We began our last full day with an optional early wakeup call to explore Espumilla for photography. During this calm outing, we saw blue-footed boobies, brown pelicans, and mating Pacific green turtles on land. We also had an opportunity to use our gear with different settings, and our iPhones were very useful, too. We continued our walk over a mile-long beach and back and enjoyed spotting many crabs and the top predator, the Galapagos hawk. Back on board for breakfast, our captain repositioned our ship to Buccaneer Cove, the next visitors’ site.
The morning was very active with snorkeling. We are currently experiencing a change of seasons, and we went kayaking and paddleboarding. The geological formations here are impressive, including the world-famous Praying Monk, which captured our attention. We enjoyed a few tours in the glass-bottom boat.
Guests enjoyed a well-deserved lunch and a talk on reptiles in the Galapagos from Lucas Bustamante. Soon after, we made an adventurous wet landing on a black sandy beach at Puerto Egas. We walked along the shore and intertidal pools of Santiago and observed marine iguanas, sea lions, shorebirds, and Galapagos fur seals. This site is impressive with its combination of interesting landscapes, waves, and a breeze. We observed unique wildlife action, including a sea lion eating a fish while a whitetip shark tried to take the catch.
We enjoyed our Captain’s farewell cocktail party. Our expedition has reached its end. This wonderful feeling of coexistence and respect for one another will influence us forever.
Hasta pronto, amigos…
