and windy enough to make it a very pleasant excursion. There were marine iguanas feeding on green algae fields (covered with fire red sally light foot crabs) which were exposed outside the water during low tide; there were sea lions basking on the lava, a Galápagos hawk, yellow warblers catching insects, a couple of pelicans drying their wings and at the end of the walk we saw some fur seals sleeping on ledges around the grotto, where, to our surprise, there were three sea turtles swimming inside accompanied by a white-tipped reef shark. We came back at sunset to enjoy some “ceviche” offered on the sun deck.
