Santiago Island
We started our day on the western side of Santiago Island. After an early wake-up call, we landed at Espumilla Beach, a place covered with an interesting mix of volcanic ash and tiny pieces of olivine. We spotted tracks made by sea turtles and holes made by ghost crabs. After crossing a button mangrove forest we hiked by a brackish water lagoon where we found Bahamas pintail ducks and whimbrels. Then we continued through an area covered by huge Palo Santos trees; the soil was wet, giving a very enjoyable smell. We spotted a couple Galápagos hawks and mockingbirds, then we went back to the beach and back onboard the National Geographic Endeavour. It was a great experience.
Later in the morning we visited Buccaneer Cove, where we had a number of activities such as kayaking, glass-bottom boating and snorkeling. During the snorkeling we spotted surgeon fish, king angelfish, Moorish idols, parrot fish, snappers, grunts and many others; the water visibility was over fifty feet and water temperature around 80F – what a great combination!
On the way to our next destination we had a heavy rain that helped to cool off the weather and make the islands greener. In the afternoon we landed on a black volcanic sand beach; some of our guests went snorkeling and the rest for a hike along the coast of James Bay, Santiago Island. Here we found some interesting lava formations known as grottos, with fur seals and sea lions laying on them, different species of shore birds, lots of marine iguanas, American oystercatchers, sanderlings, and much more.
A great day in the Galápagos!
