Santiago Island
Today was a big day. It began literally at dawn, minutes after the sun rose over the horizon around six o’clock. The call was only for those who wanted to join staff members on a walk on Espumilla beach, Santiago Island.
This island was “adopted” by Lindblad Expeditions in 1997, in recognition of the fact that there was very little wrong with it – a few introduced animals and plants, and that with enough funding, conservation measure could come close to restoring it. It’s been twelve years and feral goats and pigs are no more. Giant tortoises no longer have competition for food and no threats to their nests.
Introduced plants, specifically blackberry, is the main problem being tackled today. This morning the trail took us through a forest of huge palo santo trees, their white, lichen-covered bark ghostly. Spread out over the lowlands of the entire island, they stand serenely, witness to earlier visits by pirates and buccaneers who mention this side of the Santiago as a source of food and water, and safe anchorage as well.
A group of photo enthusiasts also wandered on shore with our Photo Instructor, Juan Carlos, capturing images in the early light.
By the time breakfast was finished, all of us were readying ourselves for a variety of activities in or on the water. Kayakers launched, snorkelers got wet, and the glass bottomed boat tootled along the cliffs of Buccaneer Bay. Even the floating spa was a popular choice this morning!
I joined a group of what I called “mega-snorkelers” who had no set time of return (as long as it was before lunch), but the typically cool water temperatures of this season had us finished an hour and a half later (not bad)!!
The water was unusually calm, so much so that we were able to sneak back into the rocky coastline and look into caves and holes where a couple of spiny lobster were spotted; Pacific beakfash, guineafowl puffers, scorpion fish also. When we looked really, really, close at the barnacles, we saw some abandoned barnacles were actually inhabited by juvenile blennies. A great place to hide when so small, in an ocean so large…others saw sharks, and a large adult male fur seal cruised by, bubbles peeling off his thick fur.
By the time mid- afternoon came around, we had rested (and listened to a great presentation) and our visit to Pto. Egas on the southern end of James Bay was ready to begin. Some chose to stay at the black-sand beach lounging and/or snorkeling (good sightings), others walked the uneven coastline where Galápagos sea lions, fur seals, Santiago marine iguanas, oystercatchers, shorebirds and remarkable reflections in the late afternoon sun had the photographers snapping away. A large feeding frenzy off shore of blue-footed boobies, brown noddy terns and shearwaters added unexpected action to the visit up to the end.
The early evening was spent riding quietly at anchor, as we had a barbecue dinner on the pool deck to enjoy. Our undersea specialist showed the footage he has been collecting over the last few days during our snorkeling outings…what great images to have in mind when finally it was time to go to sleep!
