Bartholomew Island and Chinese Hat, 2/9/2023, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
Our day began with a pre-breakfast climb on Bartholomew Island. We had the chance to learn about geological features like cinder cones and tuff cones, and we observed lava flows that date back no more than 200 years. We enjoyed snorkeling in the same area, and then we moved to another islet called Chinese Hat. We chose between snorkeling or touring around in a dinghy to observe Galapagos penguins.
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,...
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After being in touch with pure nature for many days, we reached civilization for one day. After breakfast, some of us decided to visit the Charles Darwin Breeding Center to admire the conservation programs that take place there. This work not only encompasses the tortoises, but other species that have been threatened in previous centuries by introduced plants and animals. Despite the heat and humidity, we had the opportunity to support the local economy until we got split into groups to visit the highlands of the island. One group went to the sugarcane plantation and the other visited the hydroponic farm. Both visits made us realize how people make a living in a sustainable way that remains harmless to nature. We followed up our tours with a terrific lunch. When we were finished, it started to rain, but once it slowed down, most of us decided to walk with our ponchos to look for the giant tortoises roaming in the wild.
Before breakfast, we started with an early walk on the beach where we admired traces of fresh sea turtles’ nests, followed by the morning activities that took place in the water. In the afternoon, we explored the shores of Puerto Egas by land, surrounded by different birds, mammals, reptiles, and crustaceans that live in this ecosystem. At the end of the day, we spotted a double rainbow over Sugar Loaf Hill, an iconic volcanic feature of this beautiful island.
Today we had a day full of wildlife encounters on Isabela Island. We started early in the morning exploring the coastline of Urbina Bay at the bottom of the slopes of Alcedo Volcano. During this spectacular hike, our guests had their first encounter with giant tortoises in the wild. Unlike on the island of Santa Cruz where we see tortoises while visiting private farms, the giant tortoises of this visitor site had made a long journey all the way down from the volcano, far from any human settlement, to lay their eggs and feed on the lush vegetation. In the afternoon, some of our guests went for a Zodiac ride along the coast of Tagus Cove, a tuff volcanic formation that is home to several species of seabirds. Blue-footed boobies and Galapagos penguins were the main attractions of this exploration. After a successful Zodiac ride before sunset, our Zodiac driver, José, spotted a feeding frenzy. Many blue-footed boobies and brown noddies put on a show for us to close a wonderful day exploring Isabela Island.
