Bartolome is one of the iconic islands of the Galapagos. It’s formed by several tuff and spatter cones, and from its 345-foot-high top you can enjoy the view of lava flows and cinder volcanoes. Bartolome is therefore an illustrative island, where most volcanic features can be appreciated for their own beauty and uniqueness, from the yellowish ash of tuff to the oxidized red tephra of cinder. This is an island for an early morning communion with nature, to understand the origin of land and life. It’s also an opportunity to once again plunge into the richness of the Galapagos marine reserve and snorkel - sometimes with penguins, sometimes with sharks, sometimes with both.
Chinese Hat, our afternoon island, takes us close once again to the amazing forces that shaped this archipelago. The northern horizon is covered by an endless lava flow only decades old, a puzzle in the understanding of Galapagos geology. It does not make sense to have a rock so young on an island located at the heart of the Galapagos. The hotspot is dozens of miles away, to the west. However here we are, observing a formation that did not exist when Darwin visited this archipelago, which in geologic times is like yesterday. But life has already conquered this side of San Salvador Island, and candelabra cactus and tiquilia plants bring some color to the otherwise black pahoe-hoe lava. Along this shoreline, damsel fish protect their algae gardens, and penguins show up here and there, chasing salemas and sardines. To the south of San Salvador, tiny Chinese Hat adds to the scenery with its sharp slopes, typical of a spatter cone. And to the east, Bainbridge Islets, in their different colors and sizes, remind us of tuff formations again. Thursday has been a good day for geology, for marine life, and for friendship. In the evening we enjoy a barbecue underneath the stars, and a bright half-moon that involves us all in its magic.
