This is the beginning of our expedition to one of the best wildlife destinations in the whole world! The Galápagos Islands are famous for unique landscapes, marine life and colonies of sea birds. In this magnificent place, we can share the land with sea lions and other wildlife without being a threat to each other. It really makes us appreciate how special this place is.
At sunrise, before breakfast, we disembarked on a small island called Bartolomé and began to walk along the slopes of this splendid volcanic landscape. Here, you can see different types of lava formations in various colors as well as volcanic ash. The process of colonization carried out by hardy organisms is quite remarkable. These creatures include snakes, lava lizards, insects and small plants that tolerate the prolonged droughts and heat typical to this region.
This marine reserve is one of the world’s largest. It is enormously important for scientific research, tourism and the economy of the Galápagos. As we entered the clear waters, we saw many fish and also had close encounters with marine iguanas, sea lions, penguins, white-tipped reef sharks and sea turtles!
In the afternoon we anchored at Rábida Island. On kayaks, we explored the shore, which was dotted with sea birds, sea lions and marine iguanas. At the snorkeling site, we were practically surrounded by black-striped salemas and many other types of fish such as parrotfish and yellow-tailed razor fish. Right before sunset we landed on a beach at Rábida Island, where saw sea lions resting on the most unusual red sand also shared by oystercatchers, pelicans and blue-footed boobies.
What a great time we had today!
