Bartolomé and Santiago Islands
When we awoke at 6:00am, it was a bit foggy and misty. The conditions were agreeable for a hike to the summit of Bartolomé Island, which is a tuff cone. We climbed more than 376 steps to reach the top! Our walk started at 6:30am, before breakfast. Our guests are always enthusiastic for what comes next. In my opinion there is always something new to explore and to discover. As we reached the summit, we had a spectacular view of the complete island, locally called the “volcanic moon landscape.” We could identify other islands as well. In front of us we saw Santiago and few other smaller islands like Rabida, Chinese Hat, Bainbridge Rocks and Santa Cruz – the second largest island in Galápagos. We identified Baltra and North Seymour, the islands we visited yesterday.
After a well-deserved breakfast, our guests geared up with snorkeling equipment and wetsuits. After a wet landing on a golden volcanic beach located nearby the famous formation of Bartolomé known as the “Pinnacle Rock,” we enjoyed snorkeling in refreshing waters – some guests saw a shark! Others preferred to stroll along the warm beach to enjoy the wonderful weather and landscape. We returned to National Geographic Islander to enjoy a typical Ecuadorian feast at lunch.
In the afternoon some guests practiced kayaking in the calm waters along the Coast of Santiago Island while others disembarked on a beautiful black volcanic beach. Here they went swimming, snorkeled and took many photos. We observed with amusement an alpha male sea lion barking.
After about an hour, we all met at the beach to go for a walk along the coastline of Puerto Egas. Along the way we learned how to tell Galápagos sea lions from Galápagos fur seals. We observed the different formations of tuff volcanic ash and sediments of lava, which are intermingled creating beautiful patterns. In the cracks, coves and caves many endemic marine iguanas were seen basking among the colorful red Sally Lightfoot crabs. We spotted some interesting migratory bird species, including some boobies and pelicans along this wonderful walk. Santiago Island has beautiful scenery as well. Finally we reached the grottos, which are formations of lava tubes at the intertidal zone; here we found the largest concentration of animals in Puerto Egas. Children and their parents enjoyed this walk very much and returned to the boat for a good rest. It was a great day in the enchanted islands.
