In honor of Valentine's Day, this week's photos from the field feature romantic sunrises and sunsets from Vietnam and Baja California, animal courtships in the Galápagos, and undersea heart-hands in French Polynesia.
Guests aboard National Geographic Venture awoke to glorious sunshine and picturesque sandstone cliffs beside Punta Colorada. The morning’s highlights were a snorkeling trip where pufferfish and sea fans were on full display and Zodiac cruises laden with playful dolphins. A midday sail complete with leaping devil rays and bow riding dolphins brought us to Isla San Jose where we hiked under the afternoon sun.
The first full day of our voyage was spent in Astoria, the oldest city in Oregon and the oldest American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. In town, we visited the Columbia River Maritime Museum and learned about the fascinating seafaring history of this area. From there we visited Coxcomb Hill and the Astoria Column for panoramic views of the town and river below. The other half of our day was spent in neighboring Washington state at Cape Disappointment. We visited Waikiki Beach and saw an installment from Maya Lin’s Confluence Project. From there we continued to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center for the full story on the famous explorers. During dinner we left the dock and continued up the Columbia toward Hood River for more adventures tomorrow!
Today we explored two of the most beautiful central islands of the Galapagos. We visited Rabida Island before breakfast and found sea lions, blue-footed boobies, and were so lucky to find flamingoes feeding in a beautiful brackish pond. We also had our first snorkeling excursion of the week. In the afternoon, we disembarked to explore the coast of Puerto Egas on Santiago Island. Here we observed marine iguanas resting along the rocky shores and many seabird species.
The first full day of expedition on the oldest island of the archipelago was an amazing surprise box. After a safety briefing, we received our snorkel gear and some of us headed to Tortuga Islet in Gardner Bay for our first “deep-water snorkel.” Others practiced in shallower waters at the beyond-description beach with white sand and a turquoise bay. After this first encounter with the marine world, we returned to National Geographic Endeavour II for a quick change and then a Zodiac ride to the beach to stroll, swim, and observe the graceful sea lions in their natural habitat. We took this opportunity for photos, while they were peacefully laying on the beach. By midday we moved from the eastern side of Española Island to the western side for a visit to Punta Suarez. This is the only site at the Equator where waved albatrosses breed, and we witnessed the first ones arriving. We observed female marine iguanas fighting for a burrow, the blowhole, as well as the Española mockingbird and lava lizard. What a unique visit we had, and we’re looking forward to more!
On our first full day in Galapagos we went to San Cristobal Island, where we explored two different sites. In the morning we hiked to the top of Punta Pitt and looked for red-footed boobies, frigatebirds, pelicans, and some of the most impressive landscapes in the archipelago. Later in the morning we went snorkeling along an islet off the coast and had a great time playing with Galapagos sea lions and observing marine life all over the area. In the afternoon we went to Cerro Brujo and enjoyed playing in the waves and taking a stroll along the coast.
