On this Friday morning the sky is so clear and sunny that all National Geographic Islander explorers cannot wait for the first outing of the day. The program has been settled, and so we go Zodiac riding first. The scenery this morning is mainly volcanic; both the coast and inland sides of the Zodiac seem to show only young lava. This is good for we have a chance to talk about the volcanic features of this place, as the geology of the islands is a very interesting part of the attraction of the archipelago.
After this great outing all explorers on board are getting ready for the next excursion. Yes the conditions are great and we go for deep water snorkeling in the channel separating Sombrero Chino and Santiago island. This is a fantastic area for this excursion and as soon as the explorers hit the water there are a great number of fish waiting for them. Everybody gets excited when someone shouts “Shark!” and soon after that there is a giant manta in the water swimming close to our groups, which is fantastic. We then continue with the expedition and everybody gathers on the sky deck as we approach Bainbridge Rocks. We are looking to see the brackish water lagoon in the caldera of a compact ashes cone, where pink flamingos and lagoon birds may be. The morning could not be better and the exploration is not yet over.
For the afternoon we are in another different location, Sullivan Bay. The geology of the island could not be explained better in any other place. All explorers are ready to disembark by 3:30 in the afternoon and we go on a walk that looks like it’s on a different planet, with black lava endlessly heading off in different directions. We talk about the origin of the archipelago and how life makes it through such hostility, first by using the plants and insects to establish a home in a hostile environment, and then everything else finds its way through.
It was a great walk and, to finish a fantastic day, we drive the Zodiacs close to the coast to stop by a group of Galapagos penguins resting after an intense day of fishing the coasts of Santiago and Bartolomé. But the expedition is not over—tomorrow we have more to see in this beautiful group of oceanic islands.
