South Plaza and Santa Fe Islands, 7/25/2024, National Geographic Islander II
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander II
Galápagos
Our day started with a very relaxing hike in the morning at South Plaza. It was a pronounced climb all the way from the shore to the summit of a cliff where we were able to spot, not only a nice bunch of iguanas, but also a large number of sea birds eating. Later, we travelled to Santa Fe where we had the chance to snorkel to refresh ourselves.
In the afternoon, we wrapped up our beautiful day on board with a visit to a sea lion colony where we were able to watch these entertaining creatures as well as relax for a while on the beach.
Bernardo, known by his friends and family as Bernie, was born In the Andean city of Quito, located in the highlands of Ecuador. His grandfather, however, moved to the Galapagos Islands in the mid-70s, and worked as one of the first Naturalist Guides,...
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Today’s expedition on Genovesa Island was an unforgettable adventure. After breakfast, we disembarked at Darwin Bay where we encountered countless red-footed boobies along the beach, which is the smallest of the three booby species in the Galápagos. As we continued, we spotted juvenile great frigatebirds perched on the bushes, their white and brown plumage beautifully contrasting with the lush greenery. To our surprise, we also came across a group of marine iguanas basking in the sun, warming themselves in this cool season. Genovesa’s marine iguana is the smallest of the species in the archipelago. Later in the morning, we enjoyed a snorkeling session where we encountered a variety of tropical fish and playful Galapagos fur sea lions. In the afternoon, we disembarked at El Barranco (or Prince Philip Steps). After a short walk inland, we were lucky to spot a Galápagos short-eared owl (an endemic subspecies to the islands) hunting for small birds, mainly Galápagos petrels. Just before sunset, we returned to National Geographic Islander II tired but elated after such a unique and memorable day in the Galápagos.
Today we started our expedition early in the morning as the sun rose. It was amazing to be in our kayaks with sea lions along the coast of Sombrero Chino, a Chinese hat-shaped, very small island with lava flows dating back to 19th century. As soon as we finished this activity, a delicious breakfast was waiting for us so we could replenish our energy to continue with our adventures. Snorkeling was especially amazing today as we swam with sea lions, sharks, and of course, the wonderful Galapagos penguin. In the afternoon, we sailed towards Sullivan Bay at Santiago Island, a stunning volcanic landscape with solidified lava formations. After a dry landing, we walked on this lava flow looking for unique volcanic formations and taking photos, ending a fantastic day in the Galapagos Islands.
The last day of our expedition brought us to the northern island of Genovesa. At Darwin Bay, we enjoyed observing a good number of juvenile red-footed boobies practicing their flying abilities. What a sight! Our kayaks were deployed for one last time, two rounds of kayaking were offered in the calm area of the sunken caldera. Snorkeling along the high cliffs of Genovesa was the complement to a great morning, where many colorful tropical fishes were seen. Genovesa Island holds the largest colony of red-footed boobies on Earth, among Nazca boobies, great frigatebirds, red-billed tropicbirds, and the short-eared owl, which has taken over the position of the top predator and now is hunting during daytime. A wonderful sunset ended a spectacular day in paradise!