Our day started with a magical view of this satellite islet of Santiago Island. We went out in the early morning on kayaks and enjoyed perfect light as we encountered a couple of penguins also getting ready to start their day. Later in the morning, it was time to take a dip in these turquoise waters to experience the magnificent wildlife found underwater. The afternoon offered a hike on a moon-like landscape featuring a very young lava field with interesting formations, or a Zodiac ride. The highlight of the day was seeing up to 30 Galapagos penguins throughout the day.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 02 Jun 2023
Santiago Island: Chinese Hat and Sullivan Bay, 6/2/2023, National Geographic Islander II
- Aboard the National Geographic Islander II
- Galápagos
Adriana Aguirre, Naturalist
Adriana was born in Guayaquil , the largest city in Ecuador, on the Pacific coast . When she was only a year old, her parents moved to Galapagos where her father captain ed a small bay - tour boat. She returned to the mainland to finish school, but t...
Read MoreShare Report
Galápagos Escape: An 8-Day Voyage
VIEW ITINERARYRelated Reports
5/20/2025
Read
National Geographic Islander II
North Seymour and Rabida Islands
Today was an amazing day from sunrise to sunset. We explored the beautiful North Seymour Island in the first part of the day. So many birds! We even saw the fascinating courtship dance of the blue-footed boobies. What a treat! In the afternoon, we went for our first snorkeling experience in the Galapagos, swimming with sea lions and so many fish. To end our day, we had the option to go for a photo-oriented or natural history walk along the astonishing red sand beach of Rabida Island. I oversaw the photo-oriented walk, and we had so much fun. Our guests put into practice what they learned during the photo presentation we had yesterday, and the result was amazing. We cannot wait for another day full of adventures in the Galapagos Archipelago.
5/19/2025
Read
National Geographic Islander II
Santa Cruz Island
Our first full day had plenty of wonderful surprises as we disembarked in Puerto Ayora, the main town on Santa Cruz Island. As soon as we arrived, we took a bus all the way to the highlands of Santa Cruz until we reached El Trapiche Farm, a unique site where the guests of National Geographic Islander II learned about the production of organic coffee, cocoa, and sugarcane liquor. Afterwards, we visited the Twin Craters. This amazing site is comprised of two incredible pit craters formed by the collapse of volcanic magma chambers. The area is surrounded by a forest of the unique Scalesia pedunculata, a tree that is endemic to the area. The spectacular visit to El Manzanillo Ranch gave us the opportunity to walk among the incredible Galapagos giant tortoises, often found in the early afternoon having lunch and resting. Being surrounded by these gentle giants was the best way of ending our visit.