Meet two 2024 Grosvenor Teacher Fellows and watch how they’re translating their travel experiences into extraordinary learning opportunities back home.
During the night, National Geographic Endurance repositioned from San Miguel to Pico Island and early in the morning the ship parked alongside in Sao Roque do Pico, the largest community on the island. Guests were able to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Criacao Velha, featuring the Pico Island vineyard culture that has developed and been preserved since the 15th century. We visited Cachorro, a spectacular ancient village situated atop an 18th century lava flow where all the buildings are constructed from the local volcanic stones. Then we toured the vineyards which are densely crisscrossed by volcanic stone fences, and we took a trip to a winery which included wine tastings of local Pico wines. There was also a hike offered through the UNESCO vineyards. Finally, there was a trip to Lajes do Pico where guests had an opportunity to see the Whaling Museum, featuring the impressive history of whaling around the island. In the evening, captain Oliver welcomed the guests onboard while the ship repositioned to the neighboring San Jorge Island, the location of tomorrow’s activities.
Our visit to Walla Walla, Washington at the confluence of the Columbia and Snake Rivers did not disappoint. The region offers a bevy of activities. Everything from historical sites and museums to ice cream shops and wineries. Guests of National Geographic Sea Bird chose to learn about the region’s history of the Cayuse people at Whitman Mission, sampled wines from local vineyards and tasting rooms, and explored the lively downtown of Walla Walla with its many coffee shops, bookstores, and ice cream parlors.
We enjoyed a day at sea aboard National Geographic Orion. As we transited the south Caribbean Sea, we were treated to a few presentations about Colombia, reef fish, and music of the region, but the real stars of the day were the masked and brown boobies hunting flying fish. There were spectacular displays of hunting from the birds and avoidance by the fish.
We arrived at the north of Santa Cruz Island, and we witnessed that there had been heavy rains in recent days, leaving this part of the island covered in green. It was like an artist’s palette, with all the shades of green captured in this amazing landscape.
After breakfast, we set off for Minas de Azufre located on the slopes of Sierra Negra Volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the Galápagos Archipelago. The hike to the sulfur mines took us through a dramatic landscape of volcanic terrain, and the trail was lined with native vegetation. The sulfur mines reminded us that we were walking in an active volcano that last erupted in 2018. The smell of sulfur in the air was pungent, and the contrast of the black volcanic rock with the bright yellow sulfur deposits created a striking landscape.
