Our day was spent visiting the island of Santiago, the fourth largest island in the Galapagos—one of only a handful of islands where freshwater can be found inland. This island is also the site of a very successful conservation project funded by the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic Fund for the Galapagos, along with guest donations, that has completely eradicated feral goats and pigs.
The early risers hopped into Zodiacs and headed to the shore for a vigorous hike. We had a wet landing on Espumilla Beach, an important nesting site for Pacific green sea turtles. We could see several nests located in the sand underneath the mangroves. The trail has some steep terrain that led to a vantage point where we were treated to a view out over the shoreline, and a rainbow which had appeared over the National Geographic Endeavour. The trail downwards took us through an amazing tunnel of mangroves, where we had to duck and scramble over large trunks and branches.
A short move to Buccaneer Cove, a former pirate haunt and the place where Charles Darwin visited the longest in the Galapagos and things kicked into overdrive. We could choose to take part in kayaking, glass-bottom boat tours and deep water snorkeling. The water was relatively clear and warmer than yesterday. There was a profusion of color in the form of many species of tropical fish and a wide variety of starfish. Snorkelers were treated to steep walls and little caves to explore along the coast, while kayakers and the glass-bottom boat riders explored the area.
During lunch we moved to anchor at Puerto Egas. After another wet landing in the Zodiacs, we had a choice between a hike along the shoreline to look for marine iguanas, sea lions and fur seals, or to relax on the beach and have a swim or snorkel from shore. On the hike we followed the coastline and were treated to marine iguanas, Sally Lightfoot crabs, Galapagos fur seals and sea lions. As the sun was setting, the lighting was perfect for photographs as we walked over the rough, lava shoreline. A highlight was a mother sea lion suckling her pup, probably only a week or so old. We stopped to watch the sunset behind the volcanoes of Isabella in the distance.
This evening we’ll be recapping our day and learning about tomorrow’s adventures to the Charles Darwin Research Centre and the highlands of Santa Cruz. After that we’ll have a barbeque on the deck. The perfect end to another perfect day in the Galapagos!
