The early morning weather was a bit chilly and fogy, typically of the cold-dry season in Galapagos, but the sun light was nice and warm, on the equator the sun seems to jump above the horizon (and fall quickly below at sunset), with only a few minutes to really see the event itself.
The plan for the morning was to climb the wooden steps built by the Galapagos National Park, all the way to the top – 360 feet above sea level! It was successful; we got the summit of the island to see one of the most iconic views in the archipelago. We saw breathtaking scenery of golden crescent beaches on either side of a tombolo formation, with a pinnacle of rock on the northern side pointing heavenward. We learned a lot about the unique geology of Galapagos and we saw many volcanic formations around. In our way back on board we found a flock of penguins that are endemic to the islands, just jumping and fishing their early breakfast.
Then later after delivering a set of snorkeling gear we headed to the coast to snorkel along; we enjoyed being in such a clear water surrounded by tons of marine creatures, sea urchins, sea fans. Sea stars, sea cucumbers, tropical fish, sharks and at the end the frosting on the cake was a big manta ray that passed below our feet. What a great experience!
The afternoon was different, we motored not far away to another visitor site called the island of Rabida, which is very red, because it is rich in iron oxide, and in the late afternoon light, glowed as no other island does in Galapagos. We had the kayaks out for our first round of the trip, they went along the coast to have a close encounter with sea lions and sea birds while swimmers and deep-water snorkelers arrived to the red beach of the place to enjoy the Galapagos marine life. It was once again a fantastic experience.
A small group of intrepid explorers took up on the offer to go ashore on Rabida in the last hour of daylight, and came back with tales of a lagoon and lovely stroll before the light dimmed and it was time to return.
Tomorrow is coming with more surprises, for sure! Meanwhile, tonight the learning continues with a presentation from our photo instructor, Juan Carlos, aiming to improve our guest’s photographic skills over this week we have together!
