Bartolomé & Santiago Islands
Our last full day on the Galápagos Islands, today we had an optional call to reach the top of Bartolomé, an island which we call “Geology 101.” An impressive landscape recognized around the world, the famous Pinnacle Rock is what we see after 370 steps take us up and over lava structures like ash, cones of different kinds, tubes and rivers of magma frozen in time for what once was a creative force of Mother Nature.
Back aboard for breakfast we come together with our guests for our next activity: a stroll on a golden beach, and water options like glass bottom boating, snorkeling around Pinnacle Rock, or simply a towel and a book while our young guests play relentlessly at the beach. All kinds of activities maximize our experience. Today some of us were rewarded with swimming penguins, white tipped reef sharks, and blue footed boobies diving from the sky to the ocean, right in front of us while catching a fish. What a day.
Back onboard we reposition to our last outing. The island is called Santiago, the site Puerto Egas, which holds a black beach and grottos with fur seals. But first many more options: snorkeling, beach time and then a walk if desired. Our guests tailored their options and this is how we provide fulfillment to a wide range of ages and interests. There is always some reward regardless which option was taken. Some guests saw pelicans, iguanas, crabs, birds of different kinds, grottos and, of course, our ever-present friends the sea lions. The most important thing I saw today was a sea lion eating a big fish.
The sun sets behind a sheet of clouds. We could hardly distinguish it while we all came back to the ship with sorrow since our time is up. Our expedition has come to an end. These are the enchanted islands, a fun place, a place to be awakened, and a place to commune with nature and learn about coexistence by respecting thy neighbor, just like all animals do here. We were part of it, part of this wonderful place called the Galápagos.
