Bartolomé & Santiago Islands
An optional early morning wake up call summoned us to climb the summit of Bartolomé Islet. This dormant volcano and eroded island offers beautiful geological features that were well explained and appreciated by guests and naturalists. Pioneer plants such as Tiquilia, Chamasysae, Scalecia trees and lava cactus were the first inhabitants of these barren areas. Bartolomé is a middle aged island that has not been completely covered by vegetation yet so it is interesting to take good close ups of rock formation. To avoid erosion of this fragile terrain, the Galápagos National Park Service built a wooden staircase all the way to the summit that ends at a small light house. Three hundred and seventy-five steps gently lead us to the summit for a spectacular view. In the distance and towards the north, we saw Marchena Island. To the West were Pinzon, Rabida and part of the volcanoes of Isabela and south of us was the silhouette of Santa Cruz. In the east we observed North Seymour, Baltra, and the two Daphnes. What a dramatic landscape; the deep blue waters were the perfect frame for many colorful pictures.
The second morning outing included a walk through the dunes and our first snorkeling outing from the golden beach of Bartolomé Island. Water temperatures are warm and the visibility is excellent. We snorkeled in 80º F water with Galápagos penguins, sharks, rays, sea turtles, and an array of colorful tropical fish.
In the afternoon we offered a second round of snorkeling from Puerto Egas, Santiago Island. In spite of the wave action on the black sand beach which made getting in and out a bit tricky, huge schools of fish, rays and sea lions delighted our guests. This afternoon’s easy stroll along the shores was highlighted with bright Sally Lightfoot crabs, big marine iguanas, pelicans and several species of shore birds, notably oystercatchers, plovers, ruddy turnstones and a great blue heron. We returned as the sun was setting, a fitting magical finale to our first full day in paradise.
An optional early morning wake up call summoned us to climb the summit of Bartolomé Islet. This dormant volcano and eroded island offers beautiful geological features that were well explained and appreciated by guests and naturalists. Pioneer plants such as Tiquilia, Chamasysae, Scalecia trees and lava cactus were the first inhabitants of these barren areas. Bartolomé is a middle aged island that has not been completely covered by vegetation yet so it is interesting to take good close ups of rock formation. To avoid erosion of this fragile terrain, the Galápagos National Park Service built a wooden staircase all the way to the summit that ends at a small light house. Three hundred and seventy-five steps gently lead us to the summit for a spectacular view. In the distance and towards the north, we saw Marchena Island. To the West were Pinzon, Rabida and part of the volcanoes of Isabela and south of us was the silhouette of Santa Cruz. In the east we observed North Seymour, Baltra, and the two Daphnes. What a dramatic landscape; the deep blue waters were the perfect frame for many colorful pictures.
The second morning outing included a walk through the dunes and our first snorkeling outing from the golden beach of Bartolomé Island. Water temperatures are warm and the visibility is excellent. We snorkeled in 80º F water with Galápagos penguins, sharks, rays, sea turtles, and an array of colorful tropical fish.
In the afternoon we offered a second round of snorkeling from Puerto Egas, Santiago Island. In spite of the wave action on the black sand beach which made getting in and out a bit tricky, huge schools of fish, rays and sea lions delighted our guests. This afternoon’s easy stroll along the shores was highlighted with bright Sally Lightfoot crabs, big marine iguanas, pelicans and several species of shore birds, notably oystercatchers, plovers, ruddy turnstones and a great blue heron. We returned as the sun was setting, a fitting magical finale to our first full day in paradise.
