Bartolomé Island & Chinese Hat
Today was another fantastic day in the Galápagos Islands. We began the exploration with an early hike to the summit of Bartolomé. The splendor of the island impressed us as we arrived. Once in the trail hiking to the summit, the lava flows and the volcanic formations made us feel as if we’d been transported back in time to when the island’s volcano was still active. The pioneer plants that are colonizing the place offer the perfect color contrast for a marvelous landscape. As we reached the summit, we found the most spectacular view of Bartolomé with the mythical Pinnacle Rock in the background.
When we returned to National Geographic Endeavour, it was time to prepare for next adventure of the day: deep-water snorkeling. We wet-landed on an orange sand beach near the Pinnacle Rock. As soon as we climbed into the water, the color combination of the fish we saw was magnificent. Sea lions were the perfect companions for an agreeable swimming and snorkeling activities. As noon arrived, it was time to continue with the exploration of the Galápagos Islands.
In the afternoon the adventure only improved. The perfect way to begin our afternoon journey was with a second deep-water snorkeling outing at Chinese Hat Island. The magnificence of the place was very pleasant as we swam with white-tipped reef sharks, spotted eagle rays, and Galápagos penguins.
At the end of our exploration, we finished with a wonderful Zodiac cruise along the channel in between Chinese Hat and Santiago Island. During this last activity, we felt blessed by the wonders of nature as we were surrounded by a lot of shorebirds, baby sea lions, and Galápagos penguins. Today was a day to remember at the living paradise of the Galápagos Islands.
