Plaza Sur and Santa Fe, 5/2/2024, National Geographic Islander II
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander II
Galápagos
With an early morning hike at Plaza Sur, our day started. We kayaked amongst the volcanos. In the afternoon, we enjoyed an amazing snorkel, a tender ride, and a hike with blue-footed boobies and iguanas on Santa Fe Island. It was a lovely day.
Bernardo, known by his friends and family as Bernie, was born In the Andean city of Quito, located in the highlands of Ecuador. His grandfather, however, moved to the Galapagos Islands in the mid-70s, and worked as one of the first Naturalist Guides,...
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During our outings today, guests of National Geographic Islander II explored the only two visitor sites on Genovesa Island, Darwin Bay and Prince Philip’s Steps. Highlights of the day included the many red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, and great frigatebirds that we encountered along the trails.
Today we awoke early with a spectacular view of the giant cinder cone known as Sombrero Chino. This monogenic cone creates an iconic and very diverse channel. We had a great time kayaking before breakfast, and later in the morning we enjoyed snorkeling in the warm and rich waters filled with abundant and colorful creatures. For the afternoon we navigated along the coastline of Santiago, or James Island, and anchored at Sullivan Bay. At this historical site we enjoyed various activities, including Zodiac exploration, hiking, and snorkeling. Feeling amazed and grateful for the unique wonders of Galapagos, we finished a fabulous day with a beautiful view of Bartolomé.
Our visit to Genovesa, or Tower Island, started with a pre-breakfast kayaking excursion inside Darwin’s Bay. The water was calm as a mirror and the view was amazing. Our second activity after breakfast was visiting Darwin’s Bay beach; this site is exhilarating because of the enormous amount of birdlife surrounding you. In the afternoon after snorkeling, we visited Prince Philip’s Steps, where the largest concentration of red-footed boobies in the world showed itself in all its majesty. Great frigatebirds, Nazca boobies, Galapagos doves, wedge-rumped petrels, and short-eared owls were everywhere. We closed the day with a lovely wine tasting on the 500-level at sunset. A memorable day indeed.
