San Cristobal Island
We spent the last full day of our expedition in this enchanted archipelago on San Cristobal Island. We started the day off with two choices: an energetic hike at Punta Pitt or more relaxed Zodiac ride along the coastline of this idyllical location.
We landed at a shiny green beach that contains millions of tiny bright crystals that sparkle in a magical way. The intrepid hikers went all the way up to the summit of one of the many tuff cones. They followed an old and steep trail that leads to a barren volcanic plateau, a place where they had a magnificent view of the whole bay. One of them mentioned to me that she felt transported back in time for the area’s geological features have prehistoric appearance.
Some other guests opted for a long Zodiac ride that was successful as well. Many seabird species were seen including the beautiful and elegant Swallow tailed gulls, the brightly colored frigate birds and the always admired Blue-footed boobies. Galápagos sea lions and Galápagos fur seals observed side to side gave us a great opportunity to tell them apart for we could compare them at a close range. We discovered along the high cliffs several Red-footed boobies nesting. We had a great time taking many pictures as well, for the light conditions were ideal and the many opportunities were everywhere we looked. After the hikers climbed down the steep terrain they enjoyed the beach with its delightful cool water. Zodiac riders had the beach option as well for the sunny morning was perfect for swimming. Several endemic San Cristobal lava lizards were seen trapping insects totally unconcerned by our presence.
In the afternoon the National Geographic Islander sailed towards “Kicker Rock” or as we call it in Spanish “Leon Dormido.” It is an eroded and magnificent formation made of volcanic tuff. This famous Galápagos icon is located off the western coast of San Cristobal Island. It is an important nesting site for many seabird species as well. The highlight of the afternoon was snorkeling at Kicker Rock. This visibility underwater was fantastic, and the general conditions were very good. We found not only big schools of fish but we spotted several sea turtles and three species of sharks as well! We saw white-tipped reef sharks, Galápagos sharks and even Hammerhead sharks making this outing one of the most successful of the week!
Later in the afternoon we circumnavigated Kicker Rock aboard the ship in the company of new friends; an excellent way to conclude a fantastic adventure in the marvelous Galápagos archipelago.
