Bartolomé & James Islands
This morning we had an early wake-up call to visit one of the most outstanding islands of the archipelago, Bartolomé!!
The pinacle rock of Bartolomé is probably the most photographed landscape in the Galápagos. This morning we could see why this is considered one of the most outstanding geological formations in the archipelago.
After climbing 372 wooden steps we got to the summit of the island. From here we had a spectacular view of the lunar landscape, composed of spatter cones . On the other side we could see the beach from where we went snorkeling , the pinacle rock and, in the background, the island of Santiago. Beside all these wonders we could also see the islands of Daphne Major, Daphne Minor, North Seymour, Baltra and Santa Cruz.
After this wonderful visit we went back on the National Geographic Endeavour to have breakfast and after that we went for our last snorkeling outing. Some of us went for a short walk over a sand dune, some of us went swimming , and some went snorkeling off a beautiful golden beach. Furthermore, some of us had the great opportunity to go on the glass bottom boat to discover a whole new world under the sea.
At noon the National Geographic Endeavour sailed to the island of Santiago to visit Puerto Egas, our last visitor site. After a well deserved nap, we had a wet landing on the black sand of Puerto Egas and we went for another great Walk. This time, we walked inland to observe the Galápagos mockingbird, some of Darwin’s finches, and lava lizards, among other animals. At the end of this trail we found a small group of the endemic Fur seals that were resting in the grottos along the coast of James Bay.
Walking back along the coast was simply the best farewell Galápagos could have given us. The waves were breaking on the black lava, where hundreds of Sally Lightfoot crabs escaped from herons and Oyster cátchers. Simply breathtaking!
Last but not least, the sea lions that welcomed us the first day were there, with their pups, to say goodbye.
