Santa Cruz, 5/12/2022, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
Our day began with a walk around the Charles Darwin Foundation and the breeding center of giant tortoises. We then took a cloudy walk on the highlands, where we had the chance to spot many giant tortoises as they walked around, roaming and eating.
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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Today we visited the Northwestern realm of Santa Cruz Island. The outing on Cerro Dragon allowed us to visit the home of one of the most emblematic creatures of the archipelago, the golden Galapagos land iguanas. After our hike, we went for a remarkable snorkel with plenty of colorful fish, playful sea lions, and lots of sea stars. Later, we arrived at Bahia Borrero where we explored the bay kayaking. The highlight of the afternoon outing was the number of baby sharks and rays that our guests found in the mangrove forest. We ended the day on the top deck with a wine tasting event at sunset, a perfect ending to a perfect day.
During the day we visited Santa Cruz Island, and in the first part of the morning we went to the Galapagos Giant Tortoise Breeding Center to learn about the efforts done to rescue these reptiles from extinction. Throughout the morning, we were able to see baby turtles as well as the adults. During a short stop, we walked into the building that houses the remains of the famous Lonesome George, the last tortoise of the Pinta Island species. At the end of the morning, we went to the upper part of the island and had the opportunity to visit two different farms as well as a local school where we enjoyed interacting with the students. After lunch we had the opportunity to observe the giant tortoises in their natural habitat, walking among them as they grazed, unphased by our presence.
We had a beautiful morning exploring this incredible spot in the Galapagos Archipelago. We visited Cormorant Point early in the morning to see flamingos grazing, blue-footed boobies in action, and the surprise of a huge pod of bottlenose dolphins swimming by the bay. After breakfast we explored the Galapagos seas onboard the glass bottom Zodiac and with a snorkeling excursion. Playful sea lions entertained our guests, and multicolor fish were seen everywhere. In the afternoon we explored Post Office Bay, a legendary place in the human history of Galapagos, full of mysteries, tragedies, pirates, and whalers. We ended our day kayaking until the sun went down and our guests were fully satisfied exploring the enchanted islands.
