San Cristóbal is one of the oldest islands of the Galápagos and the first island that Charles Darwin visited during his trip with the Beagle. Today we visited Punta Pitt located at the north-eastern part the Island, the closest point to the mainland and Cerro Brujo located halfway between Punta Pitt and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the capital of the Galápagos. Spectacular views from cliffs and from the shore are the best way to spend the last day of the cruise.
In the morning we landed at Punta Pitt and were welcomed by the San Cristóbal mockingbird and San Cristóbal lava lizard, endemic only to this island. We also spotted for the first time the red-footed boobies nesting on Nolana bushes, a succulent endemic plant. Blue-footed boobies at different stages of their breeding cycle were observed. Some of them with feeding juveniles, two chicks, one chick, or incubating the eggs.
In the afternoon we landed at Cerro Brujo, a tuff cone adjacent to a beautiful sandy beach. From there we could view Kicker Rock, a spectacular tuff formation. Oystercatchers, marine iguanas, lava gulls, and playful sea lions were some of the creatures we observed this afternoon.
