Today we visited the island of San Cristobal. We started our day with a hike at Punta Pitt, where we walked uphill along a beautiful landscape made of volcanic tuff. Here we could observe the last of the three species of boobies we had yet to encounter in the Galapagos, the red-footed booby. In the afternoon, after a delicious lunch, we visited Cerro Brujo, a great place to relax on the last full day of our trip. We also spent time walking among sea lions and sea birds feeding along the shore. We ended our day navigating around Kicker Rock, a tuff cone in the middle of the ocean, a few miles off the coast of San Cristobal.
8/19/2023
Read
National Geographic Islander II
Santa Cruz Island
Today we explored Bartolome Islet and Cerro Dragon on Santa Cruz Island; these areas are remarkably beautiful because they offer impressive views of the Galapagos volcanic landscape. During the morning we hiked and snorkeled in Bartolome. For the afternoon we moved to Cerro Dragon to hike across dry forest looking for Galapagos land iguanas. Bartolome Islet is a small volcanic island located off the east coast of Santiago Island. It is known for its distinctive Pinnacle Rock, a towering volcanic formation that rises out of the sea. The island is relatively barren, with a stark landscape of black lava rocks and sparse vegetation. Right after breakfast the guests of National Geographic Islander II landed at Bartolome and climbed to the summit to take in one of the most scenic views of the archipelago. Our guests also had the opportunity to snorkel in the waters around Pinnacle Rock, where they observed a variety of marine life including fish, sea turtles, Galapagos sea lions, and Galapagos penguins. For the afternoon we explored Cerro Dragon (“dragon hill”), on Santa Cruz Island; this area is named for the land iguanas that live here. It is a volcanic hill on the northwest coast of Santa Cruz, and was formed over a million years ago by a series of volcanic eruptions. The climb up the hill provided breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. Along the way, we encountered several land iguanas basking in the sun and occasionally crossing our path. We also saw some species of birds, including Darwin's finches and Galápagos mockingbirds. Once we reached the summit, we were rewarded with panoramic views of the coastline and the nearby islets.
