Bartolome and San Salvador Islands

We arrived to Bartolome before midnight last night to find the light of the full moon shining down on the pinnacle rock, the highest point on the island. The moonlight split into sparkles and radiated all around, illuminating the northern beach and glittering the tuff layers and oxidized lavas. Once morning, and still fully enchanted, we walked up the steps to conquer that very top of the pinnacle, now with sun rays instead of moonlight.

It’s always wonderful to swim around Bartolome. Colorful fish are attractive, but the underwater topography is what fascinates us the most.

In the afternoon, after snorkeling again among a few marine turtles, we had a fantastic hike. Walking along the shoreline of Puerto Egas, on San Salvador Island, we remembered the many sightings of this week, as if nature had prepared a summary of each lived experience. There were iguanas, sea lions, colorful crabs and the cute and shy fur seals of the Galápagos.

What a beautiful day it has been; but the vision of Bartolome in the moonlight is still in our minds.