As we began our first full day of exploration, we woke up anchored at Bartolomé Island, which sits in the middle of the archipelago and allows visitors to understand the succession of life here. We identified the pioneer or settler plants during the morning walk up a wooden stairway to the top of this majestic island. From this point, you have the most iconic landscape of the Galapagos. On our return to National Geographic Islander, we had a very well-deserved breakfast waiting for us. Later, we went to a nearby beach to swim and snorkel along the coast. Many of our guests found large schools of fish and marine invertebrates as well as sharks and penguins. After snorkeling, we had a typical Ecuadorian lunch while we sailed to Rábida Island.
In Rábida, we had the option of kayaking or snorkeling again, and after we were done with the water activities, we had a wet landing on a red beach to walk along the shore while the sun provided the best light for photography. Galapagos sea lions and mockingbirds were posing for us alongside some of the smallest marine iguanas.
Another great day in paradise ends.
