Early this morning, we hiked to the summit of Bartholomew Island, a height of 359 feet or 120 meters. Located off the coast of Santiago, Bartholomew is unusual because it is the only Galapagos island named after a naval officer below flag-rank. Captain David Ewen Bartholomew entered the Royal Navy in 1794 and served with distinction during the Napoleonic Wars. After spending the last three years of his life commanding a surveying frigate, he died in 1821.
This tiny island features a unique volcanic moonscape of rust-colored "spatter cones" contrasting with large pale tuff cones and sooty lava flows, where the action of erosion over time has created graceful features in the soft volcanic ash. Few plant species can withstand this kind of loose terrain and drought conditions. Only a few animals are seen here, such as lava lizards and snakes.
After breakfast, it was time to land on one of the golden-sand beaches. Here we had the chance to explore the surrounding waters in the search of sharks and penguins. Indeed we were able to see many white-tipped sharks, several schools of fish, some rays and one penguin that briefly passed near some of our guests.
In the afternoon, our youngest explorers learned how to make paper beads using recycled paper. Soon after, they were creating their own bracelets, while the adults gathered in the lounge where Sofia gave a talk about Darwin and his famous visit to the Galapagos.
At around 3:00 pm we anchored close to Sombrero Chino and the Bainbridge Islets — an interesting group of small volcanoes that probably formed as parasitic cones of Santiago or James Island when the sea level was lower. Our afternoon included some fantastic deep-water snorkeling where sharks, rays and large schools of fish once again delighted our guests. Other guests opted for a Zodiac ride along the shoreline to see Galapagos penguins, sea lions and an incredible landscape with the sunset as a background. A unique experience in a unique archipelago.
