Today was spent exploring both the port and highlands of Santa Cruz island. The day began with a tour of the Charles Darwin Foundation, where our guests learned about the important research and conservation efforts being conducted in Galapagos. We also had the chance to visit the famous giant tortoise breeding center. Later in the afternoon, guests were thrilled to get up close to the giant tortoises at the Chato Giant Tortoise Reserve in the highlands. Our guests had the opportunity to walk through the hollow lava tunnels found on the reserve.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 08 Feb 2018
Santa Cruz Island, 2/8/2018, National Geographic Endeavour II
- Aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II
- Galápagos
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Exploring Galápagos
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Floreana Island
We started our day early at Punta Cormorant just as the sun came up. Nearby, the rocky outline of Devil’s Crown stood out in the distance. As we landed, sea lions were waiting on the beach, giving us a lively start to the morning. During our walk, we visited a large brackish lagoon that’s known for attracting flamingos. We were lucky to see a few of them, which can be rare depending on the season. The highlight of the day was snorkeling at Champion Islet. The water was calm and clear, and we saw a wide variety of marine life. Sea lions swam nearby, and we spotted plenty of colorful fish. In the afternoon, we went kayaking in a quiet, protected area, sharing the space with sea turtles and rays. We finished the day at Floreana Island’s Post Office Barrel where we joined the tradition of leaving and/or taking a postcard for hand delivery upon our return home. A beautiful sunset ended the day.
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Rabida And Puerto Egas
Early in the morning on the first day of our expedition, we were greeted by a pod of dolphins on our way to Rabida Island. Located in the center of the archipelago, Rabida holds an incredible variety of wildlife, including flamingos, oyster catchers, Galapagos doves, lava lizards, and marine iguanas. After breakfast, we departed for our snorkeling outing. Playful Galapagos sea lions, whitetip reef sharks, and many species of fish joined us in the water. It was a wonderful morning! We spent the afternoon visiting Puerto Egas on Santiago Island. We disembarked on a beautiful black-sand beach, and just a few steps into our walk, we were surprised by a very healthy Galapagos land iguana. The bright yellow coloration of the iguana was hard to miss. We finished our walk exploring the stunning landscape of Puerto Egas as the guests took pictures in the scenic grottos found on site.