This morning we anchored in Cristobal Island in a location known as Punta Pitt. This is the closest point to mainland South America from the Galapagos, close to 600 nautical miles away from the archipelago. Early in the morning we had our last visit ashore on a very green, sandy beach made up of ashes and olivine crystals and we got to climb through a canyon created by the erosion of water and wind over hundreds of thousands of years. One of the goals of the morning was to see the three species of boobies found on these islands. We observed red-footed boobies nesting on trees, Nasca Bobbies flying by the shore rocks, and blue-footed boobies fishing in front of our very eyes! The scenic views were also very beautiful as was the flora. There was Galapagos Nolana, Cristobal daisies, and also Sesuvium portulacastrum, or Galapagos carpet weed, a colorful purple and green addition to the rocky landscape and an very attractive succulent plant. After all of that we headed back to the beach for a refreshing swim with sea lions!
After lunch we spent the afternoon in Leon Dormido, a nearby tuff cone. Our purpose was snorkeling with big fish. We also saw many invertebrates, from bright colored sponges and sea urchins to cup corals colonizing the external walls of the cone. Many sea turtles were also spotted and black tip reef sharks swam by. It was a great adventure. At the end of the afternoon everyone met at the sky deck as we circumnavigated Leon Dormido with an impressive sunset as the background of our last day in this magical destination.
