Bartolomé Island
What a wonderful place to start our last day in the Galápagos Islands!
Early in the morning we set foot on Bartolomé Island. This is an optional hike to the 375ft summit of this small but impressive island. Some of us went fast as a morning workout, and some of us took a bit of time and proceeded while our Naturalist spoke about our surroundings in our own “Geology 101” session. Once on top we took in the impressive view of the world-famous Pinnacle Rock surrounded by several parasitic cones – what a great sight. When conditions are just right, we can see 15 or more islands around Bartolomé.
After getting back on board for breakfast, we prepared to go to a beautiful golden beach for our water activities. There was snorkeling, swimming, or just relaxing around the beaches which Bartolomé Island is also famous for.
As soon as we were all back on board, we started navigating for our next destination, James Island, our adopted island.
After a wet landing on a black sandy beach some of us snorkeled and others just pulled out a yellow towel and sunbathed under our radiant equatorial sun. Others walked to the grottos, where they found fur seals and many other fantastic creatures. I stayed on the beach to snorkel. I found lots of green Pacific turtles close to the beach and some Galápagos sea lions. It was a great opportunity to say goodbye to this wonderful place as the sun was setting.
Our expedition has come to an end; we had the greatest time with a lot of memories in this wonderful piece of earth.
