Bartolome & Santiago Islands
Early in the morning, the sunrays were breaking through the clouds and illuminated the near by volcanic landscape. The spectacular view invited us to take a closer look of the formations. Our hike to the summit of Bartolome Island was full of colors, and it was great to see the contrast of the geological formations with the intense bluish waters surrounding them. After the hike, we came straight back on board for breakfast. Once our appetite was satisfied, we got ready for the second part of the morning activities, which involved swimming, snorkeling and glass bottom boat outings.
The snorkeling was superb, and the abundance of fish species were clearly seen by anybody who adventured anywhere near the pinnacle rock formation. This was an experience that would be hard to forget, not only because of the penguins, but because of the sea lions, the sharks and all the rest of the marine life found here.
During lunch time, our captain repositioned the ship at the westernmost side of Santiago Island. This visitor site provided us with a wide variety of options; all of them were so appealing that a large group of guests decided to simply try it all! One of the options took us along the intertidal zone of Puerto Egas, which was rich in wildlife. We saw playful sealions, lava herons, whimbrels, least sandpipers, marine iguanas, American oyster catchers, and the unusual sighting of the red phalarope.
By the end of the day, we all came back on board for our farewell cocktail party, and with a huge smile of happiness in our faces, we toasted to a safe journey back home!
Early in the morning, the sunrays were breaking through the clouds and illuminated the near by volcanic landscape. The spectacular view invited us to take a closer look of the formations. Our hike to the summit of Bartolome Island was full of colors, and it was great to see the contrast of the geological formations with the intense bluish waters surrounding them. After the hike, we came straight back on board for breakfast. Once our appetite was satisfied, we got ready for the second part of the morning activities, which involved swimming, snorkeling and glass bottom boat outings.
The snorkeling was superb, and the abundance of fish species were clearly seen by anybody who adventured anywhere near the pinnacle rock formation. This was an experience that would be hard to forget, not only because of the penguins, but because of the sea lions, the sharks and all the rest of the marine life found here.
During lunch time, our captain repositioned the ship at the westernmost side of Santiago Island. This visitor site provided us with a wide variety of options; all of them were so appealing that a large group of guests decided to simply try it all! One of the options took us along the intertidal zone of Puerto Egas, which was rich in wildlife. We saw playful sealions, lava herons, whimbrels, least sandpipers, marine iguanas, American oyster catchers, and the unusual sighting of the red phalarope.
By the end of the day, we all came back on board for our farewell cocktail party, and with a huge smile of happiness in our faces, we toasted to a safe journey back home!
