We are in the central part of the Galapagos, having a great time exploring and photographing these magnificent creatures and landscapes. This time we are part of a special trip tailored for photographers and natural history lovers. This is the Epic Galapagos!
Today, before breakfast we boarded our fleet of Zodiacs to disembark on a small but amazing volcanic island called Bartolomé. This island is quite young with very few living forms around. The complex process of colonization carried out by pioneer plants and animals is quite remarkable, and it is still taking place. These creatures are snakes, lava lizards, insects and small plants that can tolerate the typical droughts and the heat of this region.
The Galápagos Islands are not only a national park that includes land areas. It is also a vast marine reserve, considered to be among the largest reserves in the world. Therefore it is of enormous importance for science and tourism and the economy of the local people. Today we had a great snorkeling outing exploring the shallow waters, where we had close encounters with not only fish, but also sea lions, penguins, sharks and eagle rays!
In the second part of the day, after lunch, we anchored off Sombrero Chino Island, where we had an afternoon packed with exciting activities! The shore on this island is made up of new black basalt and it is home to creatures like sea birds, sea lions and marine iguanas. Once we entered the water, we were literally swimming above white tipped reef sharks! There were also black-stripped salemas and many other types of fish such as parrotfish, eagle rays and yellow tailed razors.
What a great day!