Today we visited two areas surrounding Santiago island in the north - central area of the Galapagos archipelago. Early in the morning we landed on Bartolome Island, one of the most iconic landscapes of the Galapagos. Here we had the opportunity to snorkel and use our glass-bottom boat to explore the undersea world of this small island. In the afternoon, we sailed to Sombrero Chino, a volcanic cinder cone of spectacular beauty. Here we had a second outing of snorkeling. The wonderful landscape and unique creatures on Sombrero Chino gave us many good opportunities for photography and birdwatching. After a full and active day, we were ready to enjoy a delicious barbecue on the top deck with an astonishing view of the volcanic landscape of Santiago Island.
5/29/2025
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National Geographic Gemini
Genovesa Island
Genovesa is considered one of the Galapagos crown jewels, and today it was showing off all of its splendor. Immediately after breakfast we put on our sturdy shoes and set out to explore Prince Philip’s Steps. This area is known for opportunities to observe not only large colonies of nesting Nazca and red-footed boobies, but maybe, just maybe, the short-eared owl which exhibits diurnal behavior on this island. After this walk we got ready for a dip in the Pacific Ocean and snorkeling along the inner coast of this caldera. The afternoon was equally amazing as we disembarked to explore Darwin Bay, along a short and easy trail that was packed with wildlife. Here we observed not only nesting frigatebirds, red-footed boobies, and Nazca boobies, but also a few yellow-crowned night herons. It was another incredible afternoon in the Galapagos Islands.
