At 6:30 in the morning, we were ready for our first excursion of the day on Bartolome, a small island known for its truly fantastic volcanic landscape, which is reminiscent of the moon’s surface.
The National Park has built a boardwalk here, consisting of approximately 376 wooden steps, to protect the island from erosion and also to help visitors get to the top of the island, which features an outstanding view of the surroundings and of other islands in the vicinity. Very few animals are found here, as the land is dominated by rocks and the soil and therefore not as productive from lack of humidity. Some lava lizards have become adapted to the area, as well as some Darwin’s Finches and Galapagos Doves. Conditions are also very difficult for vegetation, and the plants that live here are so well adapted that they deserve mention, specially the Galapagos lava cactus, as a pioneer on the lava.
After this early outing, we returned to the ship for breakfast, and to get ready for the next activity of the day—snorkeling. We took off from a beach with pink sand to begin our underwater exploration. This area offers excellent opportunities for wildlife encounters, with many fish, sharks, rays, turtles, sea stars, and always the possibility of swimming with the most playful animal of the Galapagos—the sea lions. Snorkeling with penguins along the equator is unexpected but incredible, and we were fortunate enough to encounter several during our outing. The conditions were excellent for snorkeling, with hundreds of sea stars dotting the rocks, like constellations in a clear sky.
Our next destination was an island that looks very much like a Chinese hat, and this is where its name derives from. We began the afternoon with another snorkeling session, this time in deep water along the coast of a small island just in front of Chinese hat. There are many different types of large and small colorful fish found here, and we had some excellent sightings on this excursion. Large whitetip reefs sharks could be seen lying on the ocean floor, and a couple of sea lions came to entertain the snorkelers with their amazing charm and agility. Penguins nest on these islands as well, having adapted to live in this arid environment, quite different to that their ancestors.
After our full day of exploration, stretching from the top of Bartolome to the bottom of the surrounding seas of Chinese Hat, we returned to the National Geographic Endeavour, ready for a hearty dinner and a good night’s sleep. It was an incredible day here in the Galapagos, and more awaits us as our expedition continues tomorrow.
