On our last full day in the Galapagos, we enjoyed spending time at Santa Fe and San Cristobal Islands. The islands are two of the oldest in the Galapagos, as they sit in the eastern part of the archipelago. All the islands resulted from the activity of a stationary, volcano-producing area in the northwest part of the islands. As extinct volcanos, Santa Fe and San Cristobal Islands are now exposed to the elements. Little by little, they will deteriorate until they return to the ocean.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 05 Jan 2024
Santa Fe Island and San Cristobal Island, 1/5/2024, National Geographic Endeavour II
- Aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II
- Galápagos
Salvador Cazar, Naturalist
Salvador Cazar studied biology at the Universidad Nacional Del Sur, Bahía Blanca, in Argentina and at the Catholic University of Ecuador. Between 1988 and 1994, Salvador worked as a naturalist and tour leader for several national and international to...
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Isabela Island
Navigation brought us to the largest island in the Galapagos Archipelago, Isabela. Holding half of all land mass in the Galapagos, it has a diverse selection of ecosystems that we were able to visit. Urvina Bay was geologically uplifted in the 1950’s, taking two square kilometers of seafloor that was thrust upward, in certain areas up to four meters out of the water. Intertidal species were stranded inland, and we walked upon this area. Galapagos giant tortoises and land iguanas were found on our trail, and we were surrounded by Darwin finches and Galapagos mockingbirds. The afternoon brought us to Tagus Cove where we explored the surrounding waters, encountering Galapagos penguins and Pacific green sea turtles swimming among the kayakers and snorkelers. As the sun dipped below the horizon, adventurous hikers took a fast-paced hike to enjoy an incredible view of Darwin Lake and the immense island of Isabela.