Today, our guests explored Santiago Island, the same island where Charles Darwin spent much of his time during his visit to the Galápagos in 1835. Darwin, along with several crewmembers from HMS Beagle, camped on Santiago for a week. During his stay, he studied the Galápagos marine and land iguanas, and collected a variety of species, including finches, mockingbirds, insects, and plants. Many of these species were unique to the islands. While on Santiago, Darwin also observed that the local wildlife appeared unusually unafraid of humans.
12/3/2024
Read
National Geographic Islander II
North Seymour and Rabida Islands
Today was a wonderful day aboard National Geographic Islander II . In the morning, we visited North Seymour Island and took a walk surrounded by incredible wildlife. Blue-footed boobies perched on the dark lava rocks, their bright feet catching our attention immediately. Overhead, frigatebirds circled gracefully, while others rested in nests with their red pouches visible. Down on the sandy beach, sea lions lounged fearlessly, completely at ease as we watched them from a short distance. In the afternoon, we navigated to Rabida Island, famous for its red sand beaches. We started with snorkeling along a rocky wall, where we spotted a sea turtle gliding by and large schools of fish moving together in shimmering patterns. A curious sea lion darted through the water near us, adding a playful touch to the experience. Later, we kayaked along the calm coastline while some of us walked along the red sand beach. The golden light of the late afternoon made everything look warm and vivid. We stayed watching the colors shift across the sky before heading back to the ship, tired but happy from such a special day.
