Bartholomew & Chinese Hat
We went on a pre-breakfast outing to climb the 375 steps up to the summit of Bartholomew Island. From there you can view one the most well-known landscapes of Galápagos given by the northern and southern beach of Bartholomew and the famous pinnacle rock in the middle. We swam off this beautiful beach with golden sand while others went snorkeling with rays, sharks and many tropical fish. Some of us had the chance to see an octopus, and the glass bottom boat was an option for those who did not get in the water to snorkel.
After a great morning we navigated towards Chinese Hat in the afternoon and got ready for a nice snorkeling outing to explore the ocean floor along a young lava flow. While snorkeling we encountered some playful sea lions, sting rays and some of us had the chance to swim with Galápagos penguins.
The water was clear and refreshing, inviting us to stay in for a long time looking at the underwater wonders of the Galápagos.
Once aboard, we quickly changed clothes and got ready for a Zodiac ride along the young coast of Chinese Hat and Bartholomew Islands. Young lava has young pioneer organisms just now establishing themselves within the area. A young Galápagos hawk was found on the cliffs, some penguins were resting on the rocks, and many shore birds were seen too.
