Bartolomé & Santiago Island
As soon as I woke up, I looked through the window and saw a beautiful sunrise, it was a combination of drizzle and early daylight. We all got some hot coffee and got ready to go for the hike. Everyone was excited to be in this famous visitor’s site, the most photographed scenery in the islands. More than three hundred steps awaited us in the way of a boardwalk. The trail took us to see some spatter cones, lava tunnels and pioneer plants. The rain kept us cool as we made our way through the moon-like landscape.
The Galápagos spurge, tiquilia and lava cactus also know as pioneer plants were decorating our view. Different shades of red, brown, orange and gray were in every rock we saw. Female and male lava lizards were running around looking for insects to eat. The rain started to disappear and the outline of the islands became clearer. We made it to the top and were very happy to see where our first snorkeling was going to take place. We came down the steps and were ready to take our Zodiacs for a well-deserved hardy breakfast and an exiting day of new adventures.
As soon as we landed on the beach, the snorkel bags started to unfold. Fins, masks, snorkels, towels and wetsuits were tried on and the tranquility of the bay was very inviting. The animals we saw were in and out of the water. The sea lions on the rocks were sunning themselves, but the surgeon fish, king angel fish and rays were apparently glad to be under water. Too soon came the time to leave. It was eleven thirty and we had the afternoon plan to prepare for.
The black sand on James Bay was our landing spot for the afternoon. Some of us took the option to kayak. The waves were displaying their force as they crashed against the solidified lava with their spray going up in the air. It was a sight to see! The groups were divided by activity. Some chose to go snorkeling from the beach and others chose to stay on board to have a wonderful massage to prepare them to go on the four o’clock walk.
The main goal for our walk was to see the fur seals. These are endemic to this area and prefer to live on the rocky coast close to the deep waters of the Galápagos Islands. We only saw two but they were enough to get the idea of what they look like. The animal that kept everyone impressed was the marine iguana. They had been eating early and were now ready to warm up and pile up on the coast to go through the night. In the distance, the outline of the island of Isabela became clear and the sun set behind it. Our day had been completed and the sky was changing its colors by the minute. Our 12 hours of daylight were coming to their end and we could feel the breeze on our face while we rode our Zodiacs back to our floating home. What a privilege! Much is learned and we take it all in many ways. I can only say, ‘another day in paradise.’
