In the center of the Galapagos lies Santiago Island, a large island in which flora and fauna abound.

Early in the morning, before breakfast, we set off for our first outing of the day. A wet landing on a brown beach marks the beginning of a fantastic expedition, and our groups head inland for an invigorating hike through Palo Santo and mangrove forest, where we hope to encounter many species of land birds, including finches, mockingbirds, doves and many others. Some of our guests decide to stay close to the beach, for a specialized photo session. Luckily for us, we encounter a turtle who is still here laying eggs—this is unusual, because they normally only lay their eggs during the night. In one of the most fantastic sightings of the day, a couple of hungry hawks are spotted as they circle overhead, in search of emerging baby turtles or other animals like crabs or lizards to prey upon.

Back on board, we enjoy our breakfast while the ship is repositioned to our next destination, called Buccaneer’s Cove. Here we enjoy several options, like kayaking along the beautiful cliffs that surround the area, where we usually find many species of sea birds, such as sea gulls, boobies and pelicans. We also offer rounds of glass-bottom boat sessions, from where you can enjoy the Galapagos underwater realm without getting wet, and for those that want to get wet, a deep water option is set up for the encounter of fish, sea lions, turtles, rays and even sometimes sharks..

Another location on Santiago awaits, called Puerto Egas, in honor of the man who promoted salt mining in this area to mainland people as a profitable business in the 1920s. Only a few remnants of the mine are still here today, as it was declared a National Park in 1958.

The afternoon promises to be very interesting, with some of our groups going on a hike along the shore to search for the marvelous and varied wildlife of this place. Marine iguanas, sea lions, fur seals, all kinds of marine and migratory species can be easily seen and photographed. Some people decide to relax on the beach, taking pictures, strolling along or snorkeling in the waters, where incredible wildlife can be found not far from the shore.

As we close another fantastic day in Galapagos, a rainbow stretches across the sky, reminding us what a special place this is, and how fortunate we are to be able to experience it.