Bartolome Island
We started the activities today with an early walk to the summit of Bartolome Island. The volcanic landscapes are very impressive on this small island and it has become a trademark for the entire archipelago. The view and scenery from the top is simply breathtaking. Later in the morning we went swimming and snorkeling from a very beautiful golden sand beach, with the striking pinnacle rock as a backdrop. Several of us were delighted to get the chance to snorkel with the tiny and fast moving Galápagos penguins.
In the afternoon we navigated along the coastline of Santiago Island. Here we had a very pleasant walk along the northwestern shoreline. During the outing we saw sea lions, Galápagos fur seals, marine iguanas and some migratory shore birds. The highlight for me this afternoon was a family of oystercatchers. The adults have been incubating a couple of eggs for a few weeks. Today we finally saw the first chick. Close to the newly hatched chick we could see the second egg. The little chick was really adorable. To call it a grayish-black fluffy ball of down with legs would be a good description. We all fell in love with this cute baby. This enjoyable walk was a perfect finish to yet another wonderful week in the Galápagos Islands.
The amount and variety of wildlife in this part of the world is stunning. Giant tortoises, marine iguanas, Galápagos penguins, and flightless cormorants are a few of the unique creatures that inhabit this volcanic archipelago. The naiveté and fearlessness of the animals makes you feel as if you were visiting a “lost paradise.”
We started the activities today with an early walk to the summit of Bartolome Island. The volcanic landscapes are very impressive on this small island and it has become a trademark for the entire archipelago. The view and scenery from the top is simply breathtaking. Later in the morning we went swimming and snorkeling from a very beautiful golden sand beach, with the striking pinnacle rock as a backdrop. Several of us were delighted to get the chance to snorkel with the tiny and fast moving Galápagos penguins.
In the afternoon we navigated along the coastline of Santiago Island. Here we had a very pleasant walk along the northwestern shoreline. During the outing we saw sea lions, Galápagos fur seals, marine iguanas and some migratory shore birds. The highlight for me this afternoon was a family of oystercatchers. The adults have been incubating a couple of eggs for a few weeks. Today we finally saw the first chick. Close to the newly hatched chick we could see the second egg. The little chick was really adorable. To call it a grayish-black fluffy ball of down with legs would be a good description. We all fell in love with this cute baby. This enjoyable walk was a perfect finish to yet another wonderful week in the Galápagos Islands.
The amount and variety of wildlife in this part of the world is stunning. Giant tortoises, marine iguanas, Galápagos penguins, and flightless cormorants are a few of the unique creatures that inhabit this volcanic archipelago. The naiveté and fearlessness of the animals makes you feel as if you were visiting a “lost paradise.”
