Bartolomé & Santiago Islands
We awoke to a clear day and disembarked at Bartolomé Island. For a moment, the landscape gave us the strange sensation of visiting Mars. The warm light from sunrise made the old pyroclastic rock, with its oxidized minerals caused by centuries of sun and rain exposure, glow in many different contrasts. We walked to the top of the main volcano, and had amazing views of the islands, even seeing as far as Pinta and Marchena.
After breakfast, we decided that the beach offered a good snorkelling opportunity. The temperature was much warmer than on the western side of Isabela, which probably means that our weather conditions are changing. After having a swim with penguins and sea lions, we continued sailing toward the western coast of Santiago Island.
Santiago has a rich human history, including pirates, settlers, and a salt mining operation. Charles Darwin once visited here, close to our landing site. The afternoon was just as calm and beautiful as the morning. We had a cool breeze blowing over the water, with bright sunlight illuminating our path.
Most of us did a hike along the coastal area, encountering many shore birds, masses of marine iguanas, and lava sandwiched among compacted ash. Some of us decided to stay on the beach to swim and snorkel. We enjoyed the presence of sea turtles very close to the surface, and the ever-present sea lions, once making us feel awkward in the water, as they did acrobatic manoeuvres all around us. It was another moment in time that I am sure will be hard to forget.
