Española Island, 9/15/2024, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
We had an amazing first full day of exploration on the islands. During the morning, we explored the fantastic underwater world of the Galapagos, and it was amazing. We spent the afternoon on the lookout for the stunning waved albatross. We observed so much unique wildlife as we hiked this impressive island.
Today was just the start of our extraordinary adventure in the Galapagos Islands!
Cristian was born and raised on Santa Cruz Island, at the heart of the Galapagos Archipelago. He had the privilege of enjoying the beauty of the natural world of Galapagos every weekend, sailing in his family's small fishing boat. His parents passed ...
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Our first full day in the Galapagos and we started with a visit to Española Island at the southeastern side of the archipelago. Our first visitor site, Gardner Bay, has a mile-long sandy beach with turquoise water where we went snorkeling. We also enjoyed various wildlife, including mockingbirds and Galapagos sea lions. Soon after, we were all back onboard having lunch and repositioning to Punta Suarez. Once we arrived, we went for a walk searching for the famous waved albatross. We also had an opportunity to take a more leisurely stroll to admire the baby sea lions, turtles, and more. This was our first day exposed to amazing wildlife that is free from fear of encounters with humans, allowing us to appreciate them up close in their natural habitat.
The spectacular, eroded slopes of Punta Pitt was our first sight, and everyone rose early for our last full day in the archipelago. This northeastern most corner of the island is one of the few places that all three species of booby – Nazca, blue-footed, and red-footed – nest and breed. Hikes, Zodiac rides, swimming, and snorkeling filled the morning with successful sightings and unforgettable experiences. Two Galapagos sea lion pups on the beach stole the show, despite having both white and brown morphotypes of the red-footed booby perched not too far up the cliff, red feet practically shining. By noon we were sailing southwest along the coast towards Cerro Brujo. The afternoon’s destination has almost no equal here in Galapagos. The long, sugar-fine white beach allows for one last decompression stop before tomorrow’s trip back into civilization.
As we continue our expedition in the Galapagos Archipelago, today we visited Santa Cruz Island, the second largest island at almost 1000 Km2. Here lies Puerto Ayora, a town that is home to the majority of the population of the Galapagos and also represents the economic center of the province. With an early start, we went to the Galapagos National Park Breeding Center and learned about the history of the prehistoric tortoises, an animal which the archipelago is best known. We also had the chance to explore local businesses like the hydroponics and sugarcane farms, as well as an ecotourist farm with tortoises and delicious food. To finish our day, we celebrated with some local musicians and dancers. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful day.