Bartolome and Santiago Islands
Today we embarked on the first full day of a fabulous adventure exploring the fabled Galápagos Islands. Any fanciful idea we might have had about lush tropical islands was soon dispelled as we awoke bright and early to explore the islet of Bartolome, nicknamed by many a “textbook of geology.” The Galápagos, although straddling the equator in the Pacific Ocean over 700 miles from the nearest continental landmass, are bathed by often cold and nutrient rich waters that cool off the overlying air. The latter does not rise, thus no condensation or precipitation occurs, giving rise to the barren, desert-like landscapes that have been our surroundings since arriving here yesterday afternoon.
This particular islet is found in the rainshadow of two much larger islands, thus the spectacular volcanic scenery is starkly present, for all to admire. Those who chose to awake early and hike to the top of a small volcanic cone were greeted by unforgettable views of a palette of browns, reds and black – vividly interrupted by a brilliant splash of greenery and the deep blue waters of the surrounding ocean.
After breakfast, we landed on one of the pretty orange beaches sported by the islet, and many crossed a sand dune to the far beach, where turtles unashamedly copulated in the shallows and small reef sharks were visible among the small breakers. The rest of the morning was spent practising our snorkelling skills in the calm shallows of our landing beach, or adventuring out around the majestic pinnacle rock, where sea turtles, sharks, myriad reef fish and even small penguins were sighted by our intrepid snorkelers.
On returning to the Islander for lunch, we sailed on several miles along the stark northern coast of the fourth largest island in the group, Santiago Island, until reaching a bay named “Puerto Egas” after a small, short-lived salt mining community that had established there in the nineteen sixties. Although evidence of the settlement can still be found around the landing area, the rest of the island retains the wild, untouched, stark beauty so typical of the Galapagos. A hike through arid desert led us to an area of grottoes inhabited by the unique Galápagos fur seal, after which we kept on through an intertidal zone exposed by low tidal conditions, which was actively exploited by marine iguanas, dazzling Sally Lightfoot crabs, many migratory and resident shore birds as well as the Galápagos sea lions recovering their energy and feeding their pups while basking in the late afternoon sun.
Many remained ashore as long as possible to await a spectacular sunset and the very last rays of light of a fantastic day.
Today we embarked on the first full day of a fabulous adventure exploring the fabled Galápagos Islands. Any fanciful idea we might have had about lush tropical islands was soon dispelled as we awoke bright and early to explore the islet of Bartolome, nicknamed by many a “textbook of geology.” The Galápagos, although straddling the equator in the Pacific Ocean over 700 miles from the nearest continental landmass, are bathed by often cold and nutrient rich waters that cool off the overlying air. The latter does not rise, thus no condensation or precipitation occurs, giving rise to the barren, desert-like landscapes that have been our surroundings since arriving here yesterday afternoon.
This particular islet is found in the rainshadow of two much larger islands, thus the spectacular volcanic scenery is starkly present, for all to admire. Those who chose to awake early and hike to the top of a small volcanic cone were greeted by unforgettable views of a palette of browns, reds and black – vividly interrupted by a brilliant splash of greenery and the deep blue waters of the surrounding ocean.
After breakfast, we landed on one of the pretty orange beaches sported by the islet, and many crossed a sand dune to the far beach, where turtles unashamedly copulated in the shallows and small reef sharks were visible among the small breakers. The rest of the morning was spent practising our snorkelling skills in the calm shallows of our landing beach, or adventuring out around the majestic pinnacle rock, where sea turtles, sharks, myriad reef fish and even small penguins were sighted by our intrepid snorkelers.
On returning to the Islander for lunch, we sailed on several miles along the stark northern coast of the fourth largest island in the group, Santiago Island, until reaching a bay named “Puerto Egas” after a small, short-lived salt mining community that had established there in the nineteen sixties. Although evidence of the settlement can still be found around the landing area, the rest of the island retains the wild, untouched, stark beauty so typical of the Galapagos. A hike through arid desert led us to an area of grottoes inhabited by the unique Galápagos fur seal, after which we kept on through an intertidal zone exposed by low tidal conditions, which was actively exploited by marine iguanas, dazzling Sally Lightfoot crabs, many migratory and resident shore birds as well as the Galápagos sea lions recovering their energy and feeding their pups while basking in the late afternoon sun.
Many remained ashore as long as possible to await a spectacular sunset and the very last rays of light of a fantastic day.
