Bartolomé & Santiago Island
An early weather update by our Expedition Leader Jason is what is necessary almost every day, especially on the last day when we think that everything is over. Maybe we all are wrong, even for us the naturalist staff. After all, Bartolome is one of the most visited places in the Galápagos Islands. It just recently received a special treatment and elevated path.
As a personal experience, I remember that when I was just four years old, my first memories were from this place and probably the most incredible moment was when a guest that was 97 years old climbed up the volcano at the time when the wooden steps were part of a dream. Some of the visitors at that time walked all the way up without any help. Just the naturalist and one extra crew member were the most helpful. Now many others ships also visit this beautiful area.
After disembarking very early in the morning, the first sunrays showed to us the different contrast of the primitive history of the geology already extinct on Bartolome, but we could look into the dark past written on the weird structures of the rocks and the twisted lava flows that weren’t able to form solid lava tubes. Some lichens are trying to claim the well eroded volcanic surfaces along with the lava cactus and some small bushes named tiquilias, also known as the pioneer plants, are too.
After the fast ascent and the incredible visit to the last part also known as the lookout of Bartolome, the last group arrived and some of the naturalist collected most of our guests’ cameras and we took the chance to take some good pictures with the Pinnacle Rock behind the group of almost 30 guests. We spent a good time, but breakfast time arrived so we moved back to the National Geographic Endeavour.
After breakfast we saw many of our guests already lined up in the disembarkation area to walk to the other beach of Bartolome. Others were just waiting for the great glass bottom boat and the snorkel off the beach. Some of the structures that we observed are what remains of some volcanoes, including the famous Pinnacle Rock, which is a cinder cone well eroded by time. Just behind it, Galápagos penguins are nesting in some small lava tubes in this unusual location.
And finally, last but not least, the afternoon at James Island was another interesting location to spend the our last afternoon in this paradise. Some of us preferred to stay at the beach, but the hike in this historical Island is well appreciated by almost anyone that enjoys migratory birds. It is also a place that not only our guests enjoy, but sometimes our crew members disembark to play, at probably most remote location on earth, some soccer. This is a thousand kilometers from the closest place to play soccer on the mainland of Ecuador. It sounds odd, but it is a must of every crew member to have that experience. At the same time, Naturalists and guests are looking forward on the trails for the Galápagos fur Seals that, in the past, had their populations reduced to a few hundred because of their fur. We got to see some American oyster catchers that were incubating a couple of eggs.
It was a wonderful day in the Galápagos.
