We arrived to Santiago Island in the early hours of the day and went exploring on the western coast of this island. Before breakfast, we disembarked at Espumilla Beach, where we saw Galapagos mockingbirds, Galapagos hawks, feeding blue-footed boobies and fly catchers. Our walk also took us through a very dense button mangrove forest, as we followed the trail to an old creek that was once used by pirates, whalers and explorers looking for fresh water. We were surprised to observe how lush and green vegetation was, when we are usually in the transition between the rainy season and the dry season at this time of the year.
After exploring the area, we returned to the National Geographic Endeavour and navigated to Buccaneer’s Cove, where we offered snorkeling, kayaking and glass-bottom boat outings that allowed us see the underwater wildlife of this area and the gorgeous landscape around us.
At the end of the morning, we navigated our ship towards Puerto Egas, where we spent the afternoon swimming and snorkeling from the beach. We then went for an exploration of the coastal area of Puerto Egas, where we found Galapagos sea lions, marine iguanas and fur seals, all of which are endemic to the archipelago. The coastal area offered a great opportunity to observe some unique geological formations that enhanced the already extraordinary experience of walking on a volcanic region. What a great way to end our eventful day all over Santiago Island.
