Today was our second full day of expedition aboard National Geographic Endeavour II, and we navigated to Floreana Island in the south-central area of the archipelago. We took a pre-breakfast walk and saw turtles resting on the beach, a pond with flamingos, and blue-footed boobies on the scoria dunes of Punta Cormorant. After breakfast, the ship moved locations to Champion Islet, where we went for an incredible snorkel. In the afternoon, we visited Post Office Bay, where we enjoyed the shores with kayaks and made a stop at the famous post office barrel.
6/12/2025
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Bartolomé and Sombrero Chino Islands
Warm ocean air and a colorful sunrise met us as we approached Bartolomé. Guests traveled by foot or Zodiac to experience the compacted ash landscape. On our first snorkeling excursion, we swam with diving penguins and sea creatures like whitetip and blacktip sharks, rays, and parrotfish. On the next snorkeling opportunity, we enjoyed seeing even more fish and sea stars! After lunch, we were back on the Zodiac for a third snorkeling opportunity. We dove in by Sombrero Chino. We spotted whitetip sharks, a school of fish, sea lions, pufferfish, and more. We ended the day by circumnavigating Sombrero Chino on Zodiac. We spotted more penguins. The community spirit that has developed over the week was evident as a Zodiac of guests serenaded Sarah on her birthday! Traveling to the Galapagos has made the world feel small. We have found common ground with guests and staff and made connections between our actions back home and the conservation of this beautiful archipelago. Written by Sarah Magnano and Robin Lockwood, Grosvenor Teacher Fellows