Santa Cruz Island, 1/20/2022, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
Thanks to its high elevation, Santa Cruz Island has a variety of vegetation zones. Today, we landed on the north side of the island and boarded buses that took us through the humid zone. We visited El Manzanillo Ranch, located within the farming zone of Santa Cruz. We admired the size of the giant tortoises, an endemic species. These amazing creatures prefer the south end of the island with its abundant vegetation and suitable nesting grounds.
Upon returning to National Geographic Endeavour II, we weighed anchor and navigated towards Bowditch Bay. This isolated and stunning beach has white sand and turquoise water. It is the perfect location to swim, snorkel, enjoy a stretching session or simply relax.
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 ...
Guests onboard National Geographic Endeavour II spent the day exploring Española Island. Two options were offered this morning to explore the marine realm of the island; passengers could either go to the beach to receive tips and tricks from their naturalists in order to maximize their snorkeling experience throughout the week, or they could disembark for deep water snorkeling at Gardner Islet. Deep water snorkelers joined beachgoers on the beach after snorkeling at Gardner Islet. In the afternoon, we disembarked for a hike at Punta Suarez. The physical characteristics of the island are indicative of its age. Islands have a life cycle themselves; when they grow older, they become flatter as landmasses erode and sink into the sea. Española is the oldest island in the Galapagos and one of the flattest. Given that evolutionary processes have been occurring for millions of years on Española, it is home to several species that cannot be found on any other island in the archipelago. Some species endemic to Española Island include the mockingbird, lava lizard, ground finch, a marine iguana subspecies, and the waved albatross. We were overjoyed to see so many waved albatrosses on the trail today. Many individuals were incubating eggs, and mating pairs preened and engaged in ceremonial dances. The albatrosses leave land in January to feed on the nutrient rich waters of Peru until they return in April. Upon their return, they find their mate and begin the business of producing offspring. Courtship ceremonies are observed throughout the year while the birds are still in Española, often by unmated individuals or pairs that have not hatched a chick. They are the only albatross species to live in the tropics. These albatrosses have one of the largest wingspans of any bird on the planet. Española ground finches and large cactus finches were also spotted. Blue-footed boobies lined the trail with several pairs caring for very young hatchlings. Toward the end of the trail, guests enjoyed observing the blowhole at Punta Suarez. Families took turns snapping action shots with this impressive view. Photo caption and photographer: A waved albatross incubates an egg right along the trail at Punta Suarez. The albatross will rear a single hatchling per season. The waved albatross is considered critically endangered, with approximately 33,000 individuals in the world. Photo by Alexandra Widman
Today is our last day in paradise, an adventure that seems unreal. We all bonded as one. Even though we are from different backgrounds, today we are one. The Galapagos brings magic to our souls and minds. On an expedition, a journey of discovery through time, we have traveled together and reached Fernandina Island and San Cristobal Island, the youngest and one of the oldest in the archipelago. Today we landed on a green olivine beach. Peaks of tuff high in the sky made this site very different from what we have already observed. The volcanic scenery during our intense hike was spectacular. We bonded over our profound feelings as we enjoyed a moment in life that will live in our hearts forever. Punta Pitt also has impressive scenery from up above. We observed the skies and occasionally the inversion layer that kept us cool and pleasantly comfortable during our walk. All our senses were heightened as we listened to our surroundings while searching for red-footed and blue-footed boobies. We were lucky to see them up close. This is the breeding season, and the chicks were fluffy. We also experienced a soft misty rain that is locally called “garua.” Soon after, it was beach time. We played with fun sea lions and went snorkeling. Later, we repositioned to Cerro Brujo for our last walk over a white sand beach. We observed the turquoise ocean and more sea lions. What a wonderful way to say goodbye to the Galapagos. Today was particularly special for it was spring tide. The ocean was magical, sending in waves of different lengths and frequencies that mesmerized us on this wonderful white sand beach. We boarded the ship and passed Kicker Rock, an impressive and massive tuff formation, as the sun set along the horizon. We are now together at the lounge celebrating life as frigatebirds fly very nearby, like they are saying goodbye without anyone noticing. Today is our last full day in the islands. We made it to the Galapagos, and it was not easy. We now share a deep appreciation with others who actually made it to the islands. Today, we are honored to be part of this unforgettable experience and hope one day we all have the willpower to make a positive change in this wonderful world of ours. Our expedition is now over. Life goes on, but we are sure this place has changed many lives, this place that can never be fully described. We all arrived with different backgrounds, and we shared a magic that will exist in our minds forever. “We must rethink our indoctrinated acknowledge, the methodical saying ‘don’t humanize the animals’ and instead ‘animalize the human’ by perceiving our surroundings with all our senses; embracing nature with our true-spirit by coexistence and respect for one another, so we can become one with nature as we once were.” Celso Montalvo. Farewell, amigos.
Today we woke anchored in Academy Bay with the sight of Puerto Ayora in the distance, a beautiful and busy town. This island has the largest population of giant tortoises and also the biggest human settlement of the islands. Our first visit of the day was to the Charles Darwin Research Station, where we went to the breeding center of the giant tortoises, the most iconic project of the national park. Here we found mating tortoises, eggs, and baby giants, and we learned all about the station’s work and the other conservation projects on the islands. Walking through town, we got to see local life unfolding, including the fishermen’s market where sea lions and pelicans waited for some leftovers. Then we visited the highlands of Santa Cruz. On the way, we stopped at a small farm that sold coffee, sugarcane, and exotic fruits. We watched how “panela,” a local sweetener, is made. We also observed the process of roasting coffee and even got to taste the local moonshine, which was really strong. The best part of the day was yet to come: seeing giant tortoises in the wild! At “El Manzanillo Ranch,” we had lunch as tortoises roamed freely. We changed into rubber boots and went to get a close look of these gentle giants.