Today, our guests explored the westernmost part of the Galapagos. During the morning, we landed and snorkeled at Punta Espinosa on Fernandina Island. The countless Galapagos marine iguanas basking on the shoreline were a highlight. While snorkeling in the morning, guests observed Galapagos marine iguanas and green sea turtles feeding on seaweed on the rocks. In the afternoon, we took Zodiac tours to experience Punta Vicente Roca on Isabela Island. The site offers an impressive view of a collapsed volcano. The cliffs are good perching spots for seabirds like Nazca boobies, flightless cormorants, and Galapagos penguins. At the end of the day, our hotel department offered a wine tasting to celebrate as we crossed the equator.
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.
