Santiago Island , 7/26/2024, National Geographic Islander II
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander II
Galápagos
Early in the morning, we woke up to a view of Chinese Hat, a satellite islet off the coast of Santiago. We started our day kayaking and riding Zodiacs along the coast of Chinese Hat. During our visit, we spotted a few Galapagos penguins and Galapagos sea lions on the lava rocks.
After breakfast, we went deep water snorkeling and toured in the glass-bottom boat. We enjoyed a large variety of fish underwater, a few white-tip reef sharks, and even a couple of Pacific green sea turtles.
After lunch, we navigated towards Sullivan Bay. This visitor site features a vast expanse of basaltic lava from 1897, which covers a large area along the coast of Santiago. Some of us decided to go snorkeling off the beach while others went for a long hike over the black lava flows.
Jonathan was born into one of handful families that reaches back five generations in the Galapagos in the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal Island. He grew up swimming among unique freshwater springs owned by his family at the highland...
Our expedition on board National Geographic Islander II took us to the captivating South Plaza and Santa Fe Islands. We were treated to an extraordinary day of wildlife encounters and breathtaking landscapes, leaving us with a deeper understanding of the island’s unique ecosystems.
Today we had an extraordinary opportunity to visit one of the most breathtaking islands in the Galápagos. Genovesa Island is a true sanctuary with more than 1.5 million seabirds. It is home to some of the world’s largest colonies of red-footed boobies and great frigatebirds. We began our morning by kayaking around this spectacular volcanic caldera. We were surrounded by flocks of seabirds flying above us in every direction. The geology, the towering cliffs, and the wild calls of the birds created an unforgettable atmosphere. Later, we disembarked at Darwin Bay, where we observed male frigatebirds in full courtship display. They inflated their bright red gular pouches and beat their wings dramatically to attract females during this peak breeding season. We encountered Nazca boobies, the largest of the booby species found in the Galápagos, as well as striking swallow-tailed gulls, considered the only nocturnal gull in the world. Galápagos sea lions rested on the beach, and we enjoyed a peaceful walk along the shore, taking countless photos and engaging in enriching conversations about the uniqueness of this ecosystem. Our morning concluded with an exciting snorkeling session, where we swam alongside colorful reef fish, rays, and even some reef sharks. In the afternoon, we landed at the iconic Prince Philip’s Steps, where we hiked just over a mile along the cliffside trail. The path led us through large seabird colonies, including red-billed tropicbirds and clouds of storm petrels fluttering around the rocky ledges. One of the highlights was spotting the elusive short-eared owl, the only owl species in the Galápagos. Unlike most owls, it is diurnal, meaning it hunts during the day. We ended the day by enjoying the breathtaking landscape and a stunning sunset from the cliffs.
South Plazas is a small island of the Galapagos archipelago, with vibrant vegetation, a big colony of Galapagos land iguanas, swallow-tailed gulls, and Galapagos sea lions along the coast. It’s awesome to walk through this rocky terrain on this sunny morning, while at the same time being surrounded by this spectacular wildlife. Afterward we returned to National Geographic Islander II , enjoyed a delicious breakfast, and then set out for kayaking with sea lions playing beside us. In the afternoon we reached our second destination of the day, Santa Fe Island, which is another stunning site with unique wildlife. Our first activity was snorkeling, where we were surrounded by different kinds of fish and some young, playful Galapagos sea lions. Later we went for a hike and looked for the Santa Fe land iguana, a species exclusive to this site. We found a few of them getting ready for the night, walking to their burrows where they sleep. We were mesmerized by the size and the yellow coloration of this precious reptile.
