Today we spent the whole day at the southern part of Santa Cruz Island. This inhabited Island has a lot to offer. Our guests learned a lot at the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center, where we witnessed the most successful program run by the Galapagos National Park. We went to the highlands to pay a visit to a local farm, where the owner, Rommer Ochoa, gave a tour and explained all about his hydroponic lettuces and Arabica coffee plants. The afternoon was spent looking for giant tortoises in the wild. What a fantastic day in paradise!
3/25/2025
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National Geographic Gemini
Floreana Island
As the early morning rays began to peek over the cone spattered profile of Floreana Island, our early bird guests woke to greet the day with a kayak excursion and Zodiac cruise along the shores. During their exploration, guests encountered juvenile blacktip sharks, marine turtles, rays, sleepy sea lions, and many birds, including a rare sighting of the white tern! After a delicious breakfast in the Beagle Grill, everyone headed out to further explore Post Office Bay, the lands where whalers, pirates, and the first colonizers of Galapagos explored. The group visited the ingenious Post Office barrel to continue a long existing tradition of hand delivering mail around the world. Afterward, we went deep into the earth (~30m) via a lava tunnel to explore the beautiful geological formations created by volcanoes. The day was far from over, as these were only the morning activities. After lunch everyone enjoyed a spectacular snorkel at Champion Islet where they encountered colorful reef fish, sea lions, rainbow runners, and more. A peaceful walk around Punta Cormorant at sunset to view flamingos and a storytelling session of the human history from Gaby after dinner, was the perfect way to finish a beautiful day.
