Bartolomé Island & Santiago Island
Just before 6:30 am we were ready for our first outing to one of the most famous sites on Galápagos, Bartolomé and its Pinnacle Rock. We were welcomed by a couple of sea lions at the landing site and after they allowed us to disembark, we headed up to the summit of the island, observing on the way the beautiful moon landscape that reminds us of the beginning of Earth. Pioneer plants such as the Tiquilia and Lava cactus show us how plants colonize the islands and the volcanic formations, and how islands were created.
After seeing a fantastic view from the top of the island we headed back to our ship for breakfast. Immediately after, we landed on the beach for the opportunity to snorkel for the first time! Lots of different fish, a group of Galápagos penguins and a white tip shark made the first snorkel a very good introduction to Galápagos marine life.
By noon it was time for lunch, and this time, a tasty Ecuadorian buffet lunch was waiting for us!
In the afternoon, after a good siesta, many options were offered to our guests: our first kayak outing, swimming or snorkeling from the beach, and of course the walk along the shoreline of Puerto Egas to see marine iguanas, sea lions and the highlight of the afternoon, the fur seals’ grottos.
We were not disappointed at all and by the end of afternoon, we left Santiago Island with a beautiful sunset behind it and big smiles on our faces.
