Santiago Island
This island has many visitor sites because its beauty is really impressive wherever you go, and this morning we had very intense activity at two different sites. We disembarked before breakfast at Espumilla Beach for a mile-long walk along a dense vegetation zone with lots of land birds; it was a good place to enjoy the singing of males hoping to attract a mate. Those interested in photography stayed on the beach to capture the action of blue-footed boobies and pelicans plunge diving right in front of us.
After this amazing episode we sailed to a different visitor site known as Buccaneer’s Cove, where we continued our morning activities with different options for everyone. Snorkeling was at its best with lots of tropical fish and very refreshing water. The glass-bottom boat trip was very impressive because of the crystal-clear blue water in the area. Kayaking was no exception, as the geology and marine life along the bay was spectacular as well.
We navigated over lunch to a very famous place known as Puerto Egas. A gentleman from mainland Ecuador attempted to colonize this place in the mid-19th century by starting a salt mining operation; after a few years of activity, he and his workers had to abandon the business because of the harsh conditions and no fresh water. One of the most famous visitors to the Galápagos was Charles Darwin and he visited Puerto Egas while he was voyaging on board the Beagle.
Puerto Egas is a fantastic place to explore the coastline, and we had many different sightings, such as marine iguanas, Sally Lightfoot crabs, migratory shore birds and tidal pools. It is probably one of the best places to see the two different species of endemic marine mammals, the Galápagos sea lion and the Galápagos fur seal.
This was a full, intense and spectacular day with lots of emotions, happiness and peace in this remote enchanted archipelago.
