Our journey continued as we arrived at North Seymour Island, an uplifted volcanic island in the center of the Galapagos archipelago. North Seymour has an abundance of life with frigatebirds, blue-footed boobies, and Galapagos land iguanas. Inland, frigatebirds displayed for potential mates. They showed off their impressive inflated gular sac while shaking their wings and making a guttural clicking noise. It was quite a show. Blue-footed boobies are starting nests right now, and one showed us the three eggs being incubated. Land iguanas foraged on fresh vegetation, indifferent to us as we passed. Upon returning to National Geographic Endeavour II, a feeding frenzy began as blue-footed boobies, Galapagos sharks, sardines, brown noddy terns, and Galapagos shearwaters took part in the feast. After an incredible morning, we started our afternoon on Rabida Island, a dark red island that shows off its volcanic past. A snorkel along the coast brought us in contact with Pacific green sea turtles, Galapagos sea lions, and an array of reef fish. As the sun dipped below the horizon, we took a short walk to a brackish pond to enjoy American flamingos on full display. What a great finish to our first full day in the archipelago.
2/20/2025
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Bartolome and Chinese Hat
The Galapagos never ceases to amaze and today was no exception. We began our morning with a landing at Bartolome Island, where we climbed the iconic boardwalk to the summit. Along the way, we spotted lava lizards basking in the sun and took in the breathtaking views of Pinnacle Rock standing tall against the deep blue water. The highlight of the day came in the afternoon as we explored Chinese Hat, a small cinder cone with striking lava formations. A Zodiac exploration took us along the shoreline where we spotted three Galapagos penguins resting on the lava rocks. These unique seabirds, the only penguins found north of the equator, stood side by side, preening and occasionally glancing towards the water as if contemplating their next dive. Guests also enjoyed snorkeling in the turquoise waters where sea lions twisted playfully and whitetip reef sharks swam through the currents. As the sun dipped below the horizon, we reflected on another extraordinary day in one of the most unique ecosystems on the planet.