This was our first full day in the Galapagos, and we can say it was a wonderful one. The island of North Seymour is small, but full of wildlife. The animals that typically make it to oceanic islands are birds and reptiles, and these are exactly the kind of animals we find here. Blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds and land iguanas call North Seymour home. Oceanic islands provide a secure nesting area, since no big predators can survive the journey through the sea, except rats! That is why, in 2019, conservationists worked on eradicating rats so that the endemic and native wildlife can live peacefully. That is what we got the chance to see today, animals living in perfect harmony and unafraid of us. In the afternoon, we visited Rabida Island, where we enjoyed water activities and finished our day with a nice stroll along the beach.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 27 Feb 2022
North Seymour and Rabida Island, 2/27/2022, National Geographic Endeavour II
- Aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II
- Galápagos
Anahí Concari, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Anahí grew up in a small house by the beach in the Galápagos Islands. Along with her best friend, she used to wander during the days around mangrove trees, becoming a different animal every day. She used to camp on solitary beaches, snorkel with shar...
Read MorePatricio Maldonado, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Patricio, better known as Pato amongst his friends, was born in the Galápagos Islands. His family moved to the islands from the mainland and settled on the island of Santa Cruz over thirty-five years ago. Pato had an enchanted childhood in the island...
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Exploring Galápagos
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Santiago Island
We began our day with a very active snorkeling excursion, where some of our snorkelers saw several whitetip reef sharks, a few sea lions, and fish of all kinds. We also kayaked and went paddleboarding. The geological formations are impressive here, such as the world-famous praying monk that captured our attention while on a Zodiac ride. If that wasn’t enough, we had a few rounds of glass bottom boat rides, a fabulous tool that allows us to have a clear view of the fish, and especially those sharks. Soon after lunch, we had an adventurous wet landing on Puerto Egas, with its black sandy beach that we had all to ourselves. We walked along the shore and intertidal pools of Santiago with sightings of marine iguanas, sea lions, shore birds, and Galapagos fur seals. After cocktail hour and a fun recap, we enjoyed a barbeque dinner on the top deck.
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Isabela Island
Isabela is the largest island in Galapagos and today we had the opportunity to explore Elizabeth Bay and Punta Moreno. These two visitor sites are very close but very different from one another. Elizabeth Bay is covered with black lava and a mangrove forest, which becomes a perfect shelter for many species. The bay is home to flamingos, brown pelicans, and white-cheeked pintail ducks. This combination is a good reflection of the colonization of flora and fauna of the Galapagos.