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 th...
After lunch we navigated to Rabida Island, where jumped in the ocean to snorkel with sea lions and many colorful fish. Our journey closed with a relaxing sunset walk along the red sandy beach. We have had an amazing first full day of exploration aboard National Geographic Endeavour II . We cannot wait to continue exploring the islands and keep collecting memories for the rest of our lives. Today we have started exploring the islands, visiting Seymour. Here we hiked inland and spotted many sea birds like swallow tailed gulls, frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, and Nazca bobbies. We saw many different behaviors; frigate birds courting and dancing, blue-footed boobies flying and eating from the ocean. Meanwhile, female sea lions were all over the shore resting next to their pups.
Early in the morning we woke up in the central part of the archipelago. We are now on a very small, very famous island. Bartolomé is home to the world-famous Pinnacle Rock, photos of which have been published in many books and filmed for many documentaries worldwide. We call it “our open book of geology,” a misfit island with no Palo Santo forest, yet after 2.5 million years we believed Bartolomé should be full of endemic biota. It’s wonderful seeing Mother Nature keep secrets, and as a result we are able to admire these unique geological features firsthand. We began our journey to reach 315 feet in altitude by walking about 372 wooden steps. Back onboard, we had our breakfast and went out for our water activities. Some of us went snorkeling, others boarded our glass bottom boat and some just took a towel to lay on the sand for more relaxation. As we repositioned our ship, we passed next to a chain of volcanoes. Inside one, we could see some flamingos at the inner caldera. Meanwhile, our naturalist Gilda Gonzalez presented about Charles Darwin and the Galapagos Islands. Next, we went snorkeling at Sombrero Chino. Here we had an impressive underwater landscape where black lava met the white sand. Great visibility and many more species like sharks, rays, penguins, and of course fish and fishes (the plural of different species). Later we enjoyed a Zodiac ride along the shorelines of James Island, searching for Galapagos penguins before heading back for a barbeque dinner. After dinner, we had an opportunity to enjoy the celestial sphere. Thousands of stars, and the Milky Way, were exposed majestically above us all. We learned about constellations and celestial navigation as we gazed at the sky. Later at night, it was time to reminisce about the many experiences of such a wonderful day. As we look back at these islands for the last time, understanding tomorrow will be our last full day, this place now seems to be timeless to us. It is now deep within our hearts and our experience has been unforgettable.
In the morning after a great breakfast, our guests boarded Zodiacs for the northern side of Santa Cruz Island, where a bus took us from sea level to approximately 1800 ft above. Here we walked around massive volcanic formations known as The Twins, which are pit craters. Later in the morning, we descended the southern slope of Santa Cruz Island to the giant tortoise reserve where our guests had a close encounter with these ancient giants. In the afternoon we visited one of the most beautiful beaches in the Galapagos. “Las Bachas” is named after the mispronunciation of The Barges, referring to two large barges abandoned during the US military occupation of Baltra island. We walked along the beach and enjoyed the beautiful landscape and wildlife present in the area.
