Punta Pitt and Leon Dormido
Today we wake up at a spectacular anchorage at the northern tip of San Cristobal. This island has two distinct parts, and we are visiting the more recent part. We see big eroded tuff cones linked with vast stretches of lava ending in long beaches. A small islet just off the coast is home to many different seabirds. San Cristobal has several endemic plants and animals, the most charismatic being the mockingbird and the lava lizard. The first was brought back to England as a specimen by Charles Darwin, and made Darwin draw some important conclusions, since he noticed remarkable differences between its cousins, the mockingbirds of Española and Floreana. One observation we can make quite quickly is that these mockingbirds seem to slowly evolve into a flightless species, for almost all the foraging behavior of this bird takes place on the ground and in the undergrowth, where it feeds on seeds, fruits and insects. When you compare all four species of mockingbirds in Galápagos with other species known worldwide you can clearly see larger legs and smaller wings in the first species. We have a great time talking about all this since a particularly curious mockingbird decided to escort us for a while on our hike up in the hills of Punta Pitt. Later on the walk we also see a small colony of Red-footed boobies, situated on the cliffs we walk along. We see bright red Galápagos carpet weed making a striking view combined with the blue of the ocean and the yellow of the tuff. There is a light breeze and the strong equatorial sun is interrupted frequently with some welcome clouds. High in the sky we see many frigate birds hanging still, and we learn there is a colony up the 1,000-foot high tuff cliffs although we don’t spot any nests because they are too far.
Later in the afternoon we have one last snorkeling outing along a very dramatic islet consisting once again of tuff. We swim along a vertical wall soaring up the heights of 300ft and drop underwater about the same distance. We marvel at the colorful wall adorned with many benthic species like echinoderms, sponges and mollusks. In the deep water surrounding this rock we spot many Galápagos sharks, green sea turtles and many different species of reef fish.
Back on board we circumnavigate this stunning geological feature, taking pictures with the soft light of the setting sun. It has been a very busy week packed with unforgettable encounters, many moments of fun, new friendships made and a new love found for this special equatorial archipelago.
