Bartolomé Island & Sombrero Chino Islet
Bartolomé is one of the best known spots in Galápagos; every single book about the islands has a picture of its breathtaking views. Pinnacle Rock is the most representative symbol of this place – check out the famous movie “Master and Commander” and yes, it is there!
The day started a bit cloudy, but later there was plenty of sun. Early in the morning we had our power hike to climb to the summit of the parasitic volcano that forms part of this island. As soon as we got there, a few Galápagos penguins swam close to the remnants of a cinder cone which forms a ring of lava below the surface of the water; tons of red Sally Lightfoot crabs decorated the tuff formations along the shore.
The geology of Galápagos is the main subject that we as naturalists talk about and interpret to our adventurous guests; cinder cones, spatter cones, petrified lava flows, small lava tunnels and tuff formations are found everywhere you look. It is so dramatic, it seems there is no life on this moonscape; we call it “Mars” and here you can see clearly how the “geology and geography make the biology.”
Walking up the wooden trail we discovered small animal life such as lava lizards, some insects and spiders that hide under the rocks, a few finches, and suddenly… there they are: Galápagos hawks hovering just a few feet above our heads. Wow! What a moment and what luck! They flew over our heads for about 15 minutes; the click, click, click from the cameras is the only sound you heard. They showed up and then they were gone, leaving in our minds an unforgettable moment (yes, those National Geographic moments only seen in great documentaries).
Once on top of Bartholomew Island, you can see great scenery; the whole island itself, Sullivan Bay on James Island, and other surrounding islands.
Back on board we had breakfast and then we tasted the beach of Bartolomé. It is golden with a nice bay where we swam and snorkeled with penguins. These great aquatic birds, endemic to the islands, are the second smallest and northernmost penguins in the world. We also saw sting rays, starfish, and multicolored fish.
After an amazing morning we had lunch, and while sailing to our next destination, Naturalist Antonio Adrian offered us his talk about Charles Darwin in Galápagos. Afterwards anxious snorkelers got ready to jump into deep water to be amazed once more with the spectacular marine life, a part of Galápagos that Darwin never saw. Others headed to a small, white coral sandy beach, on the way getting a Zodiac ride to witness the unique beauty of this paradisiacal place, full of wild nature. We saw the Galápagos penguins gathering to get into their homes (caves) where they would overnight; this was something special for all of us.
As the “frosting on the cake,” at the very moment that I am finishing this summary, all our guests and part of the crew are enjoying a delicious barbecue dinner up on the outer decks; as the great family we are, this will be followed by festivities and dancing prepared by our Expedition Leader, Paula Tagle. Our objective is to enjoy ourselves to the utmost, until the very end of the day, to reinforce the shared humanity and friendship of all who have been living on board for these past days.
