Santa Cruz, 2/20/2024, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
Our day began with a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station and the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center with some time to walk around town. We then set out to explore the highlands where we had the chance to spot many giant tortoises roaming wild, feeding on the grass.
Bernardo, known by his friends and family as Bernie, was born In the Andean city of Quito, located in the highlands of Ecuador. His grandfather, however, moved to the Galapagos Islands in the mid-70s, and worked as one of the first Naturalist Guides,...
Our morning started with an exciting Zodiac ride in very calm waters. We were able to see the most elegant seabird, the Nazca booby. We spent the second part of the morning on the glass bottom boat and in kayaks. We had so much fun observing sea lions, lots of fish, sharks, and even a manta ray through the glass. It was fantastic! By the afternoon, we had already sailed to a different location on Santiago Island. Puerto Egas, once a salt mine colony, offered us a very pleasant nature walk. We observed a few Galapagos land iguanas which were part of a conservation project for this beautiful and endemic reptile. As we took the trail back, a small colony of fur seals were basking on the rocks and swimming. At the end of our exploration, we encountered the mysterious Galapagos hawk! It’s the largest bird of prey, imposing yet calm.
Overnight, after ten hours of navigation, we woke up surrounded by active volcanoes on the western side of the Galapagos Archipelago. We jumped into Zodiacs and explored a pristine and unique mangrove ecosystem. In addition to photographing unique landscapes and endemic animals, we also learned the importance of this area. By the afternoon, we headed south and reached Punta Moreno, located at the bellybutton of the sea horse. We walked on lava and explored the coastlines, then finished our day of exploration with a mesmerizing sunset.
Today we stopped by Floreana Island, the historical capital of the Galapagos province. In the early morning hours, we started exploring the Post Office Bay coastline by kayaks and Zodiacs. Along the basaltic coastline we found emblematic animals, such as marine iguanas and flamingos. To finish the morning, we continued with the whaling mail tradition of taking and leaving postcards for hand delivery upon our return home. After a delicious lunch, we continued our day with two more activities, starting with snorkeling around Champion Islet with an abundance and great diversity of marine life surrounding us. Finally, we had a beautiful sunset walk along Cormorant Point, an ideal site to observe the coastal vegetation as well as the iconic flamingo population.
