We enjoyed a great day on the northern part of Santa Cruz Island. We hiked through a palo santo forest at Cerro Dragon. Our main goal was to find Galapagos land iguanas, and we saw males and females along the dusty trail. In the afternoon, we deployed kayaks, paddleboards, and Zodiacs. Borrero Bay is the perfect spot to have fun. Its calm waters are a great place for wildlife observation, including blue-footed boobies, brown pelicans, spotted eagle rays, and Pacific green sea turtles. Nature is generous in the Galapagos!
5/2/2024
Read
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.