Today we woke up for an early walk to the top of Bartolome, a satellite islet of Santiago Island. This relatively new island is a good place to appreciate new basaltic flows and different geological formations, such as tuff and spatter cones. The presence of pioneer plants, such as Tiquilia nesiotica and lava cacti, makes Bartolome a good place to understand how life started in the Galapagos as the first plants grew on newly formed islands. We also had a chance to explore below the water, where we had the opportunity to observe a number of fish.
During lunch, we navigated towards Chinese Hat, a few miles away from Bartolome and next to Santiago Island. We observed the iconic Galapagos penguins basking on lava rocks. We also had one of the most magnificent snorkeling activities of the week, followed by a Zodiac ride. Guests had the chance to appreciate the outstanding landscape and wildlife of this place. We ended our day with a delicious barbeque dinner on National Geographic Endeavour II.
