Bartolome and Santiago Islands
A new day, new experiences, new sightings… this is what the Galápagos is all about! After an excellent introductory visit yesterday, our expectations started to grow more and more. Today’s visit did not disappoint us, of course. Early in the morning (by 06:30) we were already climbing to the summit of Bartolome Island, and in spite of the overcast sky, the view was fantastic. We had the company of numerous lava lizards along the trail and everybody (especially the children) enjoyed them very much.
By the mid morning we were ready for our beach excursion and our first snorkeling session. We were just about to disembark to a gorgeous golden beach when some penguins were already surrounding the Zodiac. We had also the company of some sea lions that came to observe us, and even a sea turtle and a ray! It was a very fulfilling morning!
For the afternoon we navigated to Santiago Island, and while approaching its dramatic coastline, we observed big waves at the distance. It is impressive to observe the power of nature so we sat and enjoyed the panorama as the crew was preparing to anchor the ship off the bay. Luckily it was not very sunny and therefore it was not hot at all, but the ocean breeze felt quite strong. Upon landing, we found several sea lions taking care of their youngsters; we were lucky to see also how the cycle of life continues its course when a couple of them started to mate right in front of us!
During the walk we had the chance to do some bird watching, as well. Two Galápagos hawks decided to accompany us for awhile, as well as several mockingbirds and finches.
As if all of the above was not enough, a big group of marine iguanas was so well camouflaged that we barely distinguished them from the irregular lava flows.
To top it all off, gathering at the beautiful sky deck of the ship sounded like a wonderful idea; and as a nice surprise, the Hotel Manager had prepared some ceviche to accompany the well deserved beer or cocktail of our choice!
A new day, new experiences, new sightings… this is what the Galápagos is all about! After an excellent introductory visit yesterday, our expectations started to grow more and more. Today’s visit did not disappoint us, of course. Early in the morning (by 06:30) we were already climbing to the summit of Bartolome Island, and in spite of the overcast sky, the view was fantastic. We had the company of numerous lava lizards along the trail and everybody (especially the children) enjoyed them very much.
By the mid morning we were ready for our beach excursion and our first snorkeling session. We were just about to disembark to a gorgeous golden beach when some penguins were already surrounding the Zodiac. We had also the company of some sea lions that came to observe us, and even a sea turtle and a ray! It was a very fulfilling morning!
For the afternoon we navigated to Santiago Island, and while approaching its dramatic coastline, we observed big waves at the distance. It is impressive to observe the power of nature so we sat and enjoyed the panorama as the crew was preparing to anchor the ship off the bay. Luckily it was not very sunny and therefore it was not hot at all, but the ocean breeze felt quite strong. Upon landing, we found several sea lions taking care of their youngsters; we were lucky to see also how the cycle of life continues its course when a couple of them started to mate right in front of us!
During the walk we had the chance to do some bird watching, as well. Two Galápagos hawks decided to accompany us for awhile, as well as several mockingbirds and finches.
As if all of the above was not enough, a big group of marine iguanas was so well camouflaged that we barely distinguished them from the irregular lava flows.
To top it all off, gathering at the beautiful sky deck of the ship sounded like a wonderful idea; and as a nice surprise, the Hotel Manager had prepared some ceviche to accompany the well deserved beer or cocktail of our choice!
