Today was a new adventure in the Galápagos.
Early in the morning, we took a Zodiac ride along the coast of Santiago island and Chinese Hat Island for a true wildlife adventure. Excited photographers snapped pictures of penguins standing on rocks and marine iguanas and sea lions too. Some herons also showed up, moving slowly after their prey such as crabs, lizards, or locusts.
After this we went back to the ship and then returned to the same area for snorkeling. The waters were clear, warm and calm: the perfect scenario for a great snorkeling session. An incredible amount of fish in amazing shapes and colors appeared all over the place. Of course, the major attractions will always be the larger creatures such as sharks, rays, turtles, and playful sea lions. An abundance of sea stars also captivated our eyes as we continued to marvel at the wonders of the place.
To finish this incredible morning, many of our guests (including the younger ones and even the captain!) were happy to jump off the Zodiacs and into the water.
Leaving the island, we passed very close to an islet with a brackish lagoon in which flamingoes lived. We counted 22 of them from the ship’s sky deck. Next stop was the island of Santiago, where volcanic eruptions that took place about 120 years enlarged and changed the shape of a location called Sullivan Bay.
After disembarkation, we walked on this recent formation composed mostly of fresh lava called pahoe-hoe, a Hawaiian term. Here, we learned how these islands were formed and also how they started to be colonized by animals and plants over the course of many thousands of years.
With the sunset behind us and behind the hilly islands we visited, our beautiful day came to an end.
