Bartolome and Santiago
Today is the first day of the Inaugural Voyage of the M.S. Islander. Yesterday evening, with great eagerness and anticipation, we boarded the beautiful, recently refitted catamaran in Academy Bay of Santa Cruz Island. It had been a long but fabulous day of exploration and introduction to the magical GalápagosArchipelago. We saw our first giant tortoises, Darwin finches and vermillion flycatchers in the lush highlands of this ancient volcanic island. Incidentally, the islands were actually named for the huge, slow moving reptiles which reminded the early Spaniards of the saddles - or Galápagos - of their horses. At midnight, Captain Robalino hauled up the anchor and set his course for the centrally located island of Santiago.
Dawn found us peacefully anchored off the majestic pinnacle rock of Bartolome Island. We disembarked shortly after sunrise and followed a boardwalk, and then climbed wooden steps to the summit while the Naturalists explained the geology of the islands. As this is a particularly fragile visitor site, several years ago, the National Park Service erected an impressive set of over 370 steps which reduce the erosion of the trail. Everyone agreed that the view from the top was well worth the effort it took to climb all those steps!
There are families and children out of school for Christmas vacation on board with us this week. Among our guests are many enthusiastic snorklers of all ages. Today we had the delightful opportunity to snorkel with penguins, sea lions and sea turtles and to swim off two extremely different beaches. The beach at Bartolome is a lovely, small, crescent beach of golden sand. In the afternoon we visited Puerto Egas on Santiago and snorkeled and swam from a dark beach of coarse black sand. The antics of a large population of sea lions that were resting, cavorting and swimming with us, kept our guests thoroughly entertained!
The afternoon hike, at low tide, along the coastal lava flows where pools and submerged tunnels provide a perfect playground for many more of the energetic young sea lion (and Homo sapiens, too) and for the endemic fur seals, was spectacular. One of the highlights was discovering this new born sea lion pup with his umbilical cord still intact. What a delight to be in Galápagos, where we can interact and observe the natural world at such close quarters. All of us, officers, crew, staff and guests alike, who are privileged to be sailing on the M.S. Islander as she takes her maiden voyage in this true paradise, realize what a unique and special place this is. We all recognize the importance of preserving these islands so future generations can also experience the thrill of walking among the fearless creatures that inhabit this archipelago and which are, in many cases, found no where else on earth.
Today is the first day of the Inaugural Voyage of the M.S. Islander. Yesterday evening, with great eagerness and anticipation, we boarded the beautiful, recently refitted catamaran in Academy Bay of Santa Cruz Island. It had been a long but fabulous day of exploration and introduction to the magical GalápagosArchipelago. We saw our first giant tortoises, Darwin finches and vermillion flycatchers in the lush highlands of this ancient volcanic island. Incidentally, the islands were actually named for the huge, slow moving reptiles which reminded the early Spaniards of the saddles - or Galápagos - of their horses. At midnight, Captain Robalino hauled up the anchor and set his course for the centrally located island of Santiago.
Dawn found us peacefully anchored off the majestic pinnacle rock of Bartolome Island. We disembarked shortly after sunrise and followed a boardwalk, and then climbed wooden steps to the summit while the Naturalists explained the geology of the islands. As this is a particularly fragile visitor site, several years ago, the National Park Service erected an impressive set of over 370 steps which reduce the erosion of the trail. Everyone agreed that the view from the top was well worth the effort it took to climb all those steps!
There are families and children out of school for Christmas vacation on board with us this week. Among our guests are many enthusiastic snorklers of all ages. Today we had the delightful opportunity to snorkel with penguins, sea lions and sea turtles and to swim off two extremely different beaches. The beach at Bartolome is a lovely, small, crescent beach of golden sand. In the afternoon we visited Puerto Egas on Santiago and snorkeled and swam from a dark beach of coarse black sand. The antics of a large population of sea lions that were resting, cavorting and swimming with us, kept our guests thoroughly entertained!
The afternoon hike, at low tide, along the coastal lava flows where pools and submerged tunnels provide a perfect playground for many more of the energetic young sea lion (and Homo sapiens, too) and for the endemic fur seals, was spectacular. One of the highlights was discovering this new born sea lion pup with his umbilical cord still intact. What a delight to be in Galápagos, where we can interact and observe the natural world at such close quarters. All of us, officers, crew, staff and guests alike, who are privileged to be sailing on the M.S. Islander as she takes her maiden voyage in this true paradise, realize what a unique and special place this is. We all recognize the importance of preserving these islands so future generations can also experience the thrill of walking among the fearless creatures that inhabit this archipelago and which are, in many cases, found no where else on earth.
