Santiago Island
This morning we arrived at Santiago Island, and visited the beautiful Espumilla Beach, which offers the opportunity to see a beautiful mangrove forest and green olivine sand, where we walked and relaxed. We also went on a hike into the dry forest of Palo Santo. This morning we saw a sea turtle going back to the sea after laying eggs, ghost crabs, Galápagos hawks, and more.
During our breakfast back on board, the National Geographic Endeavour repositioned to Buccaneer’s Cove for a snorkeling expedition. It was the best outing of the week; we found many types of fish, some turtles and a big manta ray. What a morning! Some guests also went kayaking along the coastline while others enjoyed glass-bottom boat outings.
Late in the afternoon we anchored in a place named Puerto Egas on Santiago Island. On the way to the beach we encountered a large group of storm petrels feeding next to our Zodiac.
Puerto Egas has two highlights: one is the snorkeling site, and the other is a trail that leads to the interior of the island. We walked the loop trail along the shoreline at sunset, and encountered a whole collection of organisms such as iguanas, sea lions, shore birds and sea birds. And the landscape itself is breathtaking!
