Bartolomé & Sombrero Chino Islands
Today we explored two of the smallest Islands in the Enchanted Archipelago, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Bartolomé is a bit more than one and half square miles, but is one of the most visited places in Galapagos for its beauty and abundant opportunities for water activities. This morning in our pre-breakfast option, we disembarked to climb to the top of Bartolomé and enjoy its 360 degree view.
Once we got to the top, we spotted over twenty different islands in the distance and lots of parasitic cones everywhere. Along the trail we encountered some endemic plants. Our guests were amazed at how the plants were originally able to deal with these harsh conditions and grow in an unknown world. The process of colonization was right in front of us and we began to understand how the endemic flora and fauna was possible in Galapagos: just by pure chance.
After our morning activities, we sailed to Sombrero Chino. This island is a parasitic cone as well, and close up we can see its impressive geological formation. This island is very close to Santiago and this gave us an opportunity to explore both of them from our Zodiacs. These landscapes brought peace to our lives.
Today was very special because Bartolomé and Sombrero Chino offer the best opportunities for snorkeling; both sites are located in protected waters with lots of fish from different regions of our planet. This is made possible thanks to the oceanic currents that brought all kind of marine life to the Archipelago such as: turtles, rays, shark, whales, sea lions, penguins and many other amazing marine creatures.
