What a wonderful way to start the year in the westernmost region of the Galapagos. This area is right on top of the hotspot, and Fernandina is the youngest island in the archipelago. The geology and the wildlife are unique. We navigated here to see the popular Galapagos penguin, flightless cormorants, and the huge marine iguana colonies. We took a hike at Punta Espinoza in the morning, followed by snorkeling. In the afternoon, we took a Zodiac tour at a visitors’ spot known as Punta Vicente Roca. We closed the day with a wine tasting on the sky deck during a stunning sunset.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 01 Jan 2024
Fernandina and Isabela Islands , 1/1/2024, National Geographic Endeavour II
- Aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II
- Galápagos
Roberta Schiess, Naturalist
Born and raised in the Galápagos, Roberta Schiess Bahamonde’s grandparents were among the first permanent inhabitants of Santa Cruz Island, arriving from Switzerland in the 1940s. Her mother is also a naturalist guide in the Galápagos, so this is a p...
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Exploring Galápagos
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We began our day with a very active snorkeling excursion, where some of our snorkelers saw several whitetip reef sharks, a few sea lions, and fish of all kinds. We also kayaked and went paddleboarding. The geological formations are impressive here, such as the world-famous praying monk that captured our attention while on a Zodiac ride. If that wasn’t enough, we had a few rounds of glass bottom boat rides, a fabulous tool that allows us to have a clear view of the fish, and especially those sharks. Soon after lunch, we had an adventurous wet landing on Puerto Egas, with its black sandy beach that we had all to ourselves. We walked along the shore and intertidal pools of Santiago with sightings of marine iguanas, sea lions, shore birds, and Galapagos fur seals. After cocktail hour and a fun recap, we enjoyed a barbeque dinner on the top deck.
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