We awoke to another amazing Baja California sunrise, with the warm glow illuminating the hills of Isla Partida. We took to the water at Los Islotes for a choice of two excellent options, snorkeling and Zodiac cruising. Playful California sea lions were visible both above and below the water, as pelicans and magnificent frigatebirds soared above. After lunch, we landed on the long sandy beach at Bonanza Bay for a shoreline exploration. Many took a nice long independent beach stroll, while others had a nice swim in refreshing waters.
We began our day about 6:30 AM by anchoring at Crow Butte Park where we transferred by Zodiac, our first of the week. We then commenced with three options for hiking and walking, all of which included great views of National Geographic Sea Bird swinging on its anchor. Shipboard presentations by staff were on wine, geology, and geography. Shortly after departing Crow Butte, we again anchored and boated in the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge for more bird sightings. We then transited McNary Lock and Dam and proceeded to our next anchorage at Pasco, Washington.
Today we had the opportunity to explore Colombia’s oldest town, Santa Marta, founded in 1525 by Rodrigo de Bastidas. This small town is well known for having one of the highest points in the country, is very close the Caribbean Sea, and is one of the most important Natural Parks in Colombia, Tayrona National Park. A mixture of tropical dry forest, stunning coral reefs, and a lush cloud forest loaded with a large diversity of birds made our guests eager to disembark and explore all these wonders. Our guests chose their excursions according to their interests. One group went on a hike in Tayrona National Park. They enjoyed exploring, from the forest to the pristine crystal beaches. Another group of guests mingled among the locals in town, enjoying the flavors of Colombia. They learned about the culture and had a culinary experience, tasting different local recipes. The last group visited a traditional coffee farm in the foothills of Sierra Nevada. Here the owner, Mrs. Claudia Weber, guided them throughout the process, from the planting of the coffee, the harvesting process, drying, roasting, and bagging. They also had enjoyed the flavor of a cup of delicious Colombian coffee. It was another outstanding day of our expedition exploring the Caribbean coast of Colombia.
Today we visited Santa Cruz Island, the home of 25,000 inhabitants that represent the largest human population of the Galapagos Islands. During the morning, our guests explored Puerto Ayora and learned everything about the work of the Charles Darwin Research Station. Later in the afternoon, we explored the highlands of the island where our guests enjoyed observing the Santa Cruz giant tortoise, Geochelone porteri, in their natural habitat.
We started our day at Post Office Bay with a prebreakfast kayak excursion in the small bays and inlets of La Loberia and the Baroness Observatory. This was a perfect time in the morning to go exploring, as the wildlife was quite active. After breakfast, we went to a historic visitor site called Post Office Bay where all who visit leave a postcard or letter in the barrel to be hand delivered by another traveler upon their return home, all this in the tradition of whalers. After lunch our guests went snorkeling along the coast of Champion Islet and later went for a walk on Punta Cormorant on the northern shore of Floreana.
