Bartolomé and Santiago Islands
There are many different ways of learning and one of the finest is with the exposure to nature. Our eyes would be the window to see the amazing world of wilderness that these precious islands posses. Both islands, Bartolomé and Santiago, were the perfect combination of isolation and wilderness, and our guests had the chance to experience them both in various levels.
The walk in the morning was a vivid example of how the moon is suppose to look like; desolated and inhospitable looking, the lava formations contrasted with the colors of the surrounding hills. It was our presence which did not contrast in such barren space, since it seemed as we were the only living creatures walking the hills of Bartolomé.
After breakfast we went to a near by beach that offered one of the best under water experiences of the week! The sand was “goldenish,” splashed with dense patches of green vegetation. As we were walking along the beach we saw pelicans feeding their chicks and oyster catchers foraging. Some of our guests were learning how to snorkel, while others, more experienced, were already discovering the excitement of the deeper areas.
In the afternoon we went to visit the western side of James Island and fortunately we had a great encounter with a group of bottle nosed dolphins; a place called Puerto Egas was our encounter with both nature and human history. Our first contact with the island was a pitch black beach covered with lazy sea lions. We took a walk along the intertidel zone of this area and it turned out to be another spectacular visit. It would be hard for me to mention everything that we saw, but watching a female sea lion nursing her baby made a strong impression in most of us. The day ended with a very nice sunset and as the gentle giant disappeared in the horizon and “burning” red and orange colors took over the sky. It was too perfect to be true!
There are many different ways of learning and one of the finest is with the exposure to nature. Our eyes would be the window to see the amazing world of wilderness that these precious islands posses. Both islands, Bartolomé and Santiago, were the perfect combination of isolation and wilderness, and our guests had the chance to experience them both in various levels.
The walk in the morning was a vivid example of how the moon is suppose to look like; desolated and inhospitable looking, the lava formations contrasted with the colors of the surrounding hills. It was our presence which did not contrast in such barren space, since it seemed as we were the only living creatures walking the hills of Bartolomé.
After breakfast we went to a near by beach that offered one of the best under water experiences of the week! The sand was “goldenish,” splashed with dense patches of green vegetation. As we were walking along the beach we saw pelicans feeding their chicks and oyster catchers foraging. Some of our guests were learning how to snorkel, while others, more experienced, were already discovering the excitement of the deeper areas.
In the afternoon we went to visit the western side of James Island and fortunately we had a great encounter with a group of bottle nosed dolphins; a place called Puerto Egas was our encounter with both nature and human history. Our first contact with the island was a pitch black beach covered with lazy sea lions. We took a walk along the intertidel zone of this area and it turned out to be another spectacular visit. It would be hard for me to mention everything that we saw, but watching a female sea lion nursing her baby made a strong impression in most of us. The day ended with a very nice sunset and as the gentle giant disappeared in the horizon and “burning” red and orange colors took over the sky. It was too perfect to be true!
