The Galápagos Archipelago are a set of small and medium sized islands, which lie crossed by the equator line in the Eastern Pacific, about 600 miles from the coast of South America. It is renowned for being a natural laboratory of evolution, where visitors can observe amazing wildlife and their interactions from very close. North Seymour Island, just north of Baltra and its airport, is one of those places where much of the Galápagos biodiversity can be seen. This small, flat island is the home to a colony of magnificent frigatebirds, a native species of the islands. Frigates are known as the “pirates of the air” since they obtain part of their diet by stealing food from other birds; today, large numbers of them were engaged in the reproductive season with many chicks and juveniles all along the trail. We were amazed to find that the blue-footed booby chicks had already become fledglings, many of which having now abandoned their nests and were comfortably roosting on the cliff ledges by the sea. Along the boulder beach we encountered a few precious Galápagos sea lions, and a few babies were quite desperate when seeing their mum making their way to the sea for foraging.

After a delicious lunch and several talks about the islands, National Park rules and life on board, our ship started making its way towards Rábida Island, a small and tall island covered in arid vegetation. Its mixture of red sands and rocks make it one of the most stunning beaches in Galápagos and why not? Maybe even the whole world…

This afternoon we had a chance to test our skills at snorkeling and swimming. Some of our guests opted for an easier start by snorkeling at the beach, under the supervision of a small family of sea lions sleeping on the red sand. Others went a bit further to try their skills at deep water snorkel and explore the local undersea world: plenty of fish species, a spotted eagle ray, white tipped sharks and Pacific green sea turtles. Right after snorkeling we walked along the red, sandy beach to admire the serenity and beauty of Galápagos sea lions before they wake. The sun set behind the beautiful shield volcanoes of Isabela Island, lying serene towards the West. It was certainly a magnificent day… tomorrow we’ll be in the youngest corner of the archipelago, a remote and exquisite area of the Enchanted Isles.