Sombrero Chino and Sullivan Bay, Santiago Island, 11/1/2024, National Geographic Islander II
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander II
Galápagos
Sombrero Chino Islet is a spectacular example of a small, single eruption volcano with a couple of sandy beaches which provide unique opportunities to snorkel with Galapagos penguins. Sullivan Bay features striking black lava flows that go back to 1897, creating a stark and beautiful contrast against the turquoise waters.
Salvador Cazar studied biology at the Universidad Nacional Del Sur, Bahía Blanca, in Argentina and at the Catholic University of Ecuador. Between 1988 and 1994, Salvador worked as a naturalist and tour leader for several national and international to...
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Genovesa is one of the most incredible islands in the Galapagos, and today we visited it! This island offers sightings of the largest breeding colony of red-footed boobies and also Nazca boobies. As we walked along the trail, we observed countless juvenile frigatebirds, Galapagos doves, mockingbirds, lava gulls, sea lions, and so much more. This is a short trail, but it’s packed with wildlife. Later in the morning we went for our last snorkeling of the expedition in the beautiful wall of Genovesa, where plenty of colorful fish can be found. The afternoon brought the option for hiking a very unique place: Prince Philip’s Steps. This area is not only full of different species of boobies, but it also offers the opportunity to spot an interesting bird: the short-eared owl. This bird is usually nocturnal, but the lack of another main predator in Genovesa offers the owl this ecological niche.
Today we visited the iconic Sombrero Chino islet and its beautiful turquoise waters, and the stunning lava flows at Sullivan Bay. We started our morning with a pre-breakfast stretch class on the beach, surrounded by sea lions and Galapagos penguins! After breakfast we enjoyed a Zodiac exploration, as well as some kayaking and snorkeling — it was all about enjoying the stunning elements and wildlife that the area provides. During the afternoon we headed to Sullivan Bay to witness one of the most spectacular landscapes that the Galapagos has to offer, where we had fun learning and hiking on the lava fields. We ended the day with a coastal exploration aboard our Zodiacs. What a spectacular day we had in the Galapagos!!
Today we explored South Plaza and Santa Fe Islands, both in the central part of the archipelago. Marine iguanas were one of the main characters of the day, although sea lions and Galapagos hawks displayed some great moments for photography. I believe today is going to be one of the most memorable days of this trip, as the wildlife and the weather today were on point.
