Espumilla Bay
After two fantastic days in the western area of the archipelago, where we were able to explore and learn about the most active islands in Galápagos, we moved to the westernmost flank of the island of Santiago. Espumilla Bay seemed to be cloudier than what we expected. Its red sandy beach was waiting for us, and the ghost crabs on the beach scurried about looking for the little holes protecting them. Button mangrove trees decorate the dry sandy section on the beach and the evidence of nesting turtles is still present in this area.
As we walked into the island there was more and more of the coastal vegetation, which as the path gained elevation became larger and dense. The scenery is incredible and we found a great place to talk about the eradication of exotic animals before we walked back to the beach to return to the boat.
On our second activity we moved National Geographic Islander to Buccaneer Cove, where a great snorkeling outing was waiting for us. The water is not too cold and the visibility is good for some fish spotting. We also had some sea lions with us—how fun is that!
Puerto Egas
After a wet landing at a black sandy beach we all got ready to walk the coastline of Puerto Egas. We were all excited about getting to the grottos and finally seeing the Galápagos fur seals. The coastline offered an incredible opportunity to bird watch as well.
In the end we had the chance to take photos of Galápagos fur seals and the grotto area, and we then headed back to our landing site to return to the ship.
