It was a beautiful, sunny day on the Palouse River! This morning, we got a chance to take Zodiac tours up the Palouse River, through the reeds, and past the stunning columnar basalt of this incredible ecosystem. Guests saw many raptors and waterbirds, heard the hypnotic singing of red-winged blackbirds, and some even saw an albino porcupine. How cool! Then folks took a bus overlooking the 200-foot-tall Palouse Falls Waterfall upriver. After some afternoon kayaking and photo collection for the guest slideshow, we pulled anchor and made way along the Snake River to tomorrow’s destination, Hells Canyon.
The sunrise was spectacular today! It was a pleasant morning to explore the magical wildlife present on South Plaza Island, an uplifted area full of endemic species. As soon as we disembarked on a little pier, dozens of sea lions came to say welcome. Just a few yards inland, many land and marine iguanas shared the same ecosystem with seabirds, such as swallow-tailed gulls and pelicans. Along the cliff we saw frigates, boobies, shearwaters, tropic birds, and petrels gliding along. After breakfast, our guests enjoyed kayaking and swimming from National Geographic Islander II , while others took part in a stretching session with our wellness specialist on board. In the afternoon, we motored to Santa Fe Island to snorkel with sea lions. Our guests were astonished to encounter these creatures and so many multicolor fish so close that we felt part of their aquatic world. Later, we disembarked on a very small beach which is home to a colony of sea lions. Further inland we spotted some Santa Fe land iguanas resting at the foot of giant prickly pear cacti. It was an amazing day! Galapagos is a breathtaking place.
Today we went terrestrial to Walla Walla, Washington. Taking our Zodiacs to shore, we soon sped off to several different wine tasting rooms downtown. As we moseyed from the Seven Hills Winery, we experienced petal confetti falling from all the flowering trees lining the streets of downtown. It’s definitely spring in the valley. From the historical aspects of our visit to the Whitman Mission, to the flavorful aspects of wine, local ice cream, and a historic confectionary, it was a full day of exploration.
Santa Maria welcomed us with cloudy, rainless skies. Our most committed hikers set out early for a strenuous walk down from the cloud forest. Their long descent was rewarded by views of the red clay “desert” at Barreiro da Faneca. Another group started at the Church of Santo Espírito, and ended at Maia, just by the sea. They had the chance to see the amazing precipitous Aveiro Waterfall and then braved the multiple steps down the cliffside. The people that preferred to explore the island on the scenic tour visited a multitude of places, from tiny little churches (including the one where Columbus stopped to pray after getting to the New World) and other viewpoints. They also got to see the star-shaped yellow flowers of Aichryson santamariensis, an endemic plant recently described. In the afternoon we had talks by Gemina Garland-Lewis on whaling and whale watching in the Azores, and Sergei Ponomarenko spoke on the geological history of the Azores. The star of the day was a blue whale who graced us by feeding close to National Geographic Endurance during our crossing from Santa Maria to São Miguel. At night, Rafael Carvalho, a local master musician played Viola da Terra, the Azorean guitar. It was a perfect end to a wonderful day.
Our day began with a pleasant morning hike at Punta Pitt, located on the northern side of San Cristobal Island. The walk involved an uphill climb from the beach to the peak of a tuff cone. At the summit, we were rewarded with sightings of numerous blue-footed boobies nesting and a significant number of red-footed boobies, including some with chicks. Returning to the beach, we enjoyed a refreshing snorkeling session directly from the shore. In the afternoon, we concluded our wonderful week aboard with a relaxing visit to Cerro Brujo Beach.
