After exploring the youngest islands of the Galapagos Archipelago, we headed back to the central islands. The towering volcanoes of Isabela island could be seen at the distance as we were landing on Santiago island. Our first activity of the day was a pre-breakfast outing which took place on Espumilla beach. Eager to learn more about nature, early risers joined us for a walk along the beach. Blue-footed boobies and pelicans entertained us with their beautiful fishing technique, known as plunge diving. Green sea turtles were heading to the sea after spending hours nesting on the small sand dunes of the beach. In the distance, we spotted Galapagos hawks perched over the dense mangrove forest, most likely looking for prey.
Later in the morning, we had other alternatives to explore the wonders of Santiago Island. The unique landscape shows evidence of recent volcanic activity, with long fields of black basaltic lava and tuff cliffs along the coast of James Bay. Snorkeling was remarkable due to the varieties of species that can be found in the warm water of Buccaneer Cove. Sea lions, eagle rays, white-tipped reef sharks, green sea turtles and a variety of fish overjoyed the snorkelers.
In the afternoon we anchored in front of James Bay. A small population of salt miners from Guayaquil once inhabited this historical place. In addition, this is one of the few places that Charles Darwin visited during his voyage aboard HMS Beagle in 1831-36 around the southern islands. Currently, the island is a national park, and through the conservation efforts of Lindblad Expedition and National Geographic, this place is recovering its native flora and fauna, which was previously devastated by invasive species such as goats and pigs.
A few activities were offered to our guests. Some chose to take a peaceful hike along the shoreline of Santiago Island, while others spent some time at the beach, relaxing or snorkeling along the shoreline. Each option impressed our explorers; hikers enjoyed their walk among marine iguanas, galapagos fur sea lions and migratory birds, while others on the beach swam among sea lions. This fairytale day ended with an impressive sunset that enthralled our guests.
