We started our day with a very early morning walk on Gardner Beach. Loads of Sea Lions and a bunch of Hood mockingbirds (Mimus hoodensis) showed up to welcome us to this old island with very rocky ecosystems. After breakfast we snorkeled with a few reef fish species and sea lion pups. In the afternoon we attended a talk by certified photo instructor Ramiro Suarez on “The Truth about Galapagos Photography.” Later we kayaked and drove Zodiacs around Punta Suarez which gave us the chance to hang out with the last sea lions of the day, and even a humpback whale and its calf.
1/21/2025
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Santa Cruz Island
We had a day full of wildlife encounters mixed with unique and fun cultural experiences on Santa Cruz Island. From the town of Puerto Ayora, we got on buses to visit El Trapiche Farm. It’s an interactive farm where our guests had the opportunity to learn about the process of sugarcane, cocoa, and coffee production. These activities are displayed by a local family that has followed these traditions for many generations. Our guests took part in these activities by helping to extract sugarcane juice, roasting coffee in an old-fashioned way, and distilling sugarcane liqueur. It was definitely a fun way for our guests to interact with the locals while learning how they make a living from farming. And as an extra bonus, we saw a barn owl sitting on a beam of the interior of the building’s roof. After visiting El Trapiche, our guests had a great time seeing the emblematic giant tortoises roaming freely by Manzanillo Ranch. We saw tortoises wandering around, some inside a mud pond, and even a mating couple. It was a spectacular way to end another day in the Galapagos.
