Bartolomé & Santiago Islands
We started our day at Bartolomé Island, the colours in the sky contrasted with the impressive landscape of the famous Pinnacle Rock. Our hikers left the National Geographic Polaris early at 6:30 a.m. to climb 372 steps and were amazed by the view from the summit of the island. We came back for a well deserved breakfast and to be ready for our water activities. Many people decided this was the best snorkel of the week as there were so many sights that we didn’t want to come back. But we had a long navigation to the western side of Santiago Island where we had a second snorkelling opportunity from the black beach of Puerto Egas. There were sharks, rays, turtles and all kind of fish near the beach. Finally, we were ready for our last walk, the perfect way of leaving the islands with a memory of marine iguanas, shore birds, sea lions, fur seals, all surrounded by a volcanic landscape that will end with the amazing arrival of a lava tube to the sea. I would like to share the memories of our visitors that wrote these poems to express how they felt about this incredible world of the Galápagos Islands.
Deus ex machina: The Galápagos
The moray probably
Did not need our help
Off the rocks
But it felt good to help
Him anyway
The giant tortoise hardly
Even noticed we were
There
But it felt good to greet
Him anyway
The flame and golden
Iguana blocked our
Path in the scorching
Sun
But it felt good to admire
Him anyway
The ocean and islands
Do not need me for
Them to be magical
But it feels good to
Give thanks anyway.
-Kristin Vaughn
Aboard Polaris
Walking through paradise
With good friends we
Just met aboard,
Seeing more wildlife close-up
In six days than I had in
60 years,
Waking each morning to new
Islands, coves and bays,
Swimming with penguins,
Sea lions and sharks,
Walking the silent decks at
Night under the Southern Cross,
Good fortune smiles on us all
This week.
-Jessica Sawyer
