In the morning, we visited the island of North Seymour. This small island, centrally located, is home for a large number of seabirds. We were very lucky to see blue-footed boobies, great and magnificent frigatebirds, brown pelicans, and swallow-tailed gulls right on the trail. The birds’ tameness is amazing. It is an overwhelming feeling to see the birds and feel like we become part of nature. North Seymour Island was a highlight, as we found a colony of Galapagos sea lions coexisting in peace with Galapagos land iguanas. In the afternoon, we visited the red island of Rabida. The island is a great place for snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean with colorful fish and playful Galapagos sea lions. We finished the day with an easy stroll. We observed greater flamingos and enjoyed every minute with the Galapagos sea lions. What a wonderful start in the Enchanted Islands!
1/21/2025
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Santa Cruz Island
We had a day full of wildlife encounters mixed with unique and fun cultural experiences on Santa Cruz Island. From the town of Puerto Ayora, we got on buses to visit El Trapiche Farm. It’s an interactive farm where our guests had the opportunity to learn about the process of sugarcane, cocoa, and coffee production. These activities are displayed by a local family that has followed these traditions for many generations. Our guests took part in these activities by helping to extract sugarcane juice, roasting coffee in an old-fashioned way, and distilling sugarcane liqueur. It was definitely a fun way for our guests to interact with the locals while learning how they make a living from farming. And as an extra bonus, we saw a barn owl sitting on a beam of the interior of the building’s roof. After visiting El Trapiche, our guests had a great time seeing the emblematic giant tortoises roaming freely by Manzanillo Ranch. We saw tortoises wandering around, some inside a mud pond, and even a mating couple. It was a spectacular way to end another day in the Galapagos.
