Today we visited the iconic Sombrero Chino islet and its beautiful turquoise waters, and the stunning lava flows at Sullivan Bay. We started our morning with a pre-breakfast stretch class on the beach, surrounded by sea lions and Galapagos penguins! After breakfast we enjoyed a Zodiac exploration, as well as some kayaking and snorkeling — it was all about enjoying the stunning elements and wildlife that the area provides. During the afternoon we headed to Sullivan Bay to witness one of the most spectacular landscapes that the Galapagos has to offer, where we had fun learning and hiking on the lava fields. We ended the day with a coastal exploration aboard our Zodiacs. What a spectacular day we had in the Galapagos!!
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 15 Nov 2024
Sombrero Chino and Sullivan Bay, 11/15/2024, National Geographic Islander II
- Aboard the National Geographic Islander II
- Galápagos
Roberta Schiess, Naturalist
Born and raised in the Galápagos, Roberta Schiess Bahamonde’s grandparents were among the first permanent inhabitants of Santa Cruz Island, arriving from Switzerland in the 1940s. Her mother is also a naturalist guide in the Galápagos, so this is a p...
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It all started with an invigorating early morning kayak excursion during which we spotted the breathtaking landscape of Sombrero Chino, part of the Bainbridge Islets off Santiago Island. Herons, sea lions, and penguins greeted us. Afterwards, we went snorkeling on the Santiago side in front of Sombrero Chino, which did not disappoint. A large school of endemic black-striped salema gathered stealthily in the shallows while penguins and pelicans loomed in the vicinity. After a short motoring, National Geographic Islander II dropped anchor nearby at Sullivan Bay where we snorkeled again. This was our last chance to meet penguins, and the little birds showed up, along with a small sea turtle and thousands of fish. To complete our visit, we hiked the lava field at Sullivan Bay. The pahoehoe lava patterns are amazing, and luckily, we can photograph them as a souvenir of their beauty.
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