Bartolome Island
We had an impressive day. It all started early in the morning before breakfast with a hike to the top of the tiny Bartolome islet surrounded by several of the major central islands. An “open book of geology” is what we naturalists and visitors call it. It is fairly barren, and it allows us to start our expedition with lava tubes, small craters, spatter cones, tuff formations of all kinds: just endless landscapes.
Soon after our breakfast and once all geared up for the week’s snorkeling, we headed for Bartolome’s pleasant beaches, which we call the golden beaches. Here, some of us crossed a sand dune to view turtles in the shallows, and most of us donned masks and snorkels and practiced our skills among sea lions and tropical fish.
You see, my reader, if you get closer to this picture you can appreciate one of our guests that stayed at the beach for either drawing or writing. I just don’t know (had to be ready on my beach guard duty), but what I do know is the magic that this island brings to us all. A place with birds and reptiles, great weather and clouds, bright light and colorful landscapes: the magic is everywhere around and within us, and I could see it in our guest. I couldn’t help but wonder what it means to him?
In the afternoon, those who really wanted to “do it all” disembarked for some more snorkeling, where we enjoyed an encounter with turtles and different arrays of fish, followed by a faster-paced walk. The rest of us enjoyed a more leisurely nature walk along a fabulous indented shoreline home to myriad sea lions, marine iguanas and shore birds. All walks led to an area of majestic grottoes inhabited by the rare Galápagos fur-seal, and as we returned to our landing beach, we were seen off by an outstanding sunset.
We are just starting our expedition, and tomorrow a new adventure awaits us.
We had an impressive day. It all started early in the morning before breakfast with a hike to the top of the tiny Bartolome islet surrounded by several of the major central islands. An “open book of geology” is what we naturalists and visitors call it. It is fairly barren, and it allows us to start our expedition with lava tubes, small craters, spatter cones, tuff formations of all kinds: just endless landscapes.
Soon after our breakfast and once all geared up for the week’s snorkeling, we headed for Bartolome’s pleasant beaches, which we call the golden beaches. Here, some of us crossed a sand dune to view turtles in the shallows, and most of us donned masks and snorkels and practiced our skills among sea lions and tropical fish.
You see, my reader, if you get closer to this picture you can appreciate one of our guests that stayed at the beach for either drawing or writing. I just don’t know (had to be ready on my beach guard duty), but what I do know is the magic that this island brings to us all. A place with birds and reptiles, great weather and clouds, bright light and colorful landscapes: the magic is everywhere around and within us, and I could see it in our guest. I couldn’t help but wonder what it means to him?
In the afternoon, those who really wanted to “do it all” disembarked for some more snorkeling, where we enjoyed an encounter with turtles and different arrays of fish, followed by a faster-paced walk. The rest of us enjoyed a more leisurely nature walk along a fabulous indented shoreline home to myriad sea lions, marine iguanas and shore birds. All walks led to an area of majestic grottoes inhabited by the rare Galápagos fur-seal, and as we returned to our landing beach, we were seen off by an outstanding sunset.
We are just starting our expedition, and tomorrow a new adventure awaits us.
