The sun was shining this morning when we woke up anchored at Espumilla Beach. Our day started with a pre-breakfast walk through one of the most important nesting sites for Pacific green sea turtles in the Galapagos. This species of sea turtle is the most common to spot in the Galapagos. They nest along the beaches from January to April. We often spot females getting out of the water to lay their eggs on the dunes. Our guests had a unique experience today when they got to observe as the turtles finished laying their eggs. The process usually takes an entire night, and the turtles lay up to 100 eggs! We had the chance to snorkel with the turtles, see their nests, kayak beside them, and learn about their life and ecology.
After our early walk, we came back on board and enjoyed a delicious breakfast. Right after, we prepared for different water activities. Guests were offered opportunities to kayak, snorkel, and take tours in the glass-bottom boat. The water temperature and visibility were just perfect! We spotted manta rays, sharks, stingrays, sea lions, and many colorful fish. The geological scenery was beautiful. The underwater world in the Galapagos is mind-blowing and amazing.
After lunch, one of our naturalists gave a presentation on the human history of the islands. It was very interesting to learn how everything started and how humans have developed the islands. After the talk, we got ready for the afternoon, which included beach time, hiking to a salt mine or along the coast, spotting different species of shorebirds, and observing a beautiful and colorful sunset.
To finish our fantastic day, we had a delicious barbecue dinner on the observation deck, followed by a concert performed by our naturalists. What a great day we had on Santiago Island!
