Today we woke up on the island of Bartolome. The excursion on this island started early and we had the chance to see the sunrise before we landed. The hike to the summit was wonderful, nice weather and a great view from the top. After breakfast, some people enjoyed a nice time on the beach and later, everyone went for a snorkeling session. We saw penguins, sharks, reef fish, rays, and more. In the afternoon, we started with another snorkeling session, followed by a Zodiac ride around Chinese Hat. We had a great day here in the Galapagos Islands.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 12 Mar 2020
Bartolome and Chinese Hat , 3/12/2020, National Geographic Endeavour II
- Aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II
- Galápagos
Charles Wittmer, Naturalist
Charles was raised in the Galápagos Islands. He is the grandson of Rolf Wittmer, the first person documented to have been born on the island of Floreana after his parents, Margret and Heinz Wittmer, emigrated from Germany in 1932.
Read MoreShare Report
Exploring Galápagos
VIEW ITINERARYRelated Reports
5/13/2025
Read
National Geographic Gemini
Isabela Island
Isabela Island has five active volcanoes and from time to time we can observe how the geology continues to change in a short period of time. Some areas on this island are still in the process of colonization, while other areas are covered with a dense, lush vegetation. This morning, we visited Urbina Bay, which has a lot of vegetation, making it the ideal place for Alcedo giant tortoises and Galapagos land iguanas. This site is one of the best for birding and geology interpretation. Punta Vicente Roca is another fascinating visitor site on Isabela Island. We snorkeled with turtles, sharks, rays, and lots of fish. During our Zodiac ride, we saw many different species of seabirds, such as pelicans, brown noddy terns, Nazca boobies, frigates, and blue-footed boobies resting on the cliffs and plunge diving for fish.
5/13/2025
Read
National Geographic Endeavour II
Santa Cruz Island
Today we had a very interesting day, starting with a visit to the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center to learn about its conservation projects. Later, we drove to the highlands of Santa Cruz into the agricultural zone and visited a small coffee and sugarcane farm, a family run business established in the Galapagos for close to 50 years. In the afternoon, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Manzanillo Ranch and walked among giant tortoises in the wild. Today we had a mixture of experiences, learning about tortoises, conservation, and management and experiencing how the Galapaguenos make their living in such a special and vulnerable world like the islands and sharing their skills with the local community.