Santiago Island
This is one of the largest islands of the archipelago, with very interesting locations for visitors. The activities for the day started with an early wake-up call for those who enjoy going out with the rising sun. After landing at Playa Espumilla on the northern side of the island, we headed up along an inland trail behind a line of mangroves that at this time of the year welcome the green turtles for their annual egg-laying activity. Their tracks were everywhere above the high-tide line and within a few months little turtles will hatch and make their way to the ocean on their own.
We came back on board for breakfast and got ready for a round of water activities, like kayaking, snorkeling and glass-bottom boating. The deep-water snorkeling was very enjoyable because this area is among the richest underwater ecosystems on earth. Colorful fish, sharks, rays, and other forms of life – smaller but no less significant – were there for us to enjoy. Sharks here are tame, like most of the wildlife of these islands.
After having lunch and resting we were again ready for the afternoon visit, which consisted of two options. The first was a wet landing on the black beach of Port Egas for a hike along the coast where it is easy to find sea lions, marine iguanas, shorebirds and also interesting geological formations. One of these is the hang-out for the only other kind of sea lion living in the Galápagos; the fur sea lion differs from the other by having two layers of fur and a lower tolerance for heat.
The other option was for those who chose to get fully wet and enjoy great snorkeling. This area has turtles, sharks, colorful fish and also sea lions that love to amuse people.
A rainbow marked the end of a glorious day.
