San Cristobal Island, 1/24/2023, National Geographic Islander II
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander II
Galápagos
San Cristobal has its own giant tortoise population, as well as endemic lava lizards and snakes. These are examples of adaptive radiation in the archipelago.
We have had a successful week full of great memories. The unique and friendly animals found in this group of islands are not found anywhere else on our planet.
Walter was born in a very small town on the mainland of Ecuador. His first trip to the Galápagos was when he was 12 years old, visiting friends and aunt, who had moved to the islands. From the first moment he saw the Islands, he fell in love with the...
Enter travel details to receive reports from a single expedition
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Send Daily Expedition Reports to friends and family
*By clicking the submit button, I authorize Lindblad Expeditions to email me; however, I am able to unsubscribe at any time. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.
Please note: All Daily Expedition Reports (DERs) are posted Monday-Friday,
during normal business hours. DERs are written onboard the ship only and do
not apply to land-based portions of expeditions.
Today we are visiting the western region of the archipelago and our morning started with a spectacular circumnavigation to Roca Redonda, an amazing geological formation where we spotted humpback whales! Later in the morning, we enjoyed a Zodiac exploration of Punta Vicente Roca were lots of marine birds and sea lions exemplified the amazing wildlife of this location. Later, we snorkeled in these productive waters full of life, including see turtles. In the afternoon, we walked on a huge lava field of Fernandina Island. We found large numbers of marine iguanas, the only sea going lizard in the world. The sunset brought to a close another day in paradise.
Today, we visited two incredible islands in the Galapagos, North Seymour in the morning and Rábida in the afternoon. After breakfast, we disembarked on North Seymour where we saw several great and magnificent frigatebirds perched in trees and shrubs; most were juveniles waiting to be fed. Notably, the frigatebird has the longest parental dependency of any Galapagos seabird. The island’s flat, rocky terrain is home to Galapagos land iguanas and blue-footed boobies, and we observed many along the trail. In the afternoon, we sailed aboard National Geographic Islander II to Rábida Island. The island’s red hue, caused by iron oxidation, contrasted beautifully with the greenery and blue sky. We began with a snorkeling session, where our guests enjoyed the playful sea lions and colorful fish. After snorkeling, we returned to the ship for the next activities. Some guests chose kayaking, while others explored the island to spot flamingos nesting behind the beach. As the sun set, we returned to the ship with unforgettable memories of the day.
Our expedition started on board National Geographic Islander and the things we discovered today were amazing. We visited the most populated island of the Galapagos, Santa Cruz Island, and we learned that in the Galapagos, humans and nature can coexist in harmony. The journey began in the morning as we arrived at El Trapiche, a sugarcane plant built in 1950 and an historical destination owned by Mr. Adriano, one of the first Ecuadorians that came to the island. Our guests learned how moonshine is produced in an artisanal way out of sugarcane juice and also how coffee beans are harvested, dried, and processed in order to produce delicious coffee. We continued our journey toward the highlands of Santa Cruz, to Los Gemelos, two stunning volcanic sinkholes formed by the collapse of volcanic chambers and an area where you can walk through lush vegetation and the unique Scalesia pedunculata forest. The panoramic view was breathtaking. At mid-day we reached our lunch destination, the spectacular Manzanillo Farm. After enjoying a delicious lunch we were ready for the most wonderful adventure, we walked beside Galapagos giant tortoises! Roaming with these fantastic reptiles in their natural habitat offered us the opportunity to take amazing pictures. The best way of ending this incredible day was a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station and the Galapagos National Park Facilities to learn how the giant tortoise breeding program works and how this endangered species was recovered.
