Punta Cormorant and Floreana Island, 6/14/2021, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
Floreana Island has been severely impacted by introduced animal species since the early 1800s, a situation the Galapagos National Park has started addressing for about a decade and will continue until the eradication program is complete. We have already witnessed the positive impact on the islands because its recover has been amazingly well managed.
If we recount all the great experiences we had today, we would fill many pages. We are thrilled that the National Geographic Endeavour II is sailing in Galapagos once again. To finish our day, we had a spectacular sunset.
Walter was born in a very small town on the mainland of Ecuador. His first trip to the Galápagos was when he was 12 years old, visiting friends and aunt, who had moved to the islands. From the first moment he saw the Islands, he fell in love with the...
We continued our journey along Isabela’s coastline. On our fourth day, we visited two unique sites located at the slopes of some active volcanoes. After dinner, National Geographic Endeavour II anchored in Urbina Bay. In the morning, we went for a short walk along the uplifted coastline of the Alcedo Volcano. It didn’t take long until we were greeted by the iconic Galapagos giant tortoise. These dome-shelled tortoises are only found around this volcano. We also spotted beautiful land iguanas for the second time. After an hour and a half of navigation this afternoon, we anchored at the famous Tagus Cove, a popular landing spot in the past for sailors and navy ships from many countries. As we looked outside the ship, we noticed tall tuff walls from two majestic cones, the same ones that Charles Darwin explored during his visits onboard HMS Beagle. Finally, we concluded a very full and active day with water activities: kayaking, snorkeling, and a strenuous hike over the tuff cones along Darwin’s Lake.
This morning, we went exploring on Fernandina Island, the youngest island in the archipelago and one of the most active islands in the Galapagos. The morning was spectacular! We enjoyed walking alongside big herds of Galapagos marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, playful sea lions, Fernandina’s endemic snake, and much more! After a delicious lunch and some time to rest, we went exploring again. This time we explored the coastline of Punta Vicente Roca on Isabela Island. Our first Galapagos penguin posed for pictures, and sea turtles popped their heads up to breathe several times. Blue-footed boobies and brown noddies were also part of the show. We finished our day by crossing the equator with a fun winetasting organized by our expedition leader and crewmembers.
We spent the morning at North Seymour Island, a wonderful place to observe seabirds such as blue-footed boobies, which are nesting right now. On top of bushes and palo santo trees along the path, we observed male frigatebirds displaying their inflated gular sacks. What a sight! We saw land and marine iguanas, too, as well as Galapagos sea lions resting on the sand. An afternoon visit to Rabida Island, the red island, complemented our fantastic morning. Our guests went snorkeling off the red beach where sea lions eagerly waited for them. Snorkelers observed large schools of colorful fish. For the first time in many years, we saw greater flamingos nesting in the brackish water lagoon. They were so close! Galapagos is full of surprises! Photographers: Vanessa Gallo & Jonathan Aguas