There is certainly no place like the Galápagos archipelago. Within just a few days, we have enjoyed such a variety of landscapes: dry and flat like those in Espanola, hilly like in Floreana, or humid like the slopes of Santa Cruz Island. Today, we prepared for an early disembarkation in order to reach the summit of Bartolomé, a small island located east of Santiago. Here the landscapes are different once more; this time there are dozens of geological features. Bartolomé has around 200 craters of various sizes all around it. The bare substrates hold little vegetation, mostly draught-tolerant and low. After a climb of approximately 380 wooden steps we conquered the summit, from which we observed astonishing views of the island and its surrounding areas: lava pipes and spatter cones, tuff cones and brand new lava fields. This is one of the emblematic views of the Galápagos Islands.
But that was just the first part of the morning, and we returned back on board the National Geographic Endeavour for breakfast. We needed to replenish our energies because there was more! So, not long after, we disembarked once again to reach the colorful beach of Bartolomé, next to the majestic Pinnacle Rock. Here we were to simply enjoy the sand, sun, and sea, or enjoy the underwater world either by taking the glass-bottomed boat or putting on our snorkeling gear and explore the adjacent coast from the water! It was a fantastic place, full of various species of fish, sea stars, and many other marine creatures. A Pacific green sea turtle was spotted, as well as at least a couple of sharks. A busy Galápagos penguin made an appearance at the beach, and while hunting little fish he decided to make a brief stop on the sand. What a joy to see such special creature!
By the afternoon our ship had changed location. We sailed south and west around Santiago in order to reach Sombrero Chino. This island is named after its shape which resembles a Chinese-styled hat. There are several other islets in the vicinity, all of which are the remnants of some huge tuff or ash craters. The area, particularly the lava coast, is inhabited by a small colony of Galápagos penguins. So, as soon as we could, we departed with our fearless snorkelers to explore the coastline to find these amazing creatures. And there they were, to everyone’s delight. They were not the only marine creature we found, as there were also many species of fish like the razor surgeon fish, blue-chin parrot fishes, and a couple of species of puffers. Then we had to return back on board to change into our dry clothes and pick up our cameras, and despite the strong swells and winds, we returned to the area to have a chance to take pictures of the Galápagos penguins, several of them now sitting on their favorite rocks. A small colony of Galápagos sea lions also lives nearby, and we had a chance to observe a female sea lion returning to her hungry young pup, which desperately ran towards the sea to greet her. A couple of oystercatchers, adult and young, walked up and down the little beach of Sombrero Chino trying to catch small crabs in the sand. The sun was setting and the colors turned magnificent, painting the nearby islands pink. What a fantastic way to finish another day in the Enchanted Islands, a magical place in the Pacific Ocean.
