The sun rose on the majestic secondary volcano that forms Bartolome Island. This was my view when I looked out the window of my cabin as the new day greeted me. I prepared my photography equipment and then I took the second Zodiac to land at this unique place. Bartolome is a very small island that has a lot of unique geological features, including spatter cones, cinder, cones and lava flows which are seen everywhere. We say that Bartolome is like the moon-Yes, a breathtaking moonscape.
At 6:30 am we began our visit by climbing to the summit of this tuff volcano. We climbed the wooden trail where we observed many volcanos formations, pioneer plants and few lava lizards. The experience was magical! It is so interesting to be on a place that looks like “the beginning of life on our planet”. It’s arid, desolate and inhospitable, but with plenty of energy and a unique beauty.
From the top of the trail the view was astonishing. Several of the islands and islets which form the Galapagos were seen. Right in front was Sullivan bay, an incredible and big pahoehoe lava field which came from a fissure just 200 hundred years ago.
Once back to our ship we had breakfast and got prepared to do water activities. We landed on a nice, small beach, with a quiet bay and we jumped into the clear water to meet some of the marine life. We saw plenty of fish, sea stars, barnacles, sharks and sting rays. We also enjoyed basking in the sun and relaxed on the beach.
Our Captain, Pablo Garces, started our navigation and we headed to Rabida while our guests enjoyed our famous Ecuadorian buffet which included typical food from the different regions of our country.
At 3:15 we set our kayaks on the water and some intrepid guests explored the shoreline in search of sea birds and marine mammals. This area is known as the subtidal zone and it is here where marine iguanas feed on algae, pelicans open their pouches to eat fish, and blue footed boobies dive like torpedoes to catch sardines. There is a lot to discover here. Another group of explorers snorkeled one more time along the coast and white tip reef sharks were the highlight. Other guests just relaxed on the red colored beach that decorates the bay of Rabida.
At 5:00 pm we disembarked on the red beach where many colonies of sea lions were the attraction. It was so special to sit on the sand and watch these incredible marine mammals interact with each other. A big bull “beach master” sea lion dominated its harem. One of these huge animals can oversee 20 to 30 females and can weigh up to 300 hundred pounds. We also found some female “mama” sea lions feeding their babies and some playful juveniles frolicking in the water.
The evening provided a spectacular sunset. The sun finally hid behind Isabela Island, the place we are going to visit tomorrow morning. The silhouette of 3 shield volcanoes, from the six that form the islands, were very clear and were painted an orange color that matched the sky. It was a memorable moment and the frosting on the cake for such a marvelous day.
