In honor of Valentine's Day, this week's photos from the field feature romantic sunrises and sunsets from Vietnam and Baja California, animal courtships in the Galápagos, and undersea heart-hands in French Polynesia.
The first full day in the Galapagos Islands was mesmerizing, starting early in the morning with a colorful rainbow. There were lots of different activities on Santa Cruz Island, the most populated of the archipelago. Our first stop was at El Trapiche Ranch, a unique destination where we learned about the production of coffee, cocoa, and moonshine in an artisanal way. The owner of this ranch, Mr. Adriano, guided us through this magical place, talking about not only the production, but also the human history of the islands and how the first people who arrived in the Galapagos lived. Our second visit was the Gemelos, a striking geological formation composed of two large pit craters, formed by the collapse of volcanic lava chambers. This beautiful site was perfect for observing different species of Darwin’s finches. At noon, a delicious lunch was waiting for us at El Manzanillo Ranch, surrounded by the magnificent Galapagos giant tortoises. As soon as we finished lunch, we had a fantastic time walking beside this unique and huge reptile.
The western archipelago welcomed us with great experiences. We had an incredible hike in the morning surrounded by wildlife and breathtaking landscapes. The snorkeling was full of wonder. For most of our guests, it was their first time swimming with turtles (and with so many of them!). We explored the coast of Punta Vicente Roca in our Zodiacs, and it was magical. We saw even more than we expected, with so much wildlife in and out of the water. We still have many more wonders to come during this incredible expedition!
With the warm welcome of Loreto trailing our wake, we arose to our Baja California ad-Venture with a classically Cortéz-ian sunrise. Fiery light illuminated brown pelicans, Cocos boobies, Heermann’s and Bonaparte’s gulls while a pod of common dolphins raced to catch up to the stretch class. Rounding Isla San Ildefonso a mysterious splash revealed an unidentified shark concluding a kill near the surface beneath a buzzing horde of endemic yellow-footed gulls. Copious gelatinous animals—jellyfish, siphonophores, and comb jellies—streamed by as we rounded the corner into Bahía Concepcíon. A delicious meal while anchoring opened the floodgates to our first seaside activities on a rising tide, with some cruising in Zodiacs and others walking the shoreline amidst the mangrove’s oyster-soaked, soaring stems. Ospreys, least sandpipers, and swallows joined in the bio blitz while Cortez stingrays, flatworms, and giant Pinna mussels rounded out the intertidal explorations. Tonight, we sail northward. The Baja blast has just begun!
It is our first full day in the Galápagos, and we visited two different islands, Seymour and Rábida. Early in the morning, we took a hike on Seymour Island, a place that holds one of the largest nesting sites for blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, and swallow-tailed gulls. We also had the opportunity to explore the shore by Zodiac, observing the fascinating wildlife of the Galápagos. Later in the day, National Geographic Endeavour II changed location to Rábida Island, a site unique in the world due to its high concentration of iron, which gives the island its distinctive red color. Here, we had our first look at the abundant marine wildlife that the Galápagos Islands offer. As the sun was setting, we took a short stroll along the beach, wrapping up a wonderful day.
On our first day in the Galapagos, we visited the small island of South Plaza. With only a tenth of a mile, this beautiful place is a world in itself. A large colony of the land iguanas were feeding on the endemic variety of Opuntia cacti that inhabits this destination. A seabird colony was nesting nearby with different species settling right next to each other. Among them were the gorgeous swallow-tailed gull, unique for its behavior of feeding at night. Snorkeling was a fantastic experience on Santa Fe Island. We had sea lion pups and colorful fish join us. For the second part of the afternoon, we enjoyed a great hike through a forest of the giant Opuntia cacti which is endemic to this island. Lots of land birds tagged along, including finches, mockingbirds, and Galapagos doves, all amazing and curious. It was a great day in the Galapagos Islands on board National Geographic Gemini !
