On our last full day exploring Galapagos on National Geographic Endeavour II, we visit San Cristobal Island in the eastern part of the archipelago. We started our day visiting Punta Pitt, which features many different tuff volcanoes that are eroding. In our walk through a shrubby area, we found red-footed boobies nesting and perching. After the hike, everybody got the opportunity to swim in a beautiful beach and snorkel in this fantastic bay. In the afternoon, we changed location to Cerro Brujo. Here, our guests enjoyed a white sand beach in the company of charismatics sea lions to finish off an amazing expedition.
9/18/2023
Read
National Geographic Endeavour II
Floreana Island
Our adventure on Floreana Island started early in the morning, at Punta Cormorant. We had a wet landing on a beach with “green sand” — its color is due to the presence of olivine crystals, volcanically derived silicates of magnesium and iron. The trail led us to a brackish lagoon, where we found Galapagos flamingos, giving us the perfect moment for pictures. Next we followed a trail surrounded mostly by palo santo trees; at this time of the year they are dry and leafless, but they are just waiting for the rainy season to blossom. At the end of the trail a white sandy beach was waiting for us. Later in the morning we snorkeled around Champion. It was an amazing experience to play with Galapagos sea lions while taking in the beautiful underwater landscape. We finished our visit to this island with the historical site of Post Office Bay. This is one of the islands’ most famous sites due to its frequent visitations by pirates and whalers during the 17th and 18th centuries. The crew of visiting ships would leave mail inside a barrel; in turn, they would pick up any mail that was destined for their own part of the world. Of course our guests left their own postcards there, hoping they will be delivered soon. We finished the day with kayaking at sunset — a beautiful end to a beautiful day.
