Overnight the captain had motored us towards our next activities on Santiago and Bartolomé Islands.  We generally enjoy sleeping to the movement of a boat so all was well.

Our first activity of the day was a lava hike.  We used zodiacs to transport from our boat to Sullivan Bay on Santiago Island.  

Some red crabs welcomed us to the island and really stood out against the lava.

Our guide/naturalist, Victor, gave us a geology lesson about the Galapagos archipelago  and its movement (3-4 inches per year)  on the Nazca plate.   (Victor could really teach us about a lot of things.  Before he was a guide, he was a naval officer, and he is also a lawyer.)

Victor told us how this area’s volcanos are different from land volcanos.  The underwater volcanos formed the islands over repeated eruptions and the resulting layering and lifting from below.

The area off Sullivan Bay is famous for the extensive lava flows believed to be mostly from the late 1800s, with one eruption being specifically documented in 1892.

This is a lava cactus – unique to the Galapagos Islands.

We returned to Treasure of Galapagos and Randy was fitted for his wetsuit for snorkeling.

Because of the currents, the water is quite cold, despite being so close to the equator.

I have snorkeled many times, in many places but am not a fan of getting in and out of wetsuits. When we learned that there would frequently be zodiac excursions offered for those that didn’t prefer to snorkel, that was an easy decision for me.  

Before they left, this sea lion was lounging in the boat.  He was having a nice time, until they made him leave!

With the super hectic pace of the last two weeks, I enjoyed sitting on our balcony with my tea, an audiobook, and the binoculars.

Randy was super excited when he came back because they snorkeled with penguins!  That was almost enough to make me wish I had gone along.

During lunch we motored to our next destination of Bartolome Island.  Once arrived, there was a group climbing to the high point of the island and another group doing a zodiac trip around the island.  We decided to divide and conquer.  

Living in the desert, we are well familiar with various forms of prickly pear cactus.  Seeing it in tree form in the Galapagos was new to us!

On the water, we saw quite a few penguins.

And crab.

And penguins and crab!

The sea birds are always present!

Randy made it to the top and had some nice views.

The sea lions just go where they want and aren’t bothered by the people.

A sunset of Bartolemé Island in the Galapagos.

We were in the Galapagos on September 28, 2024