This morning we had our last wet landing, this time on a green sandy beach made up of an inorganic mix of volcanic ashes and tiny pieces of olivine crystals. After drying our feet and putting on shoes, we were ready to climb through a trench created by the erosion of water and wind over millions of years.
Punta Pitt is the closest point to mainland Ecuador, about 600 nautical miles away, and one of the oldest islands of the archipelago. The whole Point is made of eroded tuff, creating a dramatic landscape. This dry, unforgiving land is a nesting spot for the three species of boobies found on these waters. We observed red footed boobies nesting on trees and flying by.
The vegetation is another surprise of this site. There is the always colorful common carpet mat plant-its reddish coloration painting the edges of the surrounding cliff, the Galapagos Nolana with its succulent leaves, and also the endemic Chatham’s giant daisy growing on the flanks close to the top of the craters. After we explored we headed back to the beach for a refreshing swim following the hike.
The afternoon took us to the Kicker rock, another noticeable tuff cone. This time we snorkeled by the edges of this volcanic formation. The external walls of the cone are colonized by many invertebrates including brightly colored sponges, sea urchins, and cup corals. Many sea turtles were spotted and also Galapagos and black tip reef sharks. It was a great adventure! At the end of the afternoon everyone met at the sky deck where we circumnavigated Kicker rock as we witnessed an impressive sunset while we enjoyed a glass of champagne.
