After visiting Santa Cruz, our next destination was the island of San Cristobal and the two visitors’ sites located there. In the morning, the National Geographic Islander anchored at Punta Pitt where we disembarked on a beach that was green in color. This unusual feature is due to the high concentration of a volcanic crystal called peridot.
From there, we walked along a narrow canyon to reach a higher point where the beautiful aerial view of the volcanic scenery was a highlight of the visit. Further on, we came across a much-anticipated sight: red-footed boobies nesting on yellow cordea. Some were incubating eggs, while others looked after baby chicks, and we had the chance to observe this all up close. Feeling rewarded, we walked back to the beach for a swim before the day grew too hot.
By the time we arrived at Leon Dormido, our explorers were ready for the afternoon activity, deep-water snorkeling from Zodiacs. Today, we expected to get close to some sharks and that was exactly what happened when we entered the water. We encountered different groups of sharks, as well as turtles and rays, all in a very small area. This experience will be added to all the great memories of this fantastic week in the Galapagos.
