Today we spent the day on Santiago Island, following Darwin steps. We started with an early hike at Espumilla beach, going inland to see what Darwin saw during his time here. There was an optional photo walk along the beach, to learn about nature photography. The National Geographic Endeavour II was repositioned towards Buccaneer’s Cove. Here one of the highlights is snorkeling, and this morning was spectacular. We saw colorful fish, white-tipped reef sharks, Galapagos fur seals and a huge and playful manta ray! Kayaking and glass-bottom boat rides were an added plus. In the afternoon, our guests enjoyed a great walk along the coastal area of Puerto Egas. The weather was perfect and we had the opportunity to explore the intertidal zone, as it was low tide. Among Galapagos sea lions, herons, marine iguanas, coastal birds and sally lightfoot crabs, the landscape of this place is just a dream! It was another day in paradise.
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.