We woke up early this morning at the central part of the archipelago, at a very small and very famous island. Bartolomé is known for the world famous Pinnacle Rock, seen by many as it has been published in many books and filmed for many documentaries worldwide. Locally, Bartolomé is known as a misfit island, for it has no palo santo forest even though it would seem that this island should be full of endemic biota, being approximately 2.5 million years old.
We began our day’s exploration with an early morning hike. Our walk took us up a path made up of 372 wooden steps, to an altitude of 315 feet. It was a vigorous hike, but as we reached the summit, we quickly realized that it was worth the effort—from the top we were able to admire the entire landscape of this majestic island.
Back onboard we enjoyed our well-deserved breakfast before heading out again for our water activities. Several types of activities were offered, some of us went snorkeling, others went for outings on our glass-bottom boat, and some took the opportunity to relax on the beach.
After a busy morning of aquatic adventures, we repositioned our ship for the afternoon outings, passing next to a chain of volcanoes called the Bainbridge rocks. Our next snorkeling site was at Sombrero Chino. There is an impressive underwater landscape at this site, where black lava meets the white sand. The visibility was excellent, and we had some great wildlife sightings, including sharks, rays, penguins and of course many varieties of fish. Soon after, we offered a Zodiac ride along the shore lines of James Islands searching for Galapagos penguins.
Later at night, it was time to reminisce about the many experiences of such a wonderful day. As we look back and gaze at these islands for the last time, understanding tomorrow will be our last full day, this place now seems timeless to us. Our experience this week has been unforgettable, in this place where wildlife has no fear and allows us to realize that we are not so different from them after all. Even after we have departed, the Galapagos Islands will remain deep within our hearts.
