It’s early in the morning on Thursday and all explorers onboard the National Geographic Islander are disembarking for the first activity before breakfast. Our plan is to take a group of explorers kayaking along the coast of Santiago Island where there are a number of attractions such as shorebirds and Galapagos fur seals. It is a bit windy, but we know the kayakers will have a great time while paddling in this area where the scenery is fantastic. On the other hand, another option is to disembark on the sandy beach of Espumilla Bay for a fast paced walk to observe the giant palo santo tree, and the vegetation growing on the different vegetation zones we come across. The walk takes us about an hour and thirty minutes, and then we are back at the beach ready to board the Zodiacs to the ship for a well deserved breakfast. After breakfast we have an hour break from our adventures before getting our gear ready to go snorkeling. We are anchored along the coast of Buccaneer Cove where it is fantastic for the observation of tropical and reef fish. It is also a place where we see sharks and great underwater topography. Another group of explorers joined a Zodiac riding activity along the rocky coast for the observation of birds, plants, and topography that offered a fascinating experience.
After our lunch and a short siesta, explorers gathered all items needed for the wet landing in Puerto Egas. This long-ago salt industry area was settled by a wealthy gent from Guayaquil who wanted a successful business here. We are a little bit pleased to say that it was a bad idea that did not bring him much success so he left the island. The walk along the coast offered us a great taste of the importance of tidal areas in Galapagos. Shorebirds, sea lions, boobies, and pelicans made this walk one of the best we have had on this expedition. In the end the natural lava pools called the grottos gave us the first chance to see the Galapagos fur seals close up, along with many other sites. After this last stop we are very happy. We are heading back home tomorrow to go planning the next adventure in paradise.
