Bartolome and Santiago Island
The first light that touched the parasitic cones on Bartolome Island invited us to walk the staircase on a natural open encyclopedia for geology. This reddish barren island is contrasted by the gray Tiquilia mats that grow along the southern slope. Nevertheless, once we reached the summit at 350 feet, the geological art picture was almost finished. Next to the grayish Pinnacle Rock, additionally, the green vegetation from the red mangrove was cut on the north and south by two moon-shaped golden beaches. It was a 3-D map from the Galápagos Islands and we counted some of the islands that were seen. We had a great time snorkeling with Galápagos penguins and white-tipped reef sharks that curiously passed by.
In the afternoon at Puerto Egas on Santiago Island, we continued the timeless geological scenery. On the black sandy beach we landed, and on the wind-eroded sculptured tuff cones, the sea lions were lying down or stretching their necks. While we snorkel with them, some graceful sea turtles were around, too. As the rainy season is starting, the deciduous Palo Santo trees are waking up and the young black lava flows were surrounded by the greenish produced by them. While walking along the coast we spotted several migratory shore birds: ruddy turnstones, black-bellied and semi-palmated plovers, wandering tattler, American oystercatchers and whimbrels.
Probably, Michaelangelo and Raphael could have been inspired from nature’s art!
The first light that touched the parasitic cones on Bartolome Island invited us to walk the staircase on a natural open encyclopedia for geology. This reddish barren island is contrasted by the gray Tiquilia mats that grow along the southern slope. Nevertheless, once we reached the summit at 350 feet, the geological art picture was almost finished. Next to the grayish Pinnacle Rock, additionally, the green vegetation from the red mangrove was cut on the north and south by two moon-shaped golden beaches. It was a 3-D map from the Galápagos Islands and we counted some of the islands that were seen. We had a great time snorkeling with Galápagos penguins and white-tipped reef sharks that curiously passed by.
In the afternoon at Puerto Egas on Santiago Island, we continued the timeless geological scenery. On the black sandy beach we landed, and on the wind-eroded sculptured tuff cones, the sea lions were lying down or stretching their necks. While we snorkel with them, some graceful sea turtles were around, too. As the rainy season is starting, the deciduous Palo Santo trees are waking up and the young black lava flows were surrounded by the greenish produced by them. While walking along the coast we spotted several migratory shore birds: ruddy turnstones, black-bellied and semi-palmated plovers, wandering tattler, American oystercatchers and whimbrels.
Probably, Michaelangelo and Raphael could have been inspired from nature’s art!
