In 1835, naturalist Charles Darwin got his first glimpse of the Galapagos archipelago during his visit to San Cristobal Island. This morning, we visited Punta Pitt, the easternmost point of the island. The huge, eroded tuff cone is home to all species of boobies found in the Galapagos, a sea lion colony, the endemic San Cristobal mockingbirds, and San Cristobal lava lizards. We spent the afternoon on one of the most beautiful beaches of the archipelago, Cerro Brujo. An easy stroll along this white sandy beach was the perfect ending of an amazing expedition on board National Geographic Islander II.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 01 Nov 2022
San Cristobal Island, 11/1/2022, National Geographic Islander II
- Aboard the National Geographic Islander II
- Galápagos
Vanessa Gallo, Naturalist
Vanessa Gallo’s grandparents arrived in the Galápagos Islands in 1936, making her the third generation of her family to live and work in this magical archipelago. She left the islands for the capital city of Quito for high school, where she discovere...
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San Cristobal Island
San Cristobal is the easternmost island of the Galapagos and one of the oldest. It has a wealth of human, geological, and genetic history, with a unique contrast among its habitats. Today we visited its most iconic sites, including Punta Pitt’s golden beach, which is made from volcanic material and is a resting site for sea lions. Its mountain is comprised of compact ash, known as tuff cones. This destination has a healthy colony of red-footed boobies, which are the least known in the archipelago, and we were surprised by the dance of blue-footed boobies and the beautiful great frigatebirds nesting near the trail. We also visited the western central coast of the island at Cerro Brujo, with one of the most beautiful beaches in the archipelago, with soft, fine white sand. Our day culminated with a beautiful sunset at Kicker Rock.