Today was another great day in the Galapagos Islands. We anchored in Buccaneer’s Cove, an anchoring spot for 19th-century whalers, as well as HMS Beagle and Charles Darwin himself. Here we had the opportunity to kayak, explore by Zodiac, and dive from the ship. It was a lot of fun jumping from the stern in various diving styles. In the afternoon, we enjoyed a wonderful hike along the coastline of Puerto Egas, where big waves gave the landscape a dramatic look. In the intertidal pools, we were able to find many birds, reptiles and marine mammals.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 18 Jan 2023
Santiago Island, 1/18/2023, National Geographic Endeavour II
- Aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II
- Galápagos
Anahí Concari, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Anahí grew up in a small house by the beach in the Galápagos Islands. Along with her best friend, she used to wander during the days around mangrove trees, becoming a different animal every day. She used to camp on solitary beaches, snorkel with shar...
Read MoreShare Report
Exploring Galápagos
VIEW ITINERARYRelated Reports
5/7/2025
Read
National Geographic Delfina
Bahía Urbina and Tagus Cove, Isabela Island
As the sun rose, we headed to Urbina Bay, a visitor site found on Isabela Island at the slopes of the marvelous Alcedo Volcano. Isabela is home to a unique morphotype of dome-shelled tortoises and arguably the most pristine island of the Galapagos. We went for a short walk, and in addition to spotting the popular giants, we also observed the evidence of an uplift event which occurred in 1954. In the afternoon, we navigated for an hour to the historical Tagus Cove, the same place where HMS Beagle once anchored. With elusive octopi, fast swimming penguins, funny looking cormorants, and breathtaking views, we finished another great day in this enchanted archipelago.
5/6/2025
Read
National Geographic Endeavour II
Isabela Island
Navigation brought us to the largest island in the Galapagos Archipelago, Isabela. Holding half of all land mass in the Galapagos, it has a diverse selection of ecosystems that we were able to visit. Urvina Bay was geologically uplifted in the 1950’s, taking two square kilometers of seafloor that was thrust upward, in certain areas up to four meters out of the water. Intertidal species were stranded inland, and we walked upon this area. Galapagos giant tortoises and land iguanas were found on our trail, and we were surrounded by Darwin finches and Galapagos mockingbirds. The afternoon brought us to Tagus Cove where we explored the surrounding waters, encountering Galapagos penguins and Pacific green sea turtles swimming among the kayakers and snorkelers. As the sun dipped below the horizon, adventurous hikers took a fast-paced hike to enjoy an incredible view of Darwin Lake and the immense island of Isabela.