Santa Cruz Island, 10/28/2021, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
Today the National Geographic Endeavour II anchored on the northern side of Santa Cruz Island. Early in the morning, our guests prepared themselves for a great morning exploring the highlands, looking for the iconic giant tortoises in the wild. In the afternoon, we repositioned to the northwest of Santa Cruz at Bowditch Bay. Many of our guests went to the beach to swim, relax, and partake in stretching classes from our wellness specialist.
Socrates was raised on Santa Cruz Island located in the heart of Galapagos Archipelago. He had a childhood filled with swimming, scuba diving, rock climbing and volunteering in conservation projects, so it was natural for him to grow very passionate ...
Enter travel details to receive reports from a single expedition
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Send Daily Expedition Reports to friends and family
*By clicking the submit button, I authorize Lindblad Expeditions to email me; however, I am able to unsubscribe at any time. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.
Please note: All Daily Expedition Reports (DERs) are posted Monday-Friday,
during normal business hours. DERs are written onboard the ship only and do
not apply to land-based portions of expeditions.
Santa Cruz Island is the largest inhabited island in the archipelago and perhaps the most diverse. The contrast between nature and culture makes it a very interesting and fascinating place. In the morning, we visited the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center and observed the young tortoises that will later be repatriated to their island of origin. As we walked into town, we encountered sea lions intermingling with humans, then we had a great lunch at the Bahia Mar restaurant along the waterfront. We spent the afternoon in the highlands where we visited a local family-run sugarcane plantation. We had the opportunity to taste some of their products such as sugarcane honey, molasses, taffy, and moonshine. This was a very rich experience where our guests learned how people live in the Galapagos and shared a little bit of their daily lives. We finished this interesting day by visiting giant tortoises in their natural habitat as well as a few birds, including mockingbirds, pintail ducks, moorhens, and finches.
We arrived at Santa Cruz Island with clear skies and bright sunshine. We experienced the humid and vibrant green of the island while visiting the Galapagos National Park and Charles Darwin Foundation, learning about the conservation efforts these two institutions have contributed over the years working together. Later, we were welcomed by some of the farmers in the highlands, and in the afternoon, we immersed ourselves in the habitat of the Giant tortoises which are the emblematic animal of this enchanted island. Photos by Christian Villaroel and Paola Luque
Today, we visited the western Galapagos Islands. The black, rugged coastline is evidence of the youth of Isabela Island, and we immediately felt like we had entered a new world. This morning, we explored the beautiful mangrove ecosystem of Elizabeth Bay by Zodiac and kayaks. Mangroves are typical of tropical locations, but here they are the habitat of the endemic Galapagos penguins. What a unique combination! At Punta Moreno, we explored an inland trail leading to a brackish pond where a couple of American flamingos gave a splash of color to this vast field of young, black lava. This jagged shoreline is home to the largest number of marine iguanas in the Galapagos. At this time of day, we observed them warming themselves up on the black lava. We watched endemic flightless cormorants prey upon octopuses and eels, making us feel like we were within a documentary. Galapagos never ceases to amaze us and wake up our inner naturalist!
