Today was the first full day of our expedition. We visited Santa Cruz Island, where many activities awaited us. We visited the highlands to learn about the first settlers of the archipelago and their lifestyle. We drove to explore the primary forest of Santa Cruz and observed different species of land birds living in the area. We walked amongst giant tortoises along their migration route. To finish our eventful day, we visited the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center.
8/1/2024
Read
National Geographic Islander II
Santiago Island
Last night, our officers repositioned our ship to Santiago Island and our next visitor site Buccaneer Cove. Today is our last full day in the Galapagos. Early in the morning, we chose to go kayaking before breakfast. Later, we took a glass-bottom boat ride and went snorkeling along the shores, where we saw sharks, sea lions, and various kinds of fish. Later, we navigated to our next destination on the western side called Puerto Egas. Here, we stayed at the beach and swam or just enjoyed the premises. Some of the guests opted for a walk on this visitor site for about a mile and a half searching for fur seals, iguanas, sea lions, and waders, like the American oystercatcher, blue-footed boobies, and many more. We got back onboard ready for our captain’s farewell cocktail as we navigated to our next destination. Safe travels and return soon, my dear guests.