Today we visited Santiago Island, in the central part of the Galápagos Archipelago. This island was a favorite hideout for pirates and buccaneers in the past; here, they discovered great anchorages, fresh water, firewood and abundant tortoises to eat. Brief spells of human colonization occured during the 20th century, but today the entire island is part of the protected areas of the Galápagos National Park. In the morning, we anchored at Buccaneer Cove where we visited the trail of Espumilla Beach. In the afternoon we continued to James Bay, where we were able to explore Puerto Egas and its stunning coastline.
10/4/2024
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Genovesa Island
With coffee in hand, I stepped out onto the front balcony of the lounge to see what was going on. We had just entered Darwin’s Bay, dropped anchor, and the juvenile red-footed boobies had found the ship and were flying around us on an inspection tour. The rest of the day continued with discoveries of all kinds. An early morning inversion layer (locally known as “garúa”) had fallen and dampened the environment with much desired drops of fresh water, although the chicks of various species didn’t appear terribly pleased in having wet feathers. On our return, the same bedraggled individuals looked smooth, sleek and dry once the sun had come out. The Galapagos National Park has only two sites for visitors, both spectacular, both well worth a slow walk among the palo santo trees to see the great frigatebirds, red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, Galapagos doves, Darwin’s finches, short-eared owls, and storm petrels. Snorkeling, kayaking, and paddleboarding along the base of the cliffs of Darwin’s Bay followed. There’s nothing quite like this island anywhere in the world.
