This morning National Geographic Islander brought us to Punta Pitt, located at the northeastern tip of the archipelago’s second oldest island. After breakfast we disembarked for this beautiful golden beach. We then made our way to the top of a tuff hill to survey the landscape’s many colors and textures, a topography shaped greatly by erosion from the prevailing winds of the area.
Along the way, we spotted nesting blue- and red-footed boobies perched on tree branches; these are the only boobies across the Galapagos capable of doing this.
After three hours of hiking and surveying the land, we returned for a refreshing swim. On shore a group of Galapagos Sea Lions napped while a stray oyster catcher hunted in between the shore and waves for shellfish. Further inland, marine iguanas hid in the shade as the red- and blue-footed boobies flew near where we swam. By 11 a.m. the sun was coming on strong, so we went back to National Geographic Islander for fresh papaya juice and cookies.
After lunch we departed to Cerro Brujo or “Wizard Hill.” The sand here is nearly as fine and white as talcum powder, and that with the island’s bright blue water and shiny black lava rocks made for a stunning color contrast. Amazing here is how in such a short distance, we find landscape and colors completely different from those found at Punta Pitt.
What a remarkable time that we had here, walking the beach, admiring sea lions, and by the end of it just sitting there to think over this whole week we’ve had on the Enchanted Islands.
