Bartolomé and Santiago Islands
The morning weather conditions at Bartolomé were cloudy and windy, but still beautiful and typical for this time of the year. As soon as we disembarked, the sun rose beyond the hill and a spectacular display of colors started to appear in front of us.
This island is also considered a mecca for geologists, as the volcanic process that forms islands is well represented here. We climbed up three hundred and fifty feet to the top, from which a spectacular view impressed us all.
Bartolomé is one of the best places to snorkel, since the northerly-most penguin is easily observe while in the water. We also enjoyed the presence of white tipped reef sharks while exploring the underwater ledges.
In the afternoon the last chance for us to snorkeling presented itself when visiting Santiago Island. Sea turtles, Galápagos sea lions and many species of fish amazed us one more time. We also went for a walk and explored fully the shores, encountering fur seals in their natural habitat. A pregnant Galápagos sea lion was ready to deliver precisely at the time we were visiting the area and just a few minutes later, we all witnessed a new born baby sea lion. It took him a little while to open its eyes, and his mother stimulated him to breath and gave him gentle massages with the tip of her nose. The whole time we stood there just watching, simply amazed! The baby was so sweet that we could hardly stop talking about him, and made us all appreciate how special and lucky we are to be in such an unspoiled place like the Galápagos Islands.
The morning weather conditions at Bartolomé were cloudy and windy, but still beautiful and typical for this time of the year. As soon as we disembarked, the sun rose beyond the hill and a spectacular display of colors started to appear in front of us.
This island is also considered a mecca for geologists, as the volcanic process that forms islands is well represented here. We climbed up three hundred and fifty feet to the top, from which a spectacular view impressed us all.
Bartolomé is one of the best places to snorkel, since the northerly-most penguin is easily observe while in the water. We also enjoyed the presence of white tipped reef sharks while exploring the underwater ledges.
In the afternoon the last chance for us to snorkeling presented itself when visiting Santiago Island. Sea turtles, Galápagos sea lions and many species of fish amazed us one more time. We also went for a walk and explored fully the shores, encountering fur seals in their natural habitat. A pregnant Galápagos sea lion was ready to deliver precisely at the time we were visiting the area and just a few minutes later, we all witnessed a new born baby sea lion. It took him a little while to open its eyes, and his mother stimulated him to breath and gave him gentle massages with the tip of her nose. The whole time we stood there just watching, simply amazed! The baby was so sweet that we could hardly stop talking about him, and made us all appreciate how special and lucky we are to be in such an unspoiled place like the Galápagos Islands.
