Bartolomé and Rabida Islands
The day began with a beautiful sunrise for those who decided the wake up early. Our outing began with a visit to the top of Bartolomé Island. At 6:30am we began to disembark, still cool and the sea was calm with a light breeze. As we arrived to the landing site we could see a large school of an endemic fish “salemas,” a few feet away a blue-footed booby was standing on a lava rock, and we were received by a few lava lizards.
The landscape was impressive, a barren ash field, with some plants scattered here and there. As we began the ascent to the summit, some of us began to feel a little tired, fortunately there were a few places to stop and enjoy the view that only improved as we kept ascending to the top of the island. As we stopped next to a spatter cone, a few plants were there for us, such as the beautiful lava cactus growing right on the lava rock. In the background we could see the blue ocean and the landscape of Santiago Island, the very same island where Charles Darwin stayed for 9 days during his visit to the islands.
From the summit we could see most of the islands around us, Santiago, with its top covered by clouds, Daphne Mayor, Daphne Minor, and Santa Cruz. The descent was easier than the ascent, and we could enjoy the same landscape views on the way down.
After this hike it was time for a well-deserved breakfast, and time to get ready for a snorkeling safety briefing before collecting all our gear. Snorkeling Bartolomé around Pinnacle Rock showed everyone that the beauty and marvels of Galápagos are also under the ocean surface — colorful fish surrounded the snorkelers. For some it was the first time they saw a shark, but it was very shy and after a short time moved away from the snorkelers.
In the afternoon we visited Rábida Island and a red landscape waited for us this time. Some guests decided to go kayaking and enjoyed the impressive view and the ocean, while others decided to go in the water again and snorkel. A beautiful sunny afternoon meant good visibility underwater. After snorkeling we disembarked on the red beach of Rábida and had a wonderful experience when a baby sea lion decided to approach us to smell some of us. It was definitely expecting to meet its mother, so after a few sniffs it decided to go back to the rock and rest, and wait for its mother that was probably out in the ocean feeding and planning to come back soon to meet this hungry pup.
During the walk we encountered a marine iguana right on the trail, it was a little far from the seashore, she was resting and decided not to wake up, so we passed by its side single-file, making as little noise as possible and leaving that iguana enjoying its afternoon “siesta.”
After leaving the island we could still hear the sea lions barking and making all sorts of noises. Another beautiful day in this paradise came to an end, and we all expect more experiences like this in the coming days.
