We woke up at Academy Bay, Santa Cruz Island. This is the most inhabited island in the Galapagos Archipelago; more than twenty thousand people call Santa Cruz Island their home nowadays. In the morning we visited the famous giant tortoise breeding center. This is the most successful program run by the Galapagos National Park Service, and one of the most visited sites in the Galapagos. Today we were very lucky, the tortoises were very active. We even saw tortoises from different islands. After this awesome visit, there was time to wander around the cozy town of Puerto Ayora. Afterwards, we took buses and headed towards the highlands. We had a lot of fun visiting Don Adriano’s farm; here we learned about sugar cane and coffee. Then we had an exquisite lunch at Aquelarre Restaurant and the highlight of the day was the unique experience of walking among the emblematic animals of the Galapagos, the giant tortoises in their natural habitat! It was a great day, full of new experiences that will last in our memories forever.
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.
