Every island is different in the Enchanted Islands, and at dawn we could see the outline of various cones and craters around us. We had anchored at Bartolome Island, west of Santiago. In order to explore this small but very attractive island we set off in a pre-breakfast outing to avoid the heat of the day. The island is still almost entirely devoid of vegetation due to its youth and its bare grounds revealed a variety of volcanic features: spatter cones, cinders, lava tubes, and tuff cones. After climbing over 370 wooden steps we made it to the summit, from which we enjoyed the breathtaking views of the island and the surrounding coast of Santiago. This is an iconic landscape that is almost on every book written about the Galapagos Islands! We then returned back on board, and after breakfast we prepared for a second outing in the morning. We landed at the golden beach of Bartolome, next to which stands the Pinnacle Rock. The tranquil waters of this little bay make the perfect opportunity for a first exploration of the underwater world, or to simply practice snorkeling while others preferred to walk to the soft sand to relax.
By the early afternoon we had already navigated further west and had dropped anchor at Rabida. This island is a lot older, and it is entirely covered in dry vegetation. The palo santo or incense trees dominate the arid zone; they are still leafless and bare as the rainy season is still yet to come. The exposed rocks are reddish, and so is the sand on the only beach of the island. This is due to the iron oxide contained in these older lavas. The beach is the home to a large colony of Galapagos sea lions, which despite the high tide hardly leaving any space managed to carry on with their ‘siestas.’ Behind the beach lies a small brackish lagoon which is surrounded by evergreen mangroves on one side.
We could not have been happier to realize that besides the usual male, solitary Galapagos sea lions that usually rest in the shore of the lagoon, this time there was a pink flamingo! A resident species called the greater flamingo inhabits the Galapagos, a population of just about 500 individuals spread throughout the various brackish lagoons and ponds of the archipelago. This actual individual was a male, and it displayed its typical method of feeding and filtering its food in front of us for quite a while.
But there was another surprise and that was the sighting of a couple of male Vermillion flycatchers. Formerly abundant in the larger islands, this species is now severely endangered, so we felt we were extremely fortunate to have been able to see it and observe it in its natural habitat. And the list of sightings this afternoon just keeps going on, and on: white-cheeked pintail ducks, American oystercatchers and semi-palmated plovers in the lagoon, Galapagos flycatchers and mockingbirds on the beach; blue-footed boobies, pelicans, and brown noddies fishing close to the shore…and we must not forget that the kayaking was beautiful, and that our fearless snorkelers had a fantastic time with thousands of fish, and even saw rays and sharks! This was an unforgettable afternoon, where the magic of the Enchanted Islands was in full display.
