After a long interesting night sailing to the southernmost island in the archipelago we arrived to our last hiking destination, Punta Pitt.
The sun rising over the mountain range of San Cristobal turned the color of the shallow bay turquoise—as if we anchored in a canvas painted by a greatest artist. The morning outing at Punta Pitt took our breath away every step as we climbed to the summit of the ancient tuff formations. The view and birds soaring made our hike well worth it. Heading to the leeward side of the mountains, the vegetation was more abundant and our explorers sighted red-footed boobies nesting on the low yellow cordia trees. Along the rocky coastline we also observed Nazca boobies as well as swallow-tailed gulls. Our first outing ended on an olivine beach where we cooled down and swam with juvenile sea lions.
In the afternoon the National Geographic Islander had to be repositioned to a different location for later activities. The ocean was calmed and the surface was like a mirror when suddenly the calmness was disrupted for Bryde’s whales. These stunning cetaceans breached several times while our eager explorers were fascinated by the wonder of Mother Nature.
The last outing of the day was at el Leon Dormido, as the place is locally known. This is a majestic eroded tuff cone that has been shaped over time by the elements. Deep water snorkeling was the first activity in the afternoon. The crystal clear water of the place allowed us to have close encounters with the underwater realm. For instance, our guests observed hammerhead sharks, Galápagos sharks, eagle rays, sea turtles, sea lions, and huge school of black striped salemas and other fish.
To end this astonishing and unforgettable week our Captain Patricio Jaramillo circumnavigated el Leon Dormido while staff members and guests gathered together on the sundeck to share their memorable experiences in this unique and irreplaceable place.
