Today was the last day of this incredible week in the Galapagos Islands. We moved to the eastern side of the archipelago: San Cristobal Island was our destination. It’s amazing to see the differences in the environment as we have been moving on the islands. The western side is full of majestic volcanoes, new lava fields, and very little vegetation, while the eastern welcomed us with an incredible landscape of a very eroded tuff area. This is the oldest part of the islands, and we can see that time has made an art piece with erosion.
We started our day by climbing Punta Pitt, and the scenery is the highlight of the hike. An even greater reward was waiting at the summit—we found Red Footed Bobbies! The only species that we were missing after this week of discoveries! We found several of them on nests, some in flight, and even some chicks from the distance.
Vegetation on the area is very unique as well; we were delighted with the Nolana galapagensis and the Sesuvium edmonstonei. They were the only plants that brought color to this dry ecosystem. And on our way back we spotted a mockingbird. This was a new sight for us, because this island has its own species of mockingbird. We came back from the hike to enjoy a beautiful green sandy beach, which we had to share with several sea lions! No problem! They posed with us for some pictures, we joined them in the water, and it all worked very well!
In the afternoon we navigated the ship in the direction of a very unique formation. Kicker Rock is a tuff cone that has eroded to the point of cracking in one part and forming a pinnacle rock, and the canal that separates these two parts of the cone is an outstanding place for snorkeling. Sharks, Sea turtles, Sea lions; it was amazing! We came back to circumnavigate the area while enjoying a cocktail in our sundeck with this incredible view in the background. What a perfect memory to close this visit to the Enchanted islands.
