Santiago Island
Today began with an early wakeup call. We started out with an interesting hike in the woods of Espumilla Beach, on the northwestern side of Santiago Island. As we landed on the beach, the fresh tracks from sea turtles the night before made us realize that most of the territory of this particular archipelago is a big nesting area for various creatures that are endemic to the islands.
As we started walking up the trail, we entered into the Palo Santo Forest, where some of the largest trees are found; the rainy season is at its peak and the vegetation is at its best – this is paradise for all of the land birds found in the area. The singing of the birds kept us company throughout the walk. Galápagos mockingbirds were very active, and as we stopped to take a look at them we found a pair of Galápagos flycatchers courting. It is now understood that rain is life, especially for all of the land creatures. Due to an abundance of food at this time, they will normally court more than once to make sure they leave enough offspring behind. They know by instinct that the draught years are coming in the near future, so it is better to take advantage of the good times right now. As conditions change, they need to save energy and normally will refrain from reproducing.
The snorkeling today was superb. We spotted eagle rays, white- and black-tip reef sharks, a baby manta ray and many different species of tropical fish swimming around impressive underwater lava formations. The turquoise color of the waters made this one of the best snorkels of the week. Zodiac riders before lunch explored the rocky coast of Buccaneer’s Cove, a traditional anchorage place known to sailors since the 17th and 18th centuries.
Puerto Egas in the afternoon welcomed us with marine iguanas and sea lions all over its lava shores. At the grottos we found a few Galápagos fur seals, the second species of sea lion found in the Galápagos Islands and the reason for our walk this afternoon.
As we returned to the ship as sunset neared, our hearts were filled with satisfaction of feeling privileged to have witnessed the powers of nature undisturbed and how the animal species that inhabit this land live in complete harmony.
