For our last day of this amazing cruise on board National Geographic Endeavour II, we visited Santiago Island, named “Duke of York” by William Ambrose Cowley to honor King James II. We started our day with a Zodiac exploration and followed it with water activities around Buccaneer´s cove. This was a famous anchorage spot for the early sailors and the important naturalist, Charles Darwin.
To conclude our day after farewell briefings, we stopped by James Bay or as it is locally known, Egas Port. This port is named after Hector Dario Egas, an Ecuadorian who tried to establish a salt mine in the area with no success. Here we concluded with an amazing walk over the intertidal and arid zone of the island. We continued with an exploration of a wildlife environment combined with remnants of human infrastructure. Lastly, we explored the underwater world of the bay, accompanied by sea turtles and playful sea lions.
