Bartholomew and Santiago Islands
Our journey began early in the morning with a nice hike to the top of the island of Bartholomew, well known for its geology and magnificent scenery.
As we walked along the path we felt overwhelmed by the peace and solitude of the place as well as the sighting of some Galápagos penguins and blue-footed boobies feeding along the shore.
Once at the summit we spent some time looking at the magnificent view of Bartholomew’s pinnacle rock and some islands in the surrounding area. There were some clouds, however we experienced nice warm breeze all the time.
After a well deserved breakfast we went ashore again to swim and snorkel from the shore. One of the most outstanding moments of the day was finding a female Pacific green turtle on the beach starting to head towards the sea, while other females swam close to the shore; we could see almost every detail on their shells.
For the afternoon we went to explore Puerto Egas on the western coast of Santiago Island. This place used to have an old salt mine, and when the miners left in the late 1960’s several species of introduced animals were left as well. Finally and after hard work eradicating most feral animals, we are on the process of Santiago’s restoration.
During our visit we found several seabirds, sea lions, fur seals, crabs, herons, and mockingbirds all along the trail.
We got aboard and enjoyed Ecuadorian ceviche and some of the local drinks. We felt grateful for this wonderful day. We saw outstanding things from nature, making us realize the importance of protecting the environment.
Our journey began early in the morning with a nice hike to the top of the island of Bartholomew, well known for its geology and magnificent scenery.
As we walked along the path we felt overwhelmed by the peace and solitude of the place as well as the sighting of some Galápagos penguins and blue-footed boobies feeding along the shore.
Once at the summit we spent some time looking at the magnificent view of Bartholomew’s pinnacle rock and some islands in the surrounding area. There were some clouds, however we experienced nice warm breeze all the time.
After a well deserved breakfast we went ashore again to swim and snorkel from the shore. One of the most outstanding moments of the day was finding a female Pacific green turtle on the beach starting to head towards the sea, while other females swam close to the shore; we could see almost every detail on their shells.
For the afternoon we went to explore Puerto Egas on the western coast of Santiago Island. This place used to have an old salt mine, and when the miners left in the late 1960’s several species of introduced animals were left as well. Finally and after hard work eradicating most feral animals, we are on the process of Santiago’s restoration.
During our visit we found several seabirds, sea lions, fur seals, crabs, herons, and mockingbirds all along the trail.
We got aboard and enjoyed Ecuadorian ceviche and some of the local drinks. We felt grateful for this wonderful day. We saw outstanding things from nature, making us realize the importance of protecting the environment.
