Early in the morning we anchored at the stunning bay of Punta Pitt. To start our first excursion of the day, we disembarked after breakfast on the beach, which looked as if it were sprayed with golden powder, giving us this glamorous feeling while stepping onto it. Then again, it could have been the magic of this special and ecologically diverse archipelago.
Having the opportunity to hike up the hill, we encountered blue- and red-footed booby nests, some occupants of which could be seen incubating their eggs! This walk had amazing landscapes from the top of the hill and all around the area, being surrounded with features from the erosion of the tuff cone left by prevailing winds.
There was another option to do a Zodiac ride to witness the fullness of marine, including Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, and frigatebirds flapping and flirting with the females. This involves the male inflating of a bright red pouch just off its chest and approximately the size of an oversized mango; the display of which is meant to capture the attention of the female being courted.
This captured much attention, including that of our guests. We must also mention the animal which consistently brings smiles to the faces of guests, and that is the most distinguished and perhaps the most energetic species inhabiting these islands: the Galapagos sea lion.
After the delicious buffet served onboard for the chef and his team, we had a deserved walk along the beach of Cerro Brujo, where we experienced the white coralline sand, taking many pictures of sea lions loafing on the sand. Some of us swam in the warm water and others body-surfed in the breaking waves.
During the evening, in the company of an absolute winner of a sunset, we had a farewell cocktail at the observation deck. We made our last round of navigation around Kicker Rock, thus concluding a wonderful week with great friends and an appreciation for the natural world not previously had.
