Bartholomew and Rábida Islands
Our journey began with a pre-breakfast outing to climb to the top of Bartholomew Island. Near the beginning of our walk we were surprised to find Galápagos penguins fishing in a group of about thirteen. As we climbed up, we learned and observed the different volcanic formations. We saw small lava tunnels, parasitic cones, very sharp and uneven ah-ah lava, and the smoother pahoehoe lava flow. At the top of the island we admired the most famous landscape of the archipelago with the large pinnacle rock and a complete view of the islands in the central realm of Galápagos.
After this hike we returned aboard to have breakfast and to be fitted for snorkeling gear. Once ready we headed ashore to snorkel from the beach. While we snorkeled we saw many different types of fish as well as marine invertebrates such as sponges, sea stars, sea urchins, and white stony coral. Some of our guests also encountered Galápagos penguins swimming fast as they were looking for fish to catch.
We left Bartholomew and headed towards Rábida Island; this island has dramatic red-colored cliffs, which contrast with the surrounding bright green vegetation on the rest of the island. This afternoon we went kayaking and snorkeling along the cliffs in deep waters. It was a great outing where we swam with sea turtles, fish, and saw resting at the bottom stingrays.
The walk was very rewarding as we saw a group of seven greater flamingoes feeding on brine shrimp in a small brackish water pond. For most of the year we do not see flamingoes here; we were very pleased to find these birds, and they were very active not only feeding but were also vocalizing, stretching, and walking close to our cameras.
We finished our first day of exploration with a great sunset.
