North Seymour and Rabida Islands, 8/11/2024, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
Our first full day in the Galapagos was very exciting. In the morning, we explored a trail on North Seymour Island and had the best time observing colorful Galapagos land iguanas and magnificent frigatebird males with their bright red gular sacs.
In the afternoon, we went to Rabida Island. We had a chance to snorkel for the first time and enjoyed a coastal exploration. Our afternoon ended with a colorful sunset on the red island.
Gilda was born in Ambato, located in the very heart of the Ecuadorian Andes. Since she was a child, she loved animals, often rescuing street cats and dogs. Her parents always made sure there were nature books and plenty of Jacques Cousteau’s videos a...
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Urbina Bay is a very interesting visitor site, as this place lifted from the seabed in 1954. It’s only been above the surface for 70 years, and now the area is covered in vegetation, and many iconic species in the Galapagos have made it its home. Here, we can walk along Galapagos giant tortoises, Galapagos land iguanas, and a variety of finch species. After this nature walk, our guests enjoyed a dip in the Pacific Ocean. In the afternoon, we took advantage of the sunny day at Tagus Cove to go deep water snorkeling in crystal clear waters. Plenty of sea turtles, Galapagos penguins, and many colorful fish were the main attraction. After a quick outfit change, it was time to go explore Darwin’s Lake. This is an invigorating hike that offers one of the most breathtaking views of the volcanoes on the western side of the Galapagos Archipelago.
The journey began early with breakfast on the Observation Deck while we looked out for whales. After a delicious breakfast, we disembarked for Punta Espinoza on Fernandina Island. Before we even set foot on land, we witnessed a magnificent frigatebird attacking a very noisy young flightless cormorant, right next to our Zodiac. This was our Galapagos moment; such an occurrence cannot happen anywhere else on earth. Once on land, we encountered the first large group of marine iguanas basking in the sun. In a small tidal pool not very far away, we found a pair of euphoric young male sea lions playing like adolescents. One of them decided to visit one of our guests from a very short range. After a fascinating walk, the snorkeling did not disappoint. We saw lots of fish, green sea turtles, and marine iguanas feeding underwater. In the afternoon, we visited Punta Vicente Roca for a Zodiac ride, where we saw Galapagos fur seals, marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, noddy terns, and blue-footed boobies. Afterwards, we headed towards the volcano for a wine tasting and to cross the equator line.
