Today began with a walk to the summit of Bartolome Island to see one of the best landscapes of the archipelago. After breakfast, we enjoyed some time on the golden beach and snorkeled along the shores of the island. There was more snorkeling in the afternoon around Chinese Hat, where we swam with Galapagos penguins and reef sharks. We capped off the day with a Zodiac ride at sunset.
3/18/2025
Read
National Geographic Endeavour II
Santa Cruz
Our day started with a heavy rain, but that didn’t stop our visit to the most populated island. Early in the morning some of us decided to visit the Charles Darwin Breeding Center to learn about the programs that the Galapagos National Park Service and the Charles Darwin Foundation share for the benefit of the wildlife in the archipelago. We observed the tortoise breeding program to recover populations that were decimated in the past due to human interaction (whalers, pirates, and introduced animals) that severely harmed this species to the point of extinction. After the visit, we gathered at a nice spot for a rehydrating drink and departed to different sites to get to know how Galapagueños make their living in agriculture. One group was taken to the hydroponic farm, and other groups were driven to El Trapiche, a sugarcane plantation. Once the visit was over, we had a wonderful lunch at another ranch in the highlands and afterward we took our official walk to observe the Galapagos giant tortoises in their natural habitat. Finally, back in town we had a few hours to explore and find some souvenirs to take home.
