Bartolome & Santiago Islands
It is Day One on our expedition, and after a short navigation the National Geographic Islander dropped anchor at Bartolome. This island is located east of Santiago, and to many is considered a jewel in the crown. Despite its small size, this island contains countless volcanic features, like spatter and tuff cones of various sizes, as well as lava tubes that we could easily see from the trail. The plan for the morning was to land at Bartolome and hike to its summit. A wooden boardwalk and stairs to its peak made our trek easier. And once we conquered it, we were stunned by the breathtaking views of the area and neighboring Santiago: cones, craters and black lava flows, blue sea & skies and ochre colors of the surrounding rocks.
Afterwards, we had a chance to enjoy the rusty-colored beaches of Bartolome. The south-facing beach of this island is a very important sea turtle nesting area, so a short excursion to it was a must. Some predatory birds were patrolling this beach from the air, like a couple of Galápagos hawks and several frigates, one of which managed to successfully get away with a turtle hatchling.
Snorkeling in the Galápagos Islands is a wonderful experience, and today many of our guests had the opportunity to practice their skills. Several species of fish were observed, amongst them creole fish, salemas, Mexican hogfish and even some white-tipped reef sharks! Towards midday, it was time to make our way back on board the NG Islander, as another navigation was in schedule.
In the afternoon, our next expedition took us to James Bay, located on the western coast of Santiago. Another wet landing awaited us, this time on a black sandy beach. Santiago was a favorite island to past buccaneers and privateers, who found fresh water, good anchorages and tortoise meat here. Nowadays, it is one of the most spectacular coastal excursions found in the islands.
This afternoon, our guests were amazed by the endemic and unique marine iguanas that we could find in seemingly endless numbers. A Galápagos hawk perching on a tree was observing the whole area, while we were entertained by the ever-busy Galápagos lava lizards along the trail.
As the warm sun started to set, we made our way back to the landing beach, as it was time to leave the island. New adventures await us tomorrow, and we are certainly keen on finding out about them.
It is Day One on our expedition, and after a short navigation the National Geographic Islander dropped anchor at Bartolome. This island is located east of Santiago, and to many is considered a jewel in the crown. Despite its small size, this island contains countless volcanic features, like spatter and tuff cones of various sizes, as well as lava tubes that we could easily see from the trail. The plan for the morning was to land at Bartolome and hike to its summit. A wooden boardwalk and stairs to its peak made our trek easier. And once we conquered it, we were stunned by the breathtaking views of the area and neighboring Santiago: cones, craters and black lava flows, blue sea & skies and ochre colors of the surrounding rocks.
Afterwards, we had a chance to enjoy the rusty-colored beaches of Bartolome. The south-facing beach of this island is a very important sea turtle nesting area, so a short excursion to it was a must. Some predatory birds were patrolling this beach from the air, like a couple of Galápagos hawks and several frigates, one of which managed to successfully get away with a turtle hatchling.
Snorkeling in the Galápagos Islands is a wonderful experience, and today many of our guests had the opportunity to practice their skills. Several species of fish were observed, amongst them creole fish, salemas, Mexican hogfish and even some white-tipped reef sharks! Towards midday, it was time to make our way back on board the NG Islander, as another navigation was in schedule.
In the afternoon, our next expedition took us to James Bay, located on the western coast of Santiago. Another wet landing awaited us, this time on a black sandy beach. Santiago was a favorite island to past buccaneers and privateers, who found fresh water, good anchorages and tortoise meat here. Nowadays, it is one of the most spectacular coastal excursions found in the islands.
This afternoon, our guests were amazed by the endemic and unique marine iguanas that we could find in seemingly endless numbers. A Galápagos hawk perching on a tree was observing the whole area, while we were entertained by the ever-busy Galápagos lava lizards along the trail.
As the warm sun started to set, we made our way back to the landing beach, as it was time to leave the island. New adventures await us tomorrow, and we are certainly keen on finding out about them.
