Today we visited the beach at Punta Pitt this morning, which is made up of incredibly soft green sand, the result of eroded particles of the hardest crystals and minerals that make a lava flow. The little beach transported us to an enchanted kingdom, which was completely surreal; the glittered sparkles of olivine crystals seemed to be the result of a fairy flying around here… At the end of the trail, a small colony of red-footed boobies surprised us, birds facing the difficult conditions of the season were patiently taking care of the single chick on their nests. Perched by itself on an solitary branch, we found one fully grown adult with red feet, just waiting to be photographed.
San Cristobal is one of the oldest islands of the Galapagos group. Places like Punta Pitt are quite common, made out of volcanic ash or tuff. As we walked up throughout the canyon, we could not be more amazed, to think that these magnificent formations had formed because of one volcanic event. It will eventually erode and make the sand of the nearby beaches.
Cerro Brujo in the afternoon was the best way to end our week’s trek on this islands. The white coralline sandy beach and the sea lions seemed to be saying good bye to us in the most beautiful way possible.
An incredible week on board the National Geographic Endeavour II, we go home with a better understanding of why human kind needs to keep this place the way it is. It is one of the last paradises on earth and future generations have the right to see it too.
