Just before midnight, we left our anchorage off Santa Fe Island and all night long we slowly and smoothly cruised along to the north and then to the west. We dropped anchor at dawn between the small reddish cinder islet of Sombrero Chino and the larger, central island of Santiago, or “James.” A group joined our wellness specialist Roxana on the sky deck for stretching and a green smoothie at 0700; the rest of us had the chance to sleep-in until Daniel announced breakfast at 0730. We had a hearty meal of eggs benedict, smoked trout, fresh tropical fruits, and cereal and then boarded the Zodiacs for the first outing of the day.
With a “panguero” and naturalist in each Zodiac, we admired the extensive lava flow on island of Santiago that dates from 1897. Sharp-eyed guest Marea spotted a penguin swimming in the distance and we motored along behind it as it sped through the turquoise water! Later that same flightless bird swam among all the Zodiacs so everyone was able to catch a quick glimpse of a Galapagos penguin. There were lava herons (also known as striated herons, but many of us prefer their previous common name!) fishing, and marine iguanas sunning. I pointed out the amazing endemic Galapagos tomato plant—it is adapted to this salty arid zone and being studied for possible use in domestic plant research by a direct descendant of Charles Darwin!
Laughing and happy—as this group always is!—we returned to the ship to grab our snorkel gear and wiggle into our wet suits. Three Zodiacs of eager snorkelers headed out for a long and amazing snorkel in the clear, shallow channel between Sombrero Chino and Santiago Islands. We found many colorful fish of a dozen species—razorfish, cornetfish, damsels, king angels, banded blennies, flag cabrilla sea bass, and many others! White-tipped reef sharks rested quietly in caves and under the rocky ledges and we dove to peek at them. Some of us saw swimming and feeding marine iguanas and there were several large sting rays, too. The conditions were great—slightly warmer water, with good visibility and a current that took us along the shore gently. We all had a fabulous time!
Ximena took a small, private group to a tiny white beach where they relaxed and were later joined by some of the snorkelers. By noon we were all once again on the ship and Captain Teran navigated past Bainbridge Rock so we could look into the brackish water lagoon that fills its crater. We spotted a lone flamingo there.
In the afternoon, following our welcome and now expected (and often needed) siesta, I shared my personal story about experiences I had while doing my PhD research on giant tortoises and introduced donkeys. I camped on Volcan Alecdo, Isabela Island for a year and a half in 1979-80. During all this time on my own I was never lonely as I had the fearless hawks and curious tortoises to keep me company. The highlight was when the volcano just next to mine erupted! I had an amazing fireworks show!!
As the afternoon was beginning to cool off, we gathered on the ship’s bow for group photos and then we boarded the Zodiacs for our afternoon hike at Sullivan Bay. We made an easy dry landing disembarkation on the northeastern edge of the same extensive lava field we had cruised alongside during our morning Zodiac ride. The lava flow here is of the pahoehoe-type and so it is ropy and smooth and shows an amazing variety of textures and forms. We enjoyed the mile long loop hike and the natural history presented by our knowledgeable guides, Aura, Sofia, and Ximena. Needless to say, we took countless photos! To end yet another wonderful day in las Islas Encantadas, we enjoyed seeing a short preview of the video Patrick has been making of our trip and then we enjoyed a delicious barbecue dinner on the sky deck.
