Santa Cruz Island, 1/5/2023, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
Santa Cruz Island is the best Island in Galapagos to explain and understand the iconic animals of the archipelago, the famous Galapagos giant tortoises.
This island has one of the most successful giant tortoise breeding programs in Galapagos. Not long ago, these animals were at risk of going extinct. At present, we have healthy population of giant tortoises in the wild, living on different islands in the archipelago.
This island is also the best place to see giant tortoises roaming wild, with some of these individuals having been born in the wild, so they are still living in their natural conditions. Thanks to these survivors, the breeding center is a success story that we are happy to share with our guests.
Walter was born in a very small town on the mainland of Ecuador. His first trip to the Galápagos was when he was 12 years old, visiting friends and aunt, who had moved to the islands. From the first moment he saw the Islands, he fell in love with the...
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Today was the first full day of our expedition. We started the morning by exploring one of the largest nesting grounds for magnificent frigatebirds in the Galapagos. Frigates nest in these grounds all year, and blue-footed boobies and yellow land iguanas also live and breed here. We walked along the palo santo dry forest as we learned more about various creatures and the ecology of the island. We had our first sightings of lava lizards, small reptiles found on most of the islands in the archipelago. We observed swallow-tailed gulls nesting near the rocks by the beach. Our guests were very surprised by the tameness of the wildlife; it is easy to photograph animals here. The afternoon started with our first water activities on Rabida Island, which included deep-water snorkeling for experienced guests. A refresher was offered so those who had not snorkeled in a long time could also enjoy the marvelous underwater world. This island offers a wide variety of fish and an incredible beach, one of the few red sand beaches in the world. Behind the beach, a lagoon is a nesting place for flamingos. Flamingos were a highlight of the day, but we can’t forget about the most popular animal in the Galapagos: sea lions. Today, our guests learned to differentiate seals from sea lions as we observed many on the beach and while snorkeling. Today was full of wildlife and knowledge! What a great way to start our expedition!
Today is our last full day of expedition aboard National Geographic Endeavour II . Locally known as “The Bird Island,” Genovesa is locatedin the northeast of the archipelago. We anchored the ship in what was once the crater of a volcano. We explored many different nesting sites for seabirds like red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, etc. We also observed marine life by snorkeling, kayaking, and paddleboarding. We enjoyed Zodiac tours along the beautiful basaltic cliffs. We had amazing encounters with the unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islands.
As we left the eastern islands and headed towards the central part of the archipelago, we experienced a very different geology. These somewhat younger islands have younger lava flows, pioneer vegetation, and a unique landscape. Bartolome Island is a satellite volcanic cone from James Island, and it has a unique lunar landscape that is often referred to as the moonscape of the Galapagos. Our day started early in the morning with a pre-breakfast outing, a favorite for most of our guests. The best part about starting our day as the sun rises is that we get to see how the wildlife wakes up with the sunlight! Some of us hiked up the cone of Bartolome. We experienced quite a workout with a series of 380 wooden steps! Every 100 steps or so, we regrouped for a moment to talk about the fascinating formation of the islands and to take some beautiful pictures with the great light. We continued all the way to the summit at about 300 feet. During our coastal exploration, we toured around in Zodiacs. The pitch-black lava contrasts with the turquoise water to create the most spectacular scenery for wildlife! We spotted blue-footed boobies in the early morning, a flock of penguins looking for a meal, herons ready to make their first catch of the day, and fish coming very close to the surface. The volcanic landscape was amazing, and we observed iconic features, including the famous Pinnacle Rock. After breakfast, the golden beach looked appealing. We sunbathed, snorkeled, and took photos. Snorkeling here is fascinating because we can observe sea lions, rays, reef sharks, penguins, and an amazing number of fish. Sombrero Chino Islet is a volcanic cone on the southern coast of James Island. Sombrero Chino is a combination of lava flows, lava tubes, and uplifted sea floor. The beautiful white sand beach is home to sea lions, lava lizards, pioneer plants, and succulents. Sombrero Chino is also the home of the northernmost penguin in the world, the endemic Galapagos penguin. How special it is to see a penguin surrounded by lava and cacti! There is nowhere else in the world that one can swim with such a bird and watch as it flies underwater! The Galapagos penguin is one of the world’s eighteen penguin species. It is the second smallest and the northernmost penguin. Its origin is in South America, and its closest relative, the Magellan penguin, lives in Chile. The Galapagos penguin has adapted to living on the equator, and it is an endemic species. Found along the lava rocks, the penguins are iconic on the islands. Snorkeling with a penguin in the Galapagos is a unique and amazing experience.
