Today’s expedition took us to one of the most unique geological landscapes in the Galapagos Archipelago. We started with a walking exploration at Sullivan Bay, where we observed a relatively recent lava field formation from 1897: a vast field of pahoehoe lava stretching several kilometers along the east coast of Santiago Island. In the later morning, we spotted a feeding frenzy of blue-footed boobies and Galapagos penguins along the coastline.
In the afternoon, we hiked to the summit of Bartolome Island. The presence of spatter cones flanking the island invited us to think about the geological genesis of the Galapagos Islands. As we were descending to the landing site, a dominant male sea lion was resting by the pier where our Zodiac drivers were expecting our arrival.
At the end of the day we gathered in the observation deck of National Geographic Gemini to celebrate our successful week of exploration, while we commented on the importance of preserving the beautiful Galapagos Archipelago for future generations to come.
