In the early morning of our sixth day of exploration, the National Geographic Endeavour has anchored at Bartolomé Island. This small Island is located off of the mid-eastern coast of the Santiago, which is one of the five largest islands in Galapagos. Named after one of the officers of the Beagle, Bartolomé is notable for its extraordinary landscaping potential, and its age, which allows us to understand more about the geology of the archipelago.
By 6:30am, all of our explorers are walking along the paths of the island, surrounded by unexpected volcanic features such as lava tubes, lava channels, spatter cones, and red and orange rocks. The vegetation, such as the pioneer plant, is highly specialized to live on this kind of young lava, which is a truly new experience for our explorers.
There are steps on this island that lead us to the summit, 377 feet above sea level, where the view is just amazing. Pinnacle rock stands in foreground, and from here we see the sandy beach that will be the site of our next snorkeling excursion. What a great way to begin the day.
In the afternoon, we offer a snorkeling excursion off of the Zodiacs, along the coast of Sombrero Chino tiny islets, to the southeast of Santiago. This channel separating the two islands offers great snorkeling opportunities, because we can easily find fish, sharks, and sea lions all in the same little spot. After the snorkeling, our explorers are planning to go on a Zodiac ride along the coast at sunset, looking for penguins and birds. What a perfect way to close another day in the enchanted islands.
