Bartolome and Santiago Islands
What an incredible final day of this fantastic week in the Enchanted Islands. We hiked to the summit of a small volcanic islet for a fabulous view across the bluest ocean, bright green mangroves, golden sand beaches, and jet black 107 year old lava flow of Bartolome and Santiago Islands. No one minded the early wake up call that had us at the top by 7:00 a.m. And we deserved the delicious made-to-order as-we-watched omelettes that the Polaris’ chefs served us for breakfast once we were all back on board.
The snorkeling off the small crescent beach of Bartolome, for some, was one of the highlights of the entire week. We were delighted to find a flotilla of some 15 to 20 tiny Galápagos penguins. The opportunity to watch them as they zipped to and fro around us was, we knew, a really special treat. Colorful fish were abundant, some of us spied a sea turtle and others swam with yet another incredibly curious and friendly sea lion.
In the afternoon we enjoyed one last snorkel outing and then a hike along the coast at South James Bay, Santiago. The tide was high and hence the migratory shore birds, sally light foot crabs, marine iguanas and sea lions were all limited to a fairly narrow section of sandy shoreline. And even now, on the very last day, we could not resist taking more photos of new born sea lions. All week long every pup that we see, seems to be just a little cuter than the last…
What an incredible final day of this fantastic week in the Enchanted Islands. We hiked to the summit of a small volcanic islet for a fabulous view across the bluest ocean, bright green mangroves, golden sand beaches, and jet black 107 year old lava flow of Bartolome and Santiago Islands. No one minded the early wake up call that had us at the top by 7:00 a.m. And we deserved the delicious made-to-order as-we-watched omelettes that the Polaris’ chefs served us for breakfast once we were all back on board.
The snorkeling off the small crescent beach of Bartolome, for some, was one of the highlights of the entire week. We were delighted to find a flotilla of some 15 to 20 tiny Galápagos penguins. The opportunity to watch them as they zipped to and fro around us was, we knew, a really special treat. Colorful fish were abundant, some of us spied a sea turtle and others swam with yet another incredibly curious and friendly sea lion.
In the afternoon we enjoyed one last snorkel outing and then a hike along the coast at South James Bay, Santiago. The tide was high and hence the migratory shore birds, sally light foot crabs, marine iguanas and sea lions were all limited to a fairly narrow section of sandy shoreline. And even now, on the very last day, we could not resist taking more photos of new born sea lions. All week long every pup that we see, seems to be just a little cuter than the last…
