With a very relaxing pre-breakfast hike at Espumilla Bay on Santiago Island, our day started. We had the chance to spot a few blue-footed boobies along the way as we hiked through the very lush vegetation that grows along the beach at this specific time of the year. Then we dipped into the water for snorkel and kayak activities, and we had the chance to appreciate a bunch of geological features at Buccaneer Cove. We enjoyed a wine tasting onboard and a flat terrain hike in Puerto Egas.
6/25/2022
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National Geographic Islander
Bartolome & Dragon’s Hill
Today we woke up for an early walk uphill to the top of Bartolome, a satellite islet of Santiago Island. This relatively new islet is a good place to appreciate different geological formations, such as tuff and spatter cones and basaltic flows. The presence of pioneer plants, such as Tiquilia nesiotica and lava cacti, make Bartolome a good place to understand how life started in Galapagos after the first plants were established on the newly formed islands. We also had the chance to explore the underwater world of this place, and we had the opportunity to observe many species of fish and the elusive Galapagos penguin. During lunch, we navigated towards Dragon’s Hill on Santa Cruz Island, a few miles away from Bartolome. This place offered the opportunity to observe the iconic Galapagos land iguanas. In addition, it was a great surprise to find a few flamingos in a brackish pond, which offered a great moment for guests to practice photography skills during the golden hour at sunset.