Today we woke up anchored in Academy Bay at the island of Santa Cruz, which is the second biggest island of the archipelago; we started our day going to the giant tortoise breeding center, Fausto LLerena. There we learned about all the different projects that are being conducted by the Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Research Station to preserve this unique ecosystem. After this, a group of our guests, went to the Tomas de Berlanga School to learn a little bit more about how education works in the island, and another group went to a sugar cane farm called El Traphiche. After the visits, we had an amazing lunch up in the highlands at Aquelarre Restaurant, followed by the last expedition of the day, observing the tortoises in their natural environment on a private ranch known as El Chato.
6/12/2025
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Bartolomé and Sombrero Chino Islands
Warm ocean air and a colorful sunrise met us as we approached Bartolomé. Guests traveled by foot or Zodiac to experience the compacted ash landscape. On our first snorkeling excursion, we swam with diving penguins and sea creatures like whitetip and blacktip sharks, rays, and parrotfish. On the next snorkeling opportunity, we enjoyed seeing even more fish and sea stars! After lunch, we were back on the Zodiac for a third snorkeling opportunity. We dove in by Sombrero Chino. We spotted whitetip sharks, a school of fish, sea lions, pufferfish, and more. We ended the day by circumnavigating Sombrero Chino on Zodiac. We spotted more penguins. The community spirit that has developed over the week was evident as a Zodiac of guests serenaded Sarah on her birthday! Traveling to the Galapagos has made the world feel small. We have found common ground with guests and staff and made connections between our actions back home and the conservation of this beautiful archipelago. Written by Sarah Magnano and Robin Lockwood, Grosvenor Teacher Fellows