Española Island, 11/11/2024, National Geographic Islander II
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander II
Galápagos
Our day of exploration on Española Island was full of close encounters with its endemic wildlife. From 6 am to 6 pm our day was full of activities, with great opportunities to witness the magic of this archipelago.
Anahí grew up in a small house by the beach in the Galápagos Islands. Along with her best friend, she used to wander during the days around mangrove trees, becoming a different animal every day. She used to camp on solitary beaches, snorkel with shar...
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Our first day exploring the Galapagos Islands was amazing, as our guests visited the most central and populated island of the archipelago, Santa Cruz. Our day started with a visit to El Trapiche, an historical site because the owner is one of the first settlers to have arrived in the 1950s. We had the best time learning all about sugarcane products, including moonshine. The adventures never stopped, as we explored a unique lava tunnel and visited Los Gemelos (The Twin Craters) that offered us a breathtaking view of the landscape. Possibly the most memorable excursion of the day was when we arrived at Manzanillo Ranch to look for the symbols of the Galapagos Islands, the giant tortoises. It was a special moment when we got to walk alongside these reptiles.
This morning began with an early hike up to Punta Pitt. The trail was a bit tough, with big boulders along the way, but the view from the top made it all worth it. We had an amazing view of Punta Pitt Beach and our beautiful ship, National Geographic Islander II . On the way, we spotted red-footed boobies nesting in the bushes and saw a few magnificent frigatebirds flying overhead. After the hike, we returned to the ship for breakfast and got ready for our last snorkeling activity. We explored the waters around Punta Pitt Beach and enjoyed swimming with lots of colorful reef fish. In the afternoon, we visited the white sand beach of Cerro Brujo. It was a peaceful place to unwind, and we had some fun jumping in the waves. Our final activity of the day was sailing around León Dormido, a dramatic rock formation where we took some great photos as the sun was setting.
Continuing with our expedition on board National Geographic Islander II , we went for an early stretching session with Wellness Specialist Gicela. It was a beautiful morning on a paradisaic beach with sea lions and stunning scenery. We found a royal tern, a vagrant bird from the Americas rarely seen in Galapagos. We also had the great surprise of finding our sister ship National Geographic Delfina (a luxury catamaran) anchored at the same location. Later, we relocated to Punta Suarez to explore this wonderful site. We had the opportunity to see many unique species, like marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, and the arrival of the waved albatross. These magnificent birds migrate south in December and around April they return to Española Island to find their mates and lay their eggs. It was a great way to end a day full of adventures and wildlife surprises.