North Seymour & Rabida Islands, 4/28/2019, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
During our first full day of the voyage, the guests of National Geographic Endeavour II explored North Seymour Island, where everybody went on a morning hike to observe and photograph marine birds like frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies. During the afternoon, our guests had the chance to snorkel and hike in Rabida Island.
Salvador Cazar studied biology at the Universidad Nacional Del Sur, Bahía Blanca, in Argentina and at the Catholic University of Ecuador. Between 1988 and 1994, Salvador worked as a naturalist and tour leader for several national and international to...
Matthew grew up on the Gulf of Mexico, where a love of geography, culture and history were instilled at a young age. He studied anthropology at California State University, Chico, and soon began working at the Advanced Laboratory for Visual Anthropol...
Isabela Island accounts for over 50% of the total land mass of the Galapagos Archipelago. The island has five main active volcanoes, and every couple of years they present volcanic activity. Each volcano had developed its own kind of giant tortoise, from saddleback to dome-shaped carapaces. This interesting fact is what intrigues scientists and our National Geographic Gemini guests.
Our adventure on Santa Cruz Island began early in the morning with a visit to the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center. We observed the different stages of the program, where the main attraction was the hatchling corrals. After our morning walk, we headed to the highlands to visit the ecological Trapiche Farm where me met Mr. Cabrera, heard his stories, met his family, and learned about all the sugarcane products that he harvests from the farm. Next, we went to the Manzanillo Tortoise Ranch, and after a delicious lunch we started our nature walk looking for the giants. We learned about their ecological roles, their migration routes, and why these creatures are so important for the islands. At night, we enjoyed a great performance by the Ecoarte group, local musicians and dancers that revealed more about the culture of the islands. It was a truly unforgettable day and we left Santa Cruz Island with a deeper appreciation for this remarkable ecosystem.
During a calm and nocturnal navigation, we made it to the western region of the archipelago. Here, colder temperatures enrich the waters, providing better quality and quantity of food for the species in the area. This is reflected in the size and numbers of the marine iguanas and the amazing amount of sea turtles we saw during snorkeling today at Fernandina. We are so excited to keep exploring this amazing destination aboard National Geographic Gemini. Photos by Walter Perez and Ixora Berdonces
