This is the second day of navigation around the famous Galapagos Islands and first full day of activities, so to accomplish all we had in mind, we visited two islands.
During the morning our first stop was Bartolome Island. Most of the archipelago has been formed by effusive volcanoes that gently bring lava out of them, however here there is a combination of ash and cinder, materials which are usually found on explosive volcanoes. Within time the waves and the wind have shaped the surface into sharp lava rocks. Early in the morning, before the temperature rose, we hiked our first volcano of the trip. The summit of this island is the most famous of the Galapagos and the landscape is often found on postcards. Our guests enjoyed the reward of the beautiful view, much worth rising early.
Later in the morning we visited the golden beach of Bartolome. Penguins, sharks, schools of fish and more were what the first snorkelling outing offered.
During the afternoon we move the National Geographic Islander to Rabida Island.
Here the entire island is red. The lava that came out of the eruption is rich in iron and later, being exposed to the weather, it oxidized. Some guests decided to go kayaking along the shoreline to find turtles and sea lions. Others preferred snorkelling with sharks and other tropical fish. The last excursion of the day was a walk on the red island to enjoy its landscape.
Now we head west for more wildlife encounters…
