Santa Cruz Island, 2/28/2018, National Geographic Islander
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander
Galápagos
Today we visited Santa Cruz Island, the most populated island of the archipelago. Our first visit was to Charles Darwin Research Station, where we learnt about the important conservation role that this institution plays in coordination with the Galapagos National Park Service. Later, we moved to the highlands of Santa Cruz, to visit an amazing lava tunnel and a sugar cane farm. After a delicious lunch in the highlands, we explored a lush forest where Galapagos giant tortoises can be found on their natural habitat. At night, a local group of musicians and dancers visited us onboard to celebrate a great day with a nice party.
José Guerrero Vela is an Ecuadorian permanent resident of the Galapagos. His mother was born in the islands and his grandfather was one of the first generation of teachers in the Galapagos, which has always inspired him to promote education as the ma...
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Today National Geographic Endeavour II dropped anchor in the channel between Baltra Island and North Seymour Island. The weather conditions were superb, clear skies and calm seas, our guests truly enjoyed the incredible nature hike on North Seymour Island that featured seabirds, reptiles, sea lions and a very colorful volcanic landscape. In the afternoon, we arrived at Rabida Island and soon departed for our first exploration of the underwater world of the Galapagos, later we went back to the shore and hiked up to stunning observation points offering amazing views of the red island surrounded by turquoise waters.
Off the southeastern tip of Santiago Island lies Sombrero Chino, or Chinese Hat. The beauty of this location is complemented by its surrounding turquoise water and wildlife. We had an early start to the day, and many guests chose to have a pre-breakfast stretch and swim on the beach of Chinese Hat. Later, after breakfast we set out on Zodiacs to look for the iconic bird of the Galapagos, the Galapagos penguin. As we continued our expedition, we snorkeled along the coast of Santiago, just across Chinese Hat Island. The Galapagos underwater world is nutrient rich, which allows for an unexpected grouping of animals from different worlds. We spotted various species of fish, sharks, and rays, all sharing the same area with penguins. We loved it. Before reaching our final destination, our captain slowly maneuvered the ship to an Island with a crater containing brackish water and a thriving flamingo community. We then visited Sullivan Bay on Santiago Island where an eruption in the late 1800s added new lava, making the bay grow larger. Lava flows have created the most interesting shapes found in every direction we looked. Today, plants and animals have begun colonizing the area. The ambiance of the island, and the exploration of the day has made us feel as if we are in the very genesis of the Galapagos. &We had a great day, in great places.
This morning started with a gorgeous sunrise! We all then went out on a pre-breakfast outing hike up to the summit of Bartholomew Island. On the way up the stairs, we learned about the volcanic formation of the island. It was fascinating to learn about the pioneer plants and how life begins with the rebirth of volcanic islands. The stray cacti on the otherwise barren landscape attests to the power of Mother Nature. When we reached the summit we were treated to spectacular views of the surrounding islands, including Sombrero Chino which was our afternoon destination. After breakfast on board the National Geographic Endeavour II , we then went to a white sand beach to snorkel and explore the sea life. There we were treated to sightings of several varieties of sea stars, parrot fish, and a true highlight was an encounter in the water with two Galapagos penguins! Then we had the chance to snorkel in deeper waters along the coast of lava flows. There we saw a marbled ray and white-tipped reef sharks. We ended our snorkeling excursion with a close-up penguin encounter. The afternoon kicked off with the reposition of the National Geographic Endeavour II towards Sombrero Chino. While navigating we had a photography lecture. Once we dropped anchor we had another round of deep water snorkeling. More of the exciting Galapagos marine life was spotted! The highlight of the afternoon was a Zodiac ride just before sunset. The light was spectacular. Galapagos penguins were perched on the lava flows for all of us to admire. Great blue herons and pelicans put on a display for us to complete another amazing day in the Galapagos!
