Bartolomé and Sombrero Chino Islands
Although Bartolomé and Sombrero Chino Islands are two of the smallest islands in the archipelago, they offer a great many attractions. As if time has been stopped, both places offer an incredible snapshot of the Galápagos millions of years ago, showing us their incredible volcanism with their solidified lava flows and parasitic cones everywhere.
Our first outing started early in the morning, hiking on Bartolomé. The first beams of sun began to appear just behind the islands with a great number of seabirds in a feeding frenzy. Step by step we got higher, observing a majestic landscape of many islands and islets in the distance and many conical formations resulting from eruptions which occurred a long time ago. Strong winds helped to neutralize the heat, while in the air two Galápagos hawks took advantage of the winds to glide peacefully over our heads; one was a juvenile and the other probably its mother who observed it attentively.
Finally we arrived to the top of Bartolomé; the landscape was magnificent, with Pinnacle Rock in the foreground and Santiago Island behind. The colorful lava contrasted with the blue ocean and the green mangroves that divided the narrowest side of the island into two golden beaches.
After hiking, we started snorkeling activities along the shore of Bartolome. The water was very clear and it was possible to observe many different species of tropical fish, sharks and Galápagos penguins fishing for black-striped salemas.
In the afternoon, after a short navigation, the National Geographic Endeavour dropped anchor at Sombrero Chino Island. It’s shaped like a Chinese hat, which is the reason for its curious name. Our activities began with snorkeling along the shore of Santiago; it was incredible to observe many different species of fish swimming indifferently close to us, while on the rocks marine iguanas fed on algae, remaining underwater for many minutes – what a marvelous scene.
Just before finishing snorkeling, a group of penguins in a feeding frenzy approached us very fast, like torpedoes; they remained swimming close to us for many minutes. It was really spectacular.
It was late when we headed back to National Geographic Endeavour and, as in the morning, when the first beam of sun lighted our day, the sun disappeared in the west, leaving us an orange sky and remembering this magical day.
