We have from sunup to sundown – and on the equator, that’s only 12 hours of light. Every minute is important because there is so much to see and experience before we move on to the next incredible island.
Today was no exception: before breakfast we had folks climbing to the top of Bartholomew Island to behold world-class landscape unique to Galapagos and unmistakable from anywhere else in the world. Others chose to spend their time before breakfast in a Zodiac cruising the coastline, and it paid off! A penguin was sighted!
Snorkeling was offered, both from a golden beach at the base of pinnacle rock and deep-water in the channel separating Bartholomew from Santiago. There were also glass-bottom boat outings which filled the rest of the morning.
By the time we finished lunch it was time to peek from the upper observation deck over the crater wall into Bainbridge islet because there is a highly saline lagoon inside that occasionally harbors some lagoon birds. Today the lake was calm and empty, but what spectacular geology!
One of the Bainbridge islets is known as Sombrero Chino. The turquoise channel of ocean (color from the shallow, white sandy bottom) between Sombrero Chino and Santiago is known to be the home to a few of our Galapagos penguins, so we searched both above and below the water, along the low black lava bluff of Santiago and off the brilliant white sand beach of Sombrero Chino. Both proved lucky!
What a day!
