Today is the last day of our expedition. We visited San Cristobal Island, the first island visited by Charles Darwin during the Voyage of the Beagle on September, 1835. We started our first hike in Punta Pitt, an old tuff cone with impressive cliffs. The hike to the plateau and lookout led us to an area covered with patches of red Sesuvium, or Galapagos carpet weed. Here we found a colony of red footed boobies nesting. These boobies are the only ones, among the 3 species found in Galapagos, that nest in trees and bushes along the cliffs. Today we got to see some chicks and eggs. Once we finished our beautiful, uphill hike, it was time to enjoy the beach and the playful sea lions. Our guests had a blast swimming and taking pictures of them.
After lunch we sailed towards the imposing offshore islet named Leon Dormido, or Kicker Rock, an old rocky outcrop which is the remainder of a volcanic tuff cone eroded by the wind and wave action over thousands of years. The water was calm and we found sharks, colourful schools of fish, and sea turtles.
Once back on board we enjoyed the circumnavigation of this unique formation with drinks on deck before travelling to our final destination, the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. This is the capital of the province of Galapagos, also known as the “capital of Paradise”. After dinner our guests were able to walk in town and experience a little bit of the Galapagos life- kids riding bikes, sea lions lying on the streets and benches, people walking, shopping or eating at the local restaurants. We spent time in this place where humans and nature coexist in harmony, and this was our last day in paradise.
