Bartolome and Santiago Islands
A wake up call at six in the morning might not seem like the ideal of vacation schedule for everyone, but for the true explorers on board the Islander it's like a dream come true!
I have to admit that it was a little hard to open our eyes at first, but just the glimpse of pure light refracting an array of colors on the lava flows or the shiny sparkles of light on the dark blue waters around our anchorage site, it was enough to make us all jump out of our beds! Our half-awake brains started to process the unmatched beauty of Bartolome’s dramatic coastline. After our walk to the summit of the island we came back on board for breakfast; once refilled with energy, we headed out again to experience our first contact with the marine environment of the Galápagos.
Our afternoon was spent on one of James Island's visitor sites. We went for a hike at the western flank of the island known as Puerto Egas and enjoyed the amazing wildlife that this place has to offer. The coastline was dramatically bathed by huge waves breaking all along the coast, making all the creatures gather at the highest, safest part of the intertidal zone just to avoid being washed off to the sea. For a little while we thought that we have seen it all, but the unexpected appearance of a short-eared owl proved us wrong. I have to add that this sighting was truly something special, since in twenty years of guidance I have never seen one before in this location!
Our way back was delightfully spent mostly bird watching, my favorite activity and passion! We encountered several striated herons, a pair of American Oystercatchers, Galápagos mocking birds, doves and a large diversity of waders in the nearby tide pools. There was so many that our bird list sightings increased largely.
It is hard to find a word to describe what we all felt at the end of the day, but a simple WOW is the only thing that pops out of my mouth right now!
A wake up call at six in the morning might not seem like the ideal of vacation schedule for everyone, but for the true explorers on board the Islander it's like a dream come true!
I have to admit that it was a little hard to open our eyes at first, but just the glimpse of pure light refracting an array of colors on the lava flows or the shiny sparkles of light on the dark blue waters around our anchorage site, it was enough to make us all jump out of our beds! Our half-awake brains started to process the unmatched beauty of Bartolome’s dramatic coastline. After our walk to the summit of the island we came back on board for breakfast; once refilled with energy, we headed out again to experience our first contact with the marine environment of the Galápagos.
Our afternoon was spent on one of James Island's visitor sites. We went for a hike at the western flank of the island known as Puerto Egas and enjoyed the amazing wildlife that this place has to offer. The coastline was dramatically bathed by huge waves breaking all along the coast, making all the creatures gather at the highest, safest part of the intertidal zone just to avoid being washed off to the sea. For a little while we thought that we have seen it all, but the unexpected appearance of a short-eared owl proved us wrong. I have to add that this sighting was truly something special, since in twenty years of guidance I have never seen one before in this location!
Our way back was delightfully spent mostly bird watching, my favorite activity and passion! We encountered several striated herons, a pair of American Oystercatchers, Galápagos mocking birds, doves and a large diversity of waders in the nearby tide pools. There was so many that our bird list sightings increased largely.
It is hard to find a word to describe what we all felt at the end of the day, but a simple WOW is the only thing that pops out of my mouth right now!
