Bartolomé & Santiago Islands
We woke up early this morning and enjoyed a bright red sunrise. We are officially beginning our dry cold season and a nice cool breeze was present all day long. We went climbing to the top of a cinder cone; from the summit we observed the most famous landscape of the Galápagos. The hike was very interesting as the volcanic features of this island are still intact. The lava flows are barely colonized with vegetation, and the aridness of the place remind us what Galápagos was like at the very beginning, before fauna and flora started colonizing it.
This morning we also went snorkeling with penguins, sea lions, sharks and lots of fish. The marine landscape was just as beautiful as the one above the water.
We left Bartolomé and headed west to Santiago Island; there we went kayaking, snorkeling and walking. As we explored the coastal area we encounter a solitary Galápagos hawk with a freshly caught rat. It waited for us to leave to start eating its prey. Nearby, a small group of mockingbirds waited for the leftovers and made a lot of noise. We found out about the hawk thanks to the mockingbirds and their agitated behavior. This was an outstanding moment to see this magnificent predator in action.
The day is over but we can keep great memories of all the things we experienced and learned on these two islands.
