What an exciting day! We started early in the morning with a nice stroll along a pristine beach known an Espumilla, one of the most astonishing beaches in all the Galapagos Archipelago. After this, we moved to Buccaneers Cove to enjoy kayaking, paddle boarding, and snorkeling. Large schools of fish, marine caves, and a playful group of sea lions made this outing outstanding. For lunch, we enjoyed a delicious Ecuadorian buffet. In the afternoon, we had the opportunity to keep exploring the Island of Santiago, this time to discover Puerto Egas. Here, we spotted several shore birds, marine, and land iguanas – and the two species of the endemic Galapagos sea lion! As this day is over, everyone has an incredible collection of memories and wonderful moments of deep encounters with the unique nature of the Galapagos.
5/2/2024
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Bartolome and Sombrero Chino Islands
We awoke at sunrise and observed the majestic Bartolomé Island showered by the first sunrays of the morning. Our first hike of the day was invigorating, almost 400 steps to the summit of Bartolomé to appreciate the astonishing beauty of the surroundings. What an amazing view! We saw several parasitic volcanoes, an underwater crater, golden sandy beach, and the many shades of blue of the ocean. On our way back to National Geographic Endeavour II, we took a detour to search for the iconic Galapagos penguins and we found them. Yay! Our afternoon destination was Chinese Hat, a small island surrounded by lava fields, fine white sand, and crystal-clear waters. We went snorkeling and swimming and had more encounters with Galapagos penguins. They’re so fast, they look like they’re flying under the water. The day wouldn’t have been complete without a sunset exploration by Zodiac to explore the coasts of Santiago Island and Chinese Hat. Some friendly sea lions greeted us with their spectacular, playful behavior. Soon, we found ourselves riding back under the light of the sunset with the impressive volcanic background of the Galapagos.