Today we had the opportunity to learn about two species of sea lion found in the Galapagos archipelago. One of them came from the north and is very closely related to the California sea lion. The other one, the so-called fur seal, came from the southern hemisphere. Here, they both coexist along the coastline. They don’t compete for the same food source because the fur seal is a nocturnal hunter while the Galapagos sea lion hunts during daylight hours. We also had the opportunity to observe many other animals endemic to Galapagos, such as mockingbirds, lizards, iguanas, Darwin finches, flycatchers, and of course, the top predator in the archipelago, the Galapagos hawk.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 22 Jun 2023
Santiago Island, 6/22/2023, National Geographic Islander II
- Aboard the National Geographic Islander II
- Galápagos
Walter Perez, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
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...
Read MoreShare Report
Galápagos Escape: An 8-Day Voyage
VIEW ITINERARYRelated Reports
5/20/2025
Read
National Geographic Islander II
North Seymour and Rabida Islands
Today was an amazing day from sunrise to sunset. We explored the beautiful North Seymour Island in the first part of the day. So many birds! We even saw the fascinating courtship dance of the blue-footed boobies. What a treat! In the afternoon, we went for our first snorkeling experience in the Galapagos, swimming with sea lions and so many fish. To end our day, we had the option to go for a photo-oriented or natural history walk along the astonishing red sand beach of Rabida Island. I oversaw the photo-oriented walk, and we had so much fun. Our guests put into practice what they learned during the photo presentation we had yesterday, and the result was amazing. We cannot wait for another day full of adventures in the Galapagos Archipelago.
5/19/2025
Read
National Geographic Islander II
Santa Cruz Island
Our first full day had plenty of wonderful surprises as we disembarked in Puerto Ayora, the main town on Santa Cruz Island. As soon as we arrived, we took a bus all the way to the highlands of Santa Cruz until we reached El Trapiche Farm, a unique site where the guests of National Geographic Islander II learned about the production of organic coffee, cocoa, and sugarcane liquor. Afterwards, we visited the Twin Craters. This amazing site is comprised of two incredible pit craters formed by the collapse of volcanic magma chambers. The area is surrounded by a forest of the unique Scalesia pedunculata, a tree that is endemic to the area. The spectacular visit to El Manzanillo Ranch gave us the opportunity to walk among the incredible Galapagos giant tortoises, often found in the early afternoon having lunch and resting. Being surrounded by these gentle giants was the best way of ending our visit.