Bartolome Islet and Cerro Dragon, Santa Cruz Island, 8/5/2023, National Geographic Islander II
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander II
Galápagos
Today we explored Bartolome Islet and Cerro Dragon, both on Santa Cruz Island. These are remarkably beautiful locations with impressive views of the Galapagos volcanic landscape. In the morning we hiked and snorkeled along the coast of Bartolome. In the afternoon we moved to Cerro Dragon for a hike in the forest in search of Galapagos land iguanas.
Salvador Cazar studied biology at the Universidad Nacional Del Sur, Bahía Blanca, in Argentina and at the Catholic University of Ecuador. Between 1988 and 1994, Salvador worked as a naturalist and tour leader for several national and international to...
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Today we explored the western realm of the Galapagos. The western islands are formidable! We started early in the morning navigating near Punta Vicente Roca, a collapsed caldera of Volcano Ecuador where we proceeded across the equatorial line. After a Zodiac exploration, we snorkeled under great conditions, with swimming iguanas, Galapagos penguins, sea lions, flightless cormorants, several species of fish, and foraging Pacific green sea turtles feeding on seaweed. In the afternoon, we went ashore for a walk on Fernandina Island, the youngest of the archipelago, where it seemed we had been transported back to a time when the land was newly formed. The highlight of the hike were the countless Galapagos marine iguanas that were basking in the sun at the shoreline. We ended the day on the top deck with a wine tasting event at sunset.
Today was the last day of the year and we had quite a spectacular one. Our morning took place on North Seymour, a small island which is home to frigatebirds, blue-footed boobies, and land iguanas. Here we found the land iguanas feeding on cactus and in search of food in the dry forest that is soon turning green with the first rain of the hot season. After a short navigation, we reached the red island of Rabida where we had our first deepwater snorkel in crystal-clear water. Lots of beautiful, colorful tropical fish that stand out against the red sandy bottom made this outing a mesmerizing one. To finish the day, we had a stroll on the red sand beach where a colony of sea lions were laid out before us, and we saw the beautiful flamingos that are already nesting. Then a determined sea turtle made its way back to the ocean while our group looked on, a lovely sunset in the background, ending this magnificent day and year.
Santa Cruz Island means a day with giant tortoises. Today is the day to see the enormous reptiles, survivors from the time of dinosaurs. The morning started with a visit to El Trapiche Ecologico, a traditional farm that shows us how the settlers managed to produce the basics in the olden times, without electricity but with lots of wit and determination. Next, we headed for Los Gemelos, a pair of massive sink holes surrounded by the remains of the original forest and found in the highlands of Santa Cruz prior to the arrival of the first settlers. After Los Gemelos, it was about lunchtime, so we rode towards El Manzanillo, a private giant tortoise reserve that happens to serve amazing meals. Finally, a small group of us decided to visit the Rearing Centre for Giant Tortoises back in Puerto Ayora before returning to National Geographic Islander II for dinner, our evening briefing, and some live music.
