Learn more about our Health & Safety Protocols, Good Faith Guarantee, Reactivation FAQ. 

North Seymour and Rábida Islands

View all info

  • Daily Expedition Reports
  • 13 Sep 2021

North Seymour and Rábida Islands

  • Aboard the National Geographic Islander
  • Galápagos

The first morning of our Galápagos expedition took us to beautiful North Seymour. This island, just a stone’s throw away from Santa Cruz and Baltra, is full of wildlife. Its nutrient-rich waters provide plenty of food for several marine species. Both great and magnificent frigates keep colonies on North Seymour, as well as the charismatic blue-footed booby, which prefers to nest on the ground close to the coast, which they have to share with the endemic Galápagos sea lions.

 

After a short navigation, we reached Rábida Island. It is small but its colours are simply stunning. Its sands and cliffs are brick-red, thanks to the high contents of iron oxide of its lava. The island’s slopes are dominated by dormant palo santo trees and opuntias (or prickly pear cacti). Its surrounding waters offer the perfect conditions to enjoy some snorkeling and admire the marvelous underwater world of the Enchanted Isles.

Article by

Gaby Bohorquez, Naturalist

Gaby was born and raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Her first job in the Galapagos was on board a 90-passenger cruise ship as the cruise director’s assistant, and she fell under the spell of the Enchanted Isles. She returned to Guayaquil to study at the ...

Read More

Previous Article

Cruising Ushk Bay

Next Article

Isabela & Fernandina Islands

Related Reports

Daily Expedition Reports

Sep 21

Read

National Geographic Islander

Española Island

After an overnight navigation that took us to the easternmost island of the Galapagos Archipelago, we set out early in the morning to explore Española Island. The eager kayakers enjoyed cool conditions and saw much wildlife, as they paddled along the rocky coast of the island. After breakfast, three Zodiacs with guides Lynn, Gaby and Gianna, went snorkeling below the cliffs of a small islet called Gardner. We spotted fish of a dozen species, a tiger snake eel, a sea turtle, and we admired the colorful and plentiful invertebrates on the rocks, but best of all we were entertained by an unruly gang of juvenile sea lions! They pulled on our flippers, dove and twirled around us, and blew bubbles in our faces. What fun!   Then, we joined Vanessa and Paola on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world … without a hotel on it! Gorgeous light, brilliant fine white sand, and close contact with peaceful sea lions.   Captain Cifuentes moved and re-anchored the ship after lunch to the western point of Española. Here we had the choice of hiking on a long rocky loop trail, taking a shorter hike, or a Zodiac cruise. We were all delighted with our outings, and everyone saw the elegant waved albatross. In the water there were more sea turtles and barking male sea lions on patrol. On shore there were nesting blue-footed boobies, piles of marine iguanas, many sea lions (including both tiny babies and some really huge territorial males), and the large lava lizards endemic to this island. But the albatross, the fluffy feather-duster albatross chicks, the pairs of bobbing and clacking dancing birds, and the ones we watched take flight into the strong breeze off spectacular high cliffs – these are images that we will not soon forget.

Daily Expedition Reports

Sep 21

Read

National Geographic Islander

Bartolome Island & Dragon Hill, Santa Cruz Island

On the first full day of our expedition, we visited Bartolome Island in the morning. It was a typical September morning, right in the middle of the dry, cool season, and the air was mild and breezy. Considered a jewel in the crown of the Galapagos Islands, Bartolome is small but due to its youth, it is like a field guide of geological features and is also dotted with small craters and cones. Bartolome is also home to a small colony of endemic Galapagos penguins, which find little lava tubes and caves along its shores where they can safely nest. In the afternoon we reached the northern coast of Santa Cruz, and visited a place called Cerro Dragón or Dragon Hill. This area is protected by the National Park Directorate for the remaining population of endemic land iguanas, as they have disappeared from the rest of Santa Cruz. We hiked through the arid zone of the lower slopes of the island, where the dominant trees were prickly pear, candelabra cacti, and palo santos, the fragrant incense trees.

Daily Expedition Reports

Sep 21

Read

National Geographic Islander

Santiago Island, Buccaneer's Cove

A long, mostly smooth overnight navigation took us back to the central islands of the Galapagos archipelago. We awoke to find gray skies and a chilly breeze; these were pleasant conditions for the kayaking and hiking we had scheduled for this morning. All those who went to the shore enjoyed walking the long calm beach, and watching blue-footed boobies diving offshore, or exploring the mangrove and palo santo forests where finches and warblers were feeding among the branches. The kayakers paddled along the dramatic cliffs and inlets to Buccaneers Cove and appreciated the brisk following wind that helped push them along. Everyone worked up an appetite for our late breakfast!   Captain Cifuentes moved and anchored the ship in scenic Buccaneer’s Cove and here we had a choice between snorkeling or a Zodiac cruise along the weathered and sculpted cliffs. No sooner had we anchored than the captain announced there were two active manta rays right beside the ship, so we took our Zodiac ride immediately after breakfast! While we watched from the Zodiacs, our Video Chronicler Ivan filmed these beautiful creatures underwater. Two groups went out to snorkel in the cool water among myriad fish species. We were entertained by a young sea lion gracefully swirling through schools of endemic black striped salema and grabbing small fish as often as he could.   In the afternoon, we disembarked on a black sand beach at Puerto Egas. Our naturalists took us inland and then along the coast where we hiked on the black lava shore which has been eroded into tunnels and grottos by the relentless pounding of the sea. The coastal scenery was stunning, the wildlife was varied and abundant, and we once again enjoyed taking many photos of the unique and utterly fearless inhabitants of these enchanted islands.