San Cristobal and Española are some of the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, as they sit on the southeastern end of the archipelago. The islands are of volcanic origin and formed due to the activity of what geologists call a “hotspot.” As the Nazca Plate slid to the southeast over the hotspot, new islands emerged. This means that the islands toward the northwest are the youngest, and the ones on the opposite end are the oldest.
5/26/2022
Read
National Geographic Islander
Santiago Island
During the night, we navigated from the western side of Isabela (Tagus Cove) to the northwestern side of Santiago. We crossed the equator two times in the late hours of the night. Finally, National Geographic Islander dropped its anchor at Espumilla Beach at 6:00 a.m. Most guests went for a pre-breakfast outing to explore a coastal ecosystem full of mangroves and nests of Pacific green sea turtles. After breakfast, our agenda for the rest of the morning included deep water snorkeling and Zodiac explorations. These activities took place as we enjoyed marvelous weather with plenty of sunshine and beautiful turquoise waters. We had the company of sea lions, big schools of fish, and reef sharks. In the afternoon, we landed at Puerto Egas for a couple options. The first was an exploration walk along the shoreline. At the site, we observed a rare colony of Galapagos fur seals. We found colonies of marine iguanas resting on the rocks after diving in the shallow waters. We also had the opportunity to spend time with Galapagos sea lions, as this place seems to be one of their favorites for resting and breeding. We enjoyed spending time on the fabulous beach at Puerto Egas where we snorkeled and rested a little before exploring the site. At the end of the walk, we enjoyed an amazing sunset and a wine tasting on the observation deck as we admired the views. This place is part of history, as the great naturalist Charles Darwin explored the area and spent several days here studying and collecting samples.
