Santiago Island, 11/28/2018, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
This Island has a rich human history in the Galapagos. It has been visited by explorers, whalers, pirates, and of course the most famous Galapagos visitor, Charles Darwin. Due to so many visitations, the introduction of non-native animals to the island has had quite an impact on the ecosystem, often influencing the surroundings in a negative way.
Today we had the opportunity to see the amazing restoration work carried out by the Charles Darwin Station and the Galapagos National Park Service.
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...
Today we stopped by Floreana Island, the historical capital of the Galapagos province. In the early morning hours, we started exploring the Post Office Bay coastline by kayaks and Zodiacs. Along the basaltic coastline we found emblematic animals, such as marine iguanas and flamingos. To finish the morning, we continued with the whaling mail tradition of taking and leaving postcards for hand delivery upon our return home. After a delicious lunch, we continued our day with two more activities, starting with snorkeling around Champion Islet with an abundance and great diversity of marine life surrounding us. Finally, we had a beautiful sunset walk along Cormorant Point, an ideal site to observe the coastal vegetation as well as the iconic flamingo population.
Exploration along the west coast of Isabela Island brings us to a geologically interesting area, Urbina Bay. In the early 1950’s, over two square kilometers of seabed was volcanically uplifted, in certain areas over four meters out of the surrounding sea. A hike inland brought us in contact with Galapagos giant tortoises wandering about, with an occasional encounter with Galapagos land iguanas. Darwin’s finch birdsong filled the air as they came to the end of their reproductive cycle. A short navigation took us to the historic Tagus Cove. One of the most fascinating visitors to this area was Charles Darwin in 1835. We explored the area, encountering Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants, and brown pelicans. Pacific green sea turtles popped their heads above the surface as we swam, kayaked, and Zodiac cruised. The late afternoon welcomed us with an invigorating hike to Darwin Lake with an incredible view of Isabela and Fernandina Islands. It was a perfect way to wrap up our adventures today.
Our day on San Cristóbal Island began at Pitt Point, the island’s easternmost landing site. As we climbed the rugged trail through eroded tuff formations, we were greeted by the sight of red-footed boobies nesting in the Galapagos clubleaf while blue-footed boobies performed their signature courtship dance along the path. In the late morning, we made our way to the dreamy white coral beach of Witch Hill, a tranquil stretch of sand framed by turquoise waters and dramatic volcanic formations. Galápagos sea lions slept peacefully under the sun while ghost crabs darted playfully between their tracks. Offshore, the striking silhouette of Kicker Rock stood like a cathedral in the sea, a preview of our afternoon adventure. As the sun dipped lower, we explored Kicker Rock by panga. Towering nearly 500 feet above the sea, these twin tuff cones cleaved by a narrow channel offered dramatic views both above and below the surface. Bottlenose dolphins were traveling along the coastline of San Cristobal while our guests enjoyed their presence from the decks of National Geographic Gemini . From land to sea, from cliffs to coral sand, today captured the breathtaking diversity that makes San Cristóbal so unforgettable.
