 Bartolome, Twin Beaches |
Today we visit Bachas Beach on the northern end of Santa Cruz Island. We have nearly completed a full circle of the eastern-most Islands, arriving back just a few miles from Baltra where we landed on Sunday. Bachas Beach is named after the barges that broke free of their moorings and ran aground on this beach during World War II activities when the US used this area as protection for the Panama Canal. The name comes from the poor English pronunciation by the local population for the word barges. Today's excursions on Santa Cruz include two low intensity excursions, both with wet landing on the beach. The first excursions includes an easy walk along the beach with a few rocky areas to a brackish pond in search of flamingos. Returning to the beach there is an opportunity to swim and snorkel. The second excursions is only the wet landing with the beach activities.
Returning to the ship, we are treated to a Mexican Buffet in Darwin's Restaurant while enroute to Bartolome Island. This afternoon we have the opportunity for two additional excursions, one high intensity the includes a hike to the top of a viewing hill. This hike is approximately 1 mile with 358 wooden steps that lead to viewing platforms. Along the wooden path, we're surrounded by moon-like landscape and volcanic cones. The top platform overlooks one of the most picturesque sites in the islands, two white sand beaches split in half by a green mangrove area and a black pinnacle rock formation. Back on the Zodiacs, we have an opportunity to view the rare Galapagos Penguins before being making a wet landing on one of these beach areas for swimming and snorkeling. The cool water is very refreshing after the exhilarating and somewhat strenuous hike.
Departing Bartolome Island we are enroute to the western side of Isabela, the largest of the islands on the western edge of the archipelago. Isabela looks like a sea horse and still had 5 active volcanoes, the last eruption being in 2005. We're traveling around the north point of Isabela, therefore we will pass from the southern to northern hemisphere and back again before our arrival. At approximately 10pm, we celebrate at a "crossing the line" party hosted by an onboard special guest.
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