Bartolomé Island and Chinese Hat
Today we started our day anchored near the southeast corner of Santiago Island, right next to one of the most emblematic places of the Galápagos Islands; Bartolomé Island. Our first outing happened with the sun rising behind the spectacular cinder and tuff formation of Bartolomé. The light was just right for our photo group looking for the perfect shot. On our way to the summit we learned about the geology of the place, surrounded by different kinds of parasitic cones and lava tubes – it was a great experience! From the top of the Island we were able to recognize more than ten different islands.
After a delicious breakfast onboard the National Geographic Endeavour we were ready for the next activities of the day. We had options to organize our morning depending on our skills and enthusiasm. We had deep-water snorkeling, glass-bottom boating, or just leisure time to spend on the golden-colored sandy beach of Bartolomé Island. Then we all came back on board where lunch was waiting for us.
In the afternoon, several activities were waiting for us. We started with deep-water snorkeling; some of our guests spotted white-tipped reef sharks and large schools of colorful fish on the shallow, sandy bottom in the channel between Santiago Island and Sombrero Chino Islet. Later, some of us went to a small but beautiful sandy beach on Sombrero Chino Islet.
At the end of the afternoon we went for a zodiac ride, looking for penguins, pelicans and hawks. All of this with a magnificent sunset; the sky was on fire, enchanting us with its red and orange colors.
It was an incredible way to end another day in paradise.
