Bartolomé & Santiago Island
Our first full day in the Galápagos Islands started in the early morning. After a wonderful sunrise, our first experience today would be a hike to the summit of Bartolomé Island. Upon arriving in the island, a few Galápagos penguins demonstrated their fishing skills in the clear waters around the landing spot. Bartolomé is a tiny island, situated off the eastern coast of Santiago; it contains around 200 different cones and little craters, as well as other incredible geological features, which we could discover as we ascend along the wooden staircase. A spectacular view was the perfect reward after our hike!
Back on board and after a well-earned breakfast, we prepared for our next outing. This time we were all excited to go in the water. We landed at the orange beach of Bartolomé and prepared for the wonders of the island’s underwater world: parrot fishes, yellow-tailed damsels, wrasses, and for the more daring white-tipped reef sharks.
There was a wonderful surprise at lunchtime, as typical Ecuadorian dishes were on the menu today. What a feast!
The National Geographic Islander then left Bartolomé Island behind, and we navigated along the northern rocky coast of Santiago, in order to reach western James Bay. This island has an amazing human history, having been favored by pirates and buccaneers in the past who came here to refit their ships and get provisions of fresh tortoise meat and water. Santiago even hosted a small settlement for several years. Nowadays, the entire island is part of the Galápagos National Park protected areas.
It was a serene afternoon, and along the coastal trail we observed wonderful fearless creatures: marine iguanas, American oystercatchers, lava lizards, striated herons. It was also a unique opportunity to observe the elusive Galápagos fur seals, a species that prefers rocky shores and hide-out spots.
Will it be possible to surpass the experiences of these first two days? We cannot wait to find out…
