Bartholomew & Santiago Islands
It became a habit this week to wake up early. This time it was to explore the island of Bartholomew and climb the 370 steps before the fierce equatorial sun could shine down on us. Just after leaving the ship, we saw penguins and pelicans in a feeding frenzy. Sea lions were blocking the dockside, so we had to convince them to go for a swim. Once safely on land, the wonderful scenery of the island opened up for us. Walking between the pioneer plants that showed us their extraordinary adaptation to this harsh climate, some lava lizards were running in front of us, guiding us up the hill. Wooden steps made the ascent to the top so much easier and the rewarding panoramic view was as spectacular as expected. The cloudy conditions made a palette of contrasting colors, with the famous Pinnacle Rock forming a striking centerpiece. Once back down, a well-deserved breakfast was served on the sundeck. A wet landing later, a short stroll took us over a dune to a small beach where white-tipped reef sharks were swimming in front of our feet and hawks were having their breakfast after catching a frigate bird. A ride in the glass-bottom boat gave us a glimpse of the abundant fish life, but a lot of attention was also paid to the playful penguins that came to visit us alongside the boat.
During lunch, the Polaris – our floating home – made her way towards our next visitor site, Puerto Egas on the island of Santiago. Here we had our last chance to complete our fish list, snorkeling from the beach. Afterwards, a short, easy walk brought us over a coastline that could be described as classical music transformed into seashore. We said “Hasta la vista – see you next time” to the marine iguanas, California sea lions and their colleagues, the Galapagos fur sea lions. Lots of shorebirds were also spotted and a beautiful sunset completed our expedition. However, beware – tonight we have a full moon on a Friday the 13th.
It became a habit this week to wake up early. This time it was to explore the island of Bartholomew and climb the 370 steps before the fierce equatorial sun could shine down on us. Just after leaving the ship, we saw penguins and pelicans in a feeding frenzy. Sea lions were blocking the dockside, so we had to convince them to go for a swim. Once safely on land, the wonderful scenery of the island opened up for us. Walking between the pioneer plants that showed us their extraordinary adaptation to this harsh climate, some lava lizards were running in front of us, guiding us up the hill. Wooden steps made the ascent to the top so much easier and the rewarding panoramic view was as spectacular as expected. The cloudy conditions made a palette of contrasting colors, with the famous Pinnacle Rock forming a striking centerpiece. Once back down, a well-deserved breakfast was served on the sundeck. A wet landing later, a short stroll took us over a dune to a small beach where white-tipped reef sharks were swimming in front of our feet and hawks were having their breakfast after catching a frigate bird. A ride in the glass-bottom boat gave us a glimpse of the abundant fish life, but a lot of attention was also paid to the playful penguins that came to visit us alongside the boat.
During lunch, the Polaris – our floating home – made her way towards our next visitor site, Puerto Egas on the island of Santiago. Here we had our last chance to complete our fish list, snorkeling from the beach. Afterwards, a short, easy walk brought us over a coastline that could be described as classical music transformed into seashore. We said “Hasta la vista – see you next time” to the marine iguanas, California sea lions and their colleagues, the Galapagos fur sea lions. Lots of shorebirds were also spotted and a beautiful sunset completed our expedition. However, beware – tonight we have a full moon on a Friday the 13th.
