Sombrero Chino and Sullivan Bay, Santiago
This morning when we came on deck or even simply looked out our windows we saw a barren jet black lava flow that stretched as far as we could see. This is the flow that occurred in 1897 on the southeastern coast of Santiago and was recorded by fishermen in their ship’s log. We motored along in our Zodiacs in search of penguins and some of us saw one, alternately sitting duck-like on the surface of the water and diving to chase tiny fish under the surface. We all found pelicans and sea lions and marine iguanas and enjoyed the brisk breeze and clear sunny skies.
We snorkeled along the same dark lava coast and the underwater world was magical today! There were many schools of colorful fish, and we saw white-tipped reef sharks, dozens of huge, red spotted Panamic Cushion sea stars, and marine iguanas grazing on algae beneath the waves. The snorkelers then joined others who had opted for a visit to a tiny white beach on Sombrero Chino – Chinese Hat. I led two groups of guests along a coastal trail and we identified the endemic Galápagos tomatoes, watched a young sea lion playing in the turquoise shallows and observed the perfect skeleton of a large male sea lion. While relaxing on the beach we were entertained by a curious sea lion pup who hopped among us smelling knees and pulling at our green beach towels. Later, as the Captain navigated close to the Bainbridge Rocks, by standing on the Sky Deck and we could see several flamingos in a crater lagoon.
Following a bountiful buffet lunch and a welcome short siesta, we worked again in the Lounge with the beautiful recycled paper “pearls” that are being made in the town of Puerto Ayora by local artisans. Then I gave a presentation and shared stories about my PhD research on giant tortoises and introduced donkeys and we discussed the current conservation efforts of the Charles Darwin Research Station.
Enroute to our disembarkation on the Sullivan Bay lava flow, which is a continuation of the immense lava field we were anchored alongside this morning, we searched again for penguins and were rewarded with a couple of these smartly dressed black and white birds. The Galápagos penguins are considered to be the third smallest in the world and they are the only ones that inhabit the oceans at the Equator. There are only at most 2,000 of these charming flightless birds found in the archipelago.
Our afternoon walk was enchanting. The patterns and textures of the lava were surprisingly beautiful and incredibly varied. Life is just beginning to grab a hold in the lava: we spied a few lava lizards and pioneer Mollugo plants. We took many photos and returned at dusk to the ship for a barbecue dinner on deck and salsa dancing.
