We started out with an early morning pre-breakfast outing. The dry land cement jetty of Bartolome Island and the stairs built by the Park Service took us up the summit of the volcano, where a light house is located. The scene of lava formations and the surrounding islands observed from here is one of the best view points in the archipelago.
After our hike, we decided to explore the underwater world of Bartholomew. The golden beach located in the north of Bartholomew is made out a semi-precious stone named olivine, and the waters around Pinnacle Pock are full of interesting wildlife, as the cooler water temperature at this time of year fosters more productivity. Galapagos sea lions, Galapagos penguins and sharks were spotted, as well as a wide variety of tropical fish.
In the afternoon, as the National Geographic Endeavour navigated to the central part of the archipelago to anchor close to Chinese Hat, the wonderful geological features of these islands resemble the very beginnings of life, as it struggles for establishment. A few Galapagos penguins were seen on the young lava flows on the coast of Santiago Island. Some white tip reef sharks and marine iguanas under the water surprised us during our afternoon adventure.
As we returned to the ship at sunset time, we were moved by the true sense of these pristine places, where we have had the opportunity to understand its processes and the fragile early stages that are the very base of life in our planet.
