Chinese Hat and Santiago Island
This was a fantastic day for all of our explorers. We started after breakfast with a Zodiac ride along the coast of Santiago, on a search for the elusive species and endemic fauna found on this rusty, barren, but at the same time bio-diverse young area of Santiago. It was a sunny morning and the ocean was calm and very clear, allowing us to view several species of fish even from the Zodiac. Many herons and marine iguanas were seen and some of us even saw a couple of Galapagos penguins fishing along the shoreline of Chinese Hat.
Soon we got ready for snorkeling. About three Zodiacs left the National Geographic Islander to explore the underwater world of Chinese Hat and Santiago. The ocean here is very rich in species, ranging from marine iguanas feeding under the water to white-tipped reef sharks, and what was incredible was to have a very curios Galapagos penguin pecking on one of our guest’s snorkeling mask! That was a close encounter with wildlife that I am sure the guests will remember for a long time after this expedition.
During the afternoon we visited Sullivan Bay, a very young place in geological time. As a naturalist I am fascinated by the fact that the age of the islands allows us to travel in time, and this gives us the opportunity to understand and see with our own eyes all the biological and geological processes that these islands have to go through before they get a complex ecosystem successfully established. Primary succession was present here, life establishing on a brand new habitat. Few species of plants have managed to get moisture from the air and grow in between the lava cracks where the water gathers after some mist. Lava lizards are found near the young lava flow, along the small shrubs on the old rusty cinder cones that the lava flow did not cover. The one plant that we saw was probably the most interesting selection for those who love botany - the endemic lava cactus. This small pioneer species of plants survive in a very rusty and barren environment; in fact they only grown on the youngest areas of the Galapagos. Being an endemic species and also an endemic genus for this archipelago, it truly was an important find for our visitors.
On the way back, we spotted three Galapagos penguins resting on the lava. We got close enough to get some great photographs and finished our day with a great sunset.
