North Seymour and Rábida, 7/3/2022, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
For this first full day, we started with a walk over North Seymour Island, located on the north side of Baltra Island (officially known as South Seymour). This uplifted island is also known as Bird Island. It is home to a nice community of marine birds, such as blue-footed boobies, two species of frigatebirds, and swallow-tailed gulls (the only nocturnal gull).
For our afternoon activities, we snorkeled by a red colored beach on Rábida island. We concluded the day with a stroll over an iron-oxide beach. Along the trail, we explored a saltwater lagoon with sixteen American flamingos. We even saw some nests!
Felipe’s connection with the Galapagos Archipelago dates back to his great grandparents, who came to the islands in the 1930s. The Wittmer family moved to the island of Floreana and were one of the first families to settle in the Galapagos. Felipe’s ...
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Today was our last day in the western part of the archipelago. It was special to see creatures that can only be found in this region of the Galapagos, like Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants. Guests enjoyed water activities. Some went snorkeling while others enjoyed a relaxed kayaking and paddleboarding along the calm shore of Tagus Cove. We finished the day with an invigorating walk to a beautiful viewpoint, from which we could see the vastness of the Bolivar Canal in between Fernandina and Isabela Islands.
We are cruising around the islands with the most active volcanoes of the Galapagos, and we can see the shapes of these shield volcanoes from the ship. This interesting landscape is very characteristic of the western islands, which are the youngest in the archipelago. The early morning outing to Punta Espinoza is always one of the highlights of this expedition. An interesting and pristine paradise in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, this place is full of life. There is no other place in the world where you must watch your step so carefully to avoid the marine iguanas that are basking in the sun. They do this to thermoregulate their body heat so they can survive in this tropical environment. After the hikes, we prepared for a deep-water snorkeling activity. The conditions were great, and we enjoyed this bay. It was full of wildlife, including green sea turtles, marine iguanas feeding underwater, playful Galapagos sea lions, different schools of fish, flightless cormorants deep diving, and even Galapagos penguins that passed by as they tried to get some food. Back on board, we enjoyed a lunch of Mexican food with delicious margaritas and three chocolate desserts! After lunch, we enjoyed more outings. During Zodiac rides along the coast of Punta Vicente Roca, we observed the volcanic landscape. The area has abundant and amazing wildlife due to the upwelling of the Cromwell Current, which provides a wealth of nutrients to the waters. Back on the ship, we were invited to a wine tasting event while we cruised by the collapsed caldera of Volcan Ecuador. As we crossed the Ecuadorian line, we were surprised by a visit from some “local pirates.” The visit created a great atmosphere and helped us celebrate a wonderful day on this expedition. We enjoyed a gorgeous sunset from the observation deck.
During our first full day, guests of National Geographic Endeavour II explored North Seymour Island during the morning. Everybody went on a hike to observe and photograph marine birds, like blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigatebirds. During the afternoon, guests had the chance to snorkel and hike on Rabida Island.
