For our second full day of expedition on board National Geographic Islander II, we anchored at Chinese Hat, a satellite islet off the coast of James Island. We started our morning with some kayaking at the rising sun and complemented it with a Zodiac ride exploration and snorkeling; all of this while having a complete view of the monogenic cinder formation and the lava fields from James’s coastline.

By the afternoon, we moved to the southeastern side of James Island to a famous anchorage spot known as Sulivan Bay. This spot allowed us to appreciate a scenic view that contrasts the iron-oxide lava fields and different pyroclastic material formations from hundreds, thousands, and millions of years ago, with the beautiful deep blue Pacific water.

We finished the day witnessing a clear sky filled with stars and a crescent moon.