San Cristóbal, or Chatham, is the easternmost island in the Galápagos archipelago and one of the oldest geologically. This was the first island visited by Charles Darwin aboard the HMS Beagle and home of endemic mockingbirds, giant tortoises and lava lizards.
After long navigation from Santa Cruz, we arrived to Punta Pitt early in the morning. It was a beautiful site on the northeastern tip of San Cristóbal Island where we could see all three species of booby nesting.
In the distance the tall cliffs of yellowish tuff rock looked impressive with a soft mist covering their peaks, creating a unique landscape as well as the best weather conditions to hike along the steep and narrow trail that lead to the highest part. After breakfast we landed on the green sand beach, where some sea lions played indifferently. While in the wall of the cliffs, red footed boobies with their mating calls were the delight of our guests. We observed several of them circled in the air showing off their blue bills and their bright red feet as if looking for a new mate. Much higher, frigate birds glided, waiting the opportunity to harass and steal the fish caught by other sea birds.
We walked along the narrow trail that certainly was a temporary river bed created by torrents of water during rainy seasons or the “el Niño” phenomenon years ago. From the top of the cliffs, the view was magnificent, with the blue ocean contrasting with the red sesuvium or Galapagos carpetweed that grows like red carpet along the flat ground. We observe flocks of Nazca boobies, juvenile red footed boobies in their nests and a great number of black marine iguanas warming their bodies on the black rocks.
In the afternoon, the National Geographic Islander sailed east to our next destiny, the emblematic Kicker Rock, or “Leon Dormido,” a group of three rocks laid down on the middle of the ocean. We approached close to them to observe a great number of Nazca boobies and frigate birds who have made their nests on the flat terrain along the top of the rocks. Our outing began by heading the Zodiac to snorkel along the foot of this gigantic formation. With a great visibility, we observed many Galapagos and white tipped reef sharks, green sea turtles, and some rays.
Just before sunset, we circumnavigated around Kicker Rock, observing as the last beams of sun colored the rocks, creating a beautiful landscape. In the air, sea birds flew back to their nests and in our minds the memories of those innocent creatures will remain with us forever.
