Bartolome & Santiago Islands
“Good morning, good morning!” let us know it was time to get started with our last day here in the Galápagos. The early risers, now the majority of the boat, enjoyed a Zodiac ride to Bartolome Island. We climbed 374 steps to the summit and experienced breathtaking views of the famous Pinnacle Rock.
After breakfast, we headed out to the first beach and snorkeled. I will remember this day for the rest of my life, swimming beside sea turtles, above a white-tipped reef shark, through schools of fish, and among a group of penguins. The animals here act as if we are part of the natural environment; sea lions played with us and penguins swam as part of our group.
We returned to the boat, spent some time in the sun and ate a yummy lunch (again). We eagerly prepared for another snorkeling trip, this time on a black sand beach with another variety of options. Some of us stayed to watch the crew’s soccer game while others snorkeled off the beach. This was another amazing adventure, filled with enormous schools of fish and several giant sea turtles, one even eating a sea urchin. After the snorkelers shared their excitement, we headed out on a walk over pahoe-hoe lava flows in search of fur sea lions and shore birds. We were not disappointed; we can head home having seen baby fur seals, a lava heron, a great blue heron, a great variety of land birds, and many marine iguanas basking in the sun.
The finale to our trip was the Captain’s Dinner where we reminisced about the past week. The kids reminded us of the many animals we have seen (in full costumes) and we all shared our favorite memories.
I don’t want to go home. This trip has been far more than I ever imagined and I don’t think anything will ever compare to the Galápagos, not to mention the incredible naturalists and crew. We owe them a million thanks for their knowledge and for making this the trip of a lifetime.
“Good morning, good morning!” let us know it was time to get started with our last day here in the Galápagos. The early risers, now the majority of the boat, enjoyed a Zodiac ride to Bartolome Island. We climbed 374 steps to the summit and experienced breathtaking views of the famous Pinnacle Rock.
After breakfast, we headed out to the first beach and snorkeled. I will remember this day for the rest of my life, swimming beside sea turtles, above a white-tipped reef shark, through schools of fish, and among a group of penguins. The animals here act as if we are part of the natural environment; sea lions played with us and penguins swam as part of our group.
We returned to the boat, spent some time in the sun and ate a yummy lunch (again). We eagerly prepared for another snorkeling trip, this time on a black sand beach with another variety of options. Some of us stayed to watch the crew’s soccer game while others snorkeled off the beach. This was another amazing adventure, filled with enormous schools of fish and several giant sea turtles, one even eating a sea urchin. After the snorkelers shared their excitement, we headed out on a walk over pahoe-hoe lava flows in search of fur sea lions and shore birds. We were not disappointed; we can head home having seen baby fur seals, a lava heron, a great blue heron, a great variety of land birds, and many marine iguanas basking in the sun.
The finale to our trip was the Captain’s Dinner where we reminisced about the past week. The kids reminded us of the many animals we have seen (in full costumes) and we all shared our favorite memories.
I don’t want to go home. This trip has been far more than I ever imagined and I don’t think anything will ever compare to the Galápagos, not to mention the incredible naturalists and crew. We owe them a million thanks for their knowledge and for making this the trip of a lifetime.
