Bartolomé and Sombrero Chino Islands
We started the day with an early morning pre-breakfast outing. The cement jetty of Bartolomé Island and the stairs built by the park service took us up the summit of the volcano where the lighthouse is placed. The lava formations and surrounding islands observed from here make this one of the best viewpoints in the archipelago; we could even see Marchena Island which is at the very northern tip of the archipelago.
We decided to explore the underwater world of Bartolomé; the waters around Pinnacle Rock are full of interesting life. The water temperature has decreased this time of the year, and life was plentiful as cooler waters have more productivity. Galápagos sea lions, Galápagos penguins and sharks were spotted as well as a wide variety of tropical fish. The golden beach on the north side of Bartolomé is made from a semi-precious stone named olivine.
In the afternoon the National Geographic Endeavour navigated to the central part of the archipelago to anchor close to Chinese Hat. The wonderful geological features of these islands give the appearance that life has just begun here, struggling for establishment. A few Galápagos penguins were seen on the young lava flows on the coast of Santiago Island. Some white-tip reef sharks and marine iguanas under the water surprised us on our afternoon adventure.
As we get back to the ship at sunset we understand the true sense of pristine places, where life has given us the opportunity to understand its processes, the fragile early stages that are the very basis of life on our planet.
