After visiting the inhabited island of Santa Cruz yesterday, we came back to the National Park area to visit the northwestern tip of San Cristobal Island.
We landed this morning at Punta Pitt on a sparkling golden-colored beach with beautiful old eroded tuff cones as a background. The trail along a streambed (possibly formed during very rainy periods) took us to the summit of a plateau with a gorgeous view of the bay, the beach and the impressive cliffs. At the top we were able to see some endemic plant species, such as Scalesia incise, Nolana Galapagensis, and the reddish Sesuvium Edmonstonei, growing like a red carpet above the cliffs.
From the trail we were also able to see one of the three species of boobies that nest in Galapagos: the red-footed boobies. Once threatened by the presence of introduced rats, they are now coming back to nest in this location after a management plan set up by the National Park to control the population of introduced mammals. They were a few red-footed boobies nesting on the Nolana bushes and we were lucky enough to see their vibrant red-color feet.
On our way back to the beach, we had time to enjoy the beach, swim a little bit, and take many more photos of the always present Galapagos sea lions and the endemic lava lizards of this island.
Before noon it was time to go back to the ship to hear some instructions about the departure on Sunday and to enjoy our last afternoon together with a spectacular deepwater snorkel around the impressive remains of an old tuff cone, Kicker Rock. Dozens of sharks of different species were spotted: white-tipped reef sharks, black-tipped reef sharks and the always beautiful but frightening Galapagos sharks among many spotted eagle rays, different species of fish, and some sea turtles.
To end a magnificent experience around the magical Galapagos Islands, we ended our afternoon circumnavigating massive Kicker Rock to imprint on our memories not only the colors of the sky, water and land, but also the smells and sounds that this place offers, reminding us how important nature is—not only for our souls but also for our own survival as a species.
