Genovesa, 8/27/2022, National Geographic Islander II
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander II
Galápagos
Our morning started with a very relaxing stroll at Darwin’s Bay on the side of Genovesa. A very relaxing snorkel at the cove followed. In the afternoon, we capped off our beautiful week on board National Geographic Islander II with a visit to Prince Philip’s Steps. We relaxed a little bit with a smooth hike as we checked on waders and sea lions.
Bernardo, known by his friends and family as Bernie, was born In the Andean city of Quito, located in the highlands of Ecuador. His grandfather, however, moved to the Galapagos Islands in the mid-70s, and worked as one of the first Naturalist Guides,...
Enter travel details to receive reports from a single expedition
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Send Daily Expedition Reports to friends and family
*By clicking the submit button, I authorize Lindblad Expeditions to email me; however, I am able to unsubscribe at any time. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.
Please note: All Daily Expedition Reports (DERs) are posted Monday-Friday,
during normal business hours. DERs are written onboard the ship only and do
not apply to land-based portions of expeditions.
On the final day of our expedition, we crossed to the western side of the Galapagos archipelago on board National Geographic Islander II. Last, but not least, we visited the youngest islands of the archipelago. With ages of only 500,000 to 700,000 years, they are the babies of the Galapagos, in geological time. Their location at the upwelling zone of the Cromwell current makes this one of the most productive areas in the Galapagos. We started our day with an early whale-watching activity, while heading to Fernandina Island. We anchored at Punta Vicente Roca, where we started with an amazing walk; here we encountered the biggest population of marine iguanas in the archipelago. To conclude the morning activities, we explored the marine life of Fernandina. In the afternoon we had a spectacular Zodiac ride along the coast of Isabela, around the “mouth” of this seahorse-shaped island. We encountered a couple of orcas and dolphins to finish the day.
Today we explored two wonderful locations around Santiago Island. Chinese Hat, a small islet, is a geological wonder. Shaped like a traditional Chinese hat, this volcanic formation showcases the raw, untamed beauty of the archipelago. The island is dotted with volcanic cones and hardened lava flows, providing a unique landscape for exploration. We went kayaking and Zodiac-riding; we also explored beneath the waves with the glass-bottom boat and snorkeling. Nearby, Sullivan Bay complements the experience with its expansive, otherworldly lava fields. We explored the area with our naturalist, learning about the geological features of this lava flow that is only 130 years old.
We started the morning with a walk along the coast of Fernandina Island. We were surrounded by marine iguanas and baby sea lions. After the walk we headed to the snorkeling area, where we were submerged in crystal-clear waters with marine iguanas, sea turtles, flightless cormorants, and Galápagos penguins. We also had an amazing encounter with a hawk hunting marine iguanas right in front of us! During the afternoon we crossed Bolivar’s channel to visit Isabela Island. We went out for a Zodiac ride, and we were able to get very close to the coastline; we spotted Galápagos fur seals, marine iguanas, sea turtles, Galápagos sea lions, Galápagos penguins, and flightless cormorants. Later on, the Captain and crew took National Geographic Islander II towards the equator line. We celebrated our crossing of the equator with a wine tasting during sunset. What a wonderful way to end our expedition.
