Today we visited Santiago Island, which happens to be the last island visited by Charles Darwin during his famous Voyage of the Beagle. An island like no other with its contrasting landscapes, Santiago is very rich in human history. Back in the central area of the Galapagos archipelago, National Geographic Endeavour II guests started early in the morning, on the western realm of Santiago Island. We visited a gorgeous beach call Espumilla, where we saw hundreds of marine turtle nests. This beach is one of the most important nesting sites for green sea turtles in the archipelago. After a delicious breakfast, we relocated the ship to the next destination, “Caleta Bucanero.” We had the chance to participate in an invigorating morning kayak along the coast. As the day was perfect for water activities, we went for a second round of kayaking and paddleboarding later. Some of us went snorkeling and for a tour in the glass-bottom boat. We spotted many fish feeding on the surface. We also observed yellowtail mullets, king angelfish, sharks, and playful sea lions.
After lunch, we navigated towards Puerto Egas in the afternoon. We offered our guests a couple of options: snorkeling or a nature walk along the coast. Both options were fantastic. Our guests who chose to snorkel from the shore enjoyed a phenomenal time in the water, swimming with lots of tropical fish, sea lions, sea turtles, and sharks. The hike on Egas was also very beautiful and interesting with unique landscapes. Today’s visit was outstanding!
