Bartolomé & Santiago Islands
We awoke this morning anchored off Isla Bartolomé, a geologist’s dream island and one of the most photographed spots of the Galápagos! Since the island is in the rain shadow of larger Santiago Island, the climate is extremely dry. As a result, there are very few plants to obscure the incredible features of the young volcanic eruptions which created the island. To reach the top of the island, we had to climb 372 wooden steps. However, once on top, we were rewarded with an excellent view of the surrounding landscape and the famous Pinnacle Rock. Pinnacle Rock and Isla Bartolomé are the eroded remains of a tuff cone that formed from the explosive interaction of seawater and erupting magma. Once Isla Bartolomé rose above sea level, subsequent eruptions of lava formed spatter cones, which dot the surface of the island along side fractures forming fantastic miniature volcanoes. After climbing Bartolomé, I can imagine the young volcanic forces that have created these special oceanic islands.
After breakfast we hiked across the sand dunes of Bartolomé to a sandy beach on the south side. It was tough to hike over the loose sand dunes but we got to observe many of the interesting plants of the coastal zone eking out a living along the trail and lots of cute lava lizard tracks. Returning to the beach at Pinnacle Rock, many of us jumped into the waters to snorkel, observing white-tipped reef sharks, many beautiful fish and even several penguins rushing by us in their pursuit of fish. Other guests opted to investigate this undersea world from the comfort of the glass bottom boat with a naturalist giving them fascinating interpretation of the life below. With the water very clear, everyone saw a lot!
In the afternoon, we visited Santiago, a perfect way to end our fabulous week in the Galápagos. Santiago is a success story of how the eradication of invasive species such as goats and pigs can result in an island starting to return to is natural state. It was only fitting that during our final walk along the coast we got to see many of the animals we had fallen in love with during our week here and that are the true heart of the Galápagos, animals such as the Galápagos seal lions, the marine iguanas, the Galápagos fur seals, yellow warblers, mockingbirds, Darwin’s finches, and even penguins.
What an amazing week and what a special expedition this has been. All the incredible up close and personal encounters we have had with the wildlife of the Galápagos have touched us and changed us forever. How fortunate we are that a place like this archipelago still exists. I have enjoyed sharing it with you and your families and hope we will all work to ensure that these islands remain unchanged for future generations to enjoy and experience.
We awoke this morning anchored off Isla Bartolomé, a geologist’s dream island and one of the most photographed spots of the Galápagos! Since the island is in the rain shadow of larger Santiago Island, the climate is extremely dry. As a result, there are very few plants to obscure the incredible features of the young volcanic eruptions which created the island. To reach the top of the island, we had to climb 372 wooden steps. However, once on top, we were rewarded with an excellent view of the surrounding landscape and the famous Pinnacle Rock. Pinnacle Rock and Isla Bartolomé are the eroded remains of a tuff cone that formed from the explosive interaction of seawater and erupting magma. Once Isla Bartolomé rose above sea level, subsequent eruptions of lava formed spatter cones, which dot the surface of the island along side fractures forming fantastic miniature volcanoes. After climbing Bartolomé, I can imagine the young volcanic forces that have created these special oceanic islands.
After breakfast we hiked across the sand dunes of Bartolomé to a sandy beach on the south side. It was tough to hike over the loose sand dunes but we got to observe many of the interesting plants of the coastal zone eking out a living along the trail and lots of cute lava lizard tracks. Returning to the beach at Pinnacle Rock, many of us jumped into the waters to snorkel, observing white-tipped reef sharks, many beautiful fish and even several penguins rushing by us in their pursuit of fish. Other guests opted to investigate this undersea world from the comfort of the glass bottom boat with a naturalist giving them fascinating interpretation of the life below. With the water very clear, everyone saw a lot!
In the afternoon, we visited Santiago, a perfect way to end our fabulous week in the Galápagos. Santiago is a success story of how the eradication of invasive species such as goats and pigs can result in an island starting to return to is natural state. It was only fitting that during our final walk along the coast we got to see many of the animals we had fallen in love with during our week here and that are the true heart of the Galápagos, animals such as the Galápagos seal lions, the marine iguanas, the Galápagos fur seals, yellow warblers, mockingbirds, Darwin’s finches, and even penguins.
What an amazing week and what a special expedition this has been. All the incredible up close and personal encounters we have had with the wildlife of the Galápagos have touched us and changed us forever. How fortunate we are that a place like this archipelago still exists. I have enjoyed sharing it with you and your families and hope we will all work to ensure that these islands remain unchanged for future generations to enjoy and experience.
