Bartolome and Santiago Islands
This is our last day of a wonderful week. The visit may have seemed a little bit early, and perhaps 372 steps to the top of the island sounded like it could be a long hike, but this didn’t stop us from conquering the summit of Bartolome Island. Our reward was one of the most spectacular views of the Archipelago. As we descended back to the landing jetty, we could spot various manta rays doing somersaults in the vast surrounding sea. They were truly amazing! The skies started clearing up, and the sunrays brightened the colorful volcanic coasts of Bartolome and adjacent Sullivan Bay (Santiago Island), with an array of ochres and blues that made the landscape look like an artist’s watercolour.
After breakfast on board, the Zodiacs took us to the beach of beautiful Bartolome, where we discovered many more Pacific green sea turtle nests and tracks since the previous visit to the place. Their breeding season has definitely started! With clear waters and bright sunshine, our snorkelers enjoyed the playful sea lions and also a solitary – and very busy - Galapagos penguin, that was dutifully fishing in the middle of the bay, completely ignoring all human beings!
The Polaris then made its way to our last visiting island in this cruise, Santiago. At James Bay, where Charles Darwin once stood during his visit to the Galapagos in 1835, Nature gave us a magnificent farewell with another spectacular snorkeling. Some of us spotted green sea turtles, large schools of fishes, beautiful sea urchins, and many more marine creatures.
The clear tops of the shield volcanoes of Isabela Island in the distance, the odd-looking marine iguanas scattered along the rocky coast, the gentle and graceful Galapagos sea lions and their pups, a lava heron hunting for sally light-foot crabs on the rocks, the diving boobies, and many others reminded us of the beauty that accompanied us in the previous days during our trip in this unique archipelago. It also made us think, that one may leave these Enchanted Islands, but they will never leave our hearts.
This is our last day of a wonderful week. The visit may have seemed a little bit early, and perhaps 372 steps to the top of the island sounded like it could be a long hike, but this didn’t stop us from conquering the summit of Bartolome Island. Our reward was one of the most spectacular views of the Archipelago. As we descended back to the landing jetty, we could spot various manta rays doing somersaults in the vast surrounding sea. They were truly amazing! The skies started clearing up, and the sunrays brightened the colorful volcanic coasts of Bartolome and adjacent Sullivan Bay (Santiago Island), with an array of ochres and blues that made the landscape look like an artist’s watercolour.
After breakfast on board, the Zodiacs took us to the beach of beautiful Bartolome, where we discovered many more Pacific green sea turtle nests and tracks since the previous visit to the place. Their breeding season has definitely started! With clear waters and bright sunshine, our snorkelers enjoyed the playful sea lions and also a solitary – and very busy - Galapagos penguin, that was dutifully fishing in the middle of the bay, completely ignoring all human beings!
The Polaris then made its way to our last visiting island in this cruise, Santiago. At James Bay, where Charles Darwin once stood during his visit to the Galapagos in 1835, Nature gave us a magnificent farewell with another spectacular snorkeling. Some of us spotted green sea turtles, large schools of fishes, beautiful sea urchins, and many more marine creatures.
The clear tops of the shield volcanoes of Isabela Island in the distance, the odd-looking marine iguanas scattered along the rocky coast, the gentle and graceful Galapagos sea lions and their pups, a lava heron hunting for sally light-foot crabs on the rocks, the diving boobies, and many others reminded us of the beauty that accompanied us in the previous days during our trip in this unique archipelago. It also made us think, that one may leave these Enchanted Islands, but they will never leave our hearts.
