Our morning began with an exciting pre-breakfast walk to the top of an extinct cinder cone on Bartholomew Island. We used a wooden staircase built by the park to prevent erosion and make it easier the climb to the summit. Along the way, we experience the ecological highlights and different formations of this region, such as pahoehoe lava, lava tubes, spatter cones and the way plant life is starting to colonize these volcanic formations.
After our walk, we returned aboard to have breakfast before going ashore again to snorkel from the beach. We deployed our glass-bottom boat, and many of our guests took the opportunity to explore the underwater realm in this unique way. We had a great, sunny morning with warm water, which is very typical of the rainy season.
At the end of the morning, we returned to our ship, and after a short navigation we arrived to Sombrero Chino. The afternoon was spent snorkelling from Zodiacs in deep water. This was a great outing, with clear visibility and several species of fish, Manta rays, Galapagos penguins and colorful sea stars of different kinds. We also offered the opportunity to go to the beach for some relaxation, and later on we went for Zodiac rides along the colorful coast of Sombrero Chino and Santiago Island to look for the endemic Galapagos penguin, sea lions and the impressive volcanic landscape of this area. What a great way to end another wonderful day in the Galapagos!
