Each new voyage is a new adventure, and for this new adventure we anchor early in the morning at Bartolomé Island. This little island looks like it is part of the island of Santiago, but there is a narrow, shallow channel separating these two islands. We have organized a walk on the island at the first light of day and our enthusiastic explorers are at the reception area, ready to go. It is a dry landing and the scenery suggests that this excursion will be a good time to talk about geology. Yes, the island is a good example of how lava rocks look when they are just formed. It looks like we are walking on another planet. The island barely has any vegetation and there are few animals living in such a rustic environment.
We use the stairway, walking along the parts where the landscape is best for interpreting. The summit of the island is the prize of this early morning activity. By the time we finish enjoying the beauty of this viewpoint, we realize it is time for breakfast. So we descend from the 380-feet high peak and head back to the ship. After the first meal of the day and a short talk about snorkeling, we deliver snorkeling gear to our guests to commence the next adventure of the day. On the sandy beach at Bartolomé Island, we take part in aquatic activities. This area of the archipelago is really good for snorkeling. The water is a little cold for some of the explorers but it does not stop them. Once in the water, we have a great time seeing lots of fish, a white-tipped reef shark and many different attractions of the ocean.
In the afternoon, we are anchor at Rabida, or the red island. The first group of explorers boards kayaks, heading for a protected section of the island where the wind and currents are not so strong. Following the kayakers are the deepwater snorkelers, who explore the same area under water. Both groups have a great time in the ocean.
Back on the ship, we change and get ready for the last activity of the day: a wet landing at the red beach of the island of Rabida. We take a nice walk along this beach with the light of the sun setting on the flank of the island, where we spot some sea lions, hawks and oystercatchers. We have a fantastic adventure today and we look forward to seeing what the Galápagos holds for us tomorrow.
