We are halfway through our expedition around the Galapagos Islands aboard National Geographic Endeavour II. We started our day with an early walk on Espumilla Beach, an important nesting site for Pacific green sea turtles. Afterwards, the ship changed location to Buccaneer Cove. Pirates and whalers visited this site. Guests enjoyed water activities like kayaking, tours in the glass-bottom boat, and snorkeling with mantas. In the afternoon, we took a walk on the shores of Puerto Egas and spent time on the beach. Today was another great day spent on these amazing islands.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 26 Apr 2023
Santiago Island, 4/26/2023, National Geographic Endeavour II
- Aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II
- Galápagos
Charles Wittmer, Naturalist
Charles was raised in the Galápagos Islands. He is the grandson of Rolf Wittmer, the first person documented to have been born on the island of Floreana after his parents, Margret and Heinz Wittmer, emigrated from Germany in 1932.
Read MoreShare Report
Exploring Galápagos
VIEW ITINERARYRelated Reports
5/7/2025
Read
National Geographic Endeavour II
Santiago Island
We began our day with a very active snorkeling excursion, where some of our snorkelers saw several whitetip reef sharks, a few sea lions, and fish of all kinds. We also kayaked and went paddleboarding. The geological formations are impressive here, such as the world-famous praying monk that captured our attention while on a Zodiac ride. If that wasn’t enough, we had a few rounds of glass bottom boat rides, a fabulous tool that allows us to have a clear view of the fish, and especially those sharks. Soon after lunch, we had an adventurous wet landing on Puerto Egas, with its black sandy beach that we had all to ourselves. We walked along the shore and intertidal pools of Santiago with sightings of marine iguanas, sea lions, shore birds, and Galapagos fur seals. After cocktail hour and a fun recap, we enjoyed a barbeque dinner on the top deck.
5/7/2025
Read
National Geographic Gemini
Isabela Island
Isabela is the largest island in Galapagos and today we had the opportunity to explore Elizabeth Bay and Punta Moreno. These two visitor sites are very close but very different from one another. Elizabeth Bay is covered with black lava and a mangrove forest, which becomes a perfect shelter for many species. The bay is home to flamingos, brown pelicans, and white-cheeked pintail ducks. This combination is a good reflection of the colonization of flora and fauna of the Galapagos.