National Geographic Endeavour II moved from the western region to the more central part of these enchanted islands. Today we visited three different places on Santiago Island. The day started with an early walk on Espumilla Beach. After that, we moved to Buccaneer Cove, where we explored the shore by kayak, Zodiac, and snorkeling. Later in the day, the ship moved locations to Puerto Egas. Guests spent time on the beach and went for a hike along the shore to observe tide pools.
5/6/2025
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National Geographic Endeavour II
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.
