Bartolome & Santiago Islands
We arrived to Bartolome Island early in the morning. Before breakfast we hiked all the way to the summit of this small but beautiful island. With the aid of a 342-step staircase we reached the top. On the way up we observed many craters and spatter and cinder cones. It was such a clear morning that we could see from the top many islands: Isabela, Santa Cruz, Baltra, North Seymour and Santiago Islands.
After breakfast we disembarked once again on Bartolome, this time on a golden beach. Swimming and snorkeling were our main water activities. Some guests chose the option to observe the underwater world from the comfort of the glass bottom boat. We saw many white tip reef sharks, many more than expected.
The afternoon was dedicated to Santiago Island. This island was, in the recent past, a favorite place for pirates, privateers and whalers. Charles Darwin spent several days on Santiago in 1835.
This week we had onboard a couple of Galápagos teachers. Today while visiting the island, one of the teachers, Mr. Edilberto Caiza, told us a fascinating story. He mentioned that he worked in the salt mine of Puerto Egas in Santiago Island in the 1960’s. We organized all the groups who were on the island together under the shade and had Mr. Caiza’s anecdotes translated. He answered many questions as well. It was just like living History! We had a great time.
Many marine iguanas, sea snails, shore birds and a good number of Galápagos fur seals and sea lions were seen during the walk. The whole day was just wonderful!
We arrived to Bartolome Island early in the morning. Before breakfast we hiked all the way to the summit of this small but beautiful island. With the aid of a 342-step staircase we reached the top. On the way up we observed many craters and spatter and cinder cones. It was such a clear morning that we could see from the top many islands: Isabela, Santa Cruz, Baltra, North Seymour and Santiago Islands.
After breakfast we disembarked once again on Bartolome, this time on a golden beach. Swimming and snorkeling were our main water activities. Some guests chose the option to observe the underwater world from the comfort of the glass bottom boat. We saw many white tip reef sharks, many more than expected.
The afternoon was dedicated to Santiago Island. This island was, in the recent past, a favorite place for pirates, privateers and whalers. Charles Darwin spent several days on Santiago in 1835.
This week we had onboard a couple of Galápagos teachers. Today while visiting the island, one of the teachers, Mr. Edilberto Caiza, told us a fascinating story. He mentioned that he worked in the salt mine of Puerto Egas in Santiago Island in the 1960’s. We organized all the groups who were on the island together under the shade and had Mr. Caiza’s anecdotes translated. He answered many questions as well. It was just like living History! We had a great time.
Many marine iguanas, sea snails, shore birds and a good number of Galápagos fur seals and sea lions were seen during the walk. The whole day was just wonderful!
