Next morning up for breakfast and ready for our dry landing on to Bartolome. This small island located just off Sullivan Bay east of Santiago. Bartolome, a desolate island with few plants is the most visited and most photographed island in the Galapagos. The island consists of an extinct volcano and a variety of red, orange, green, and glistening black volcanic formations. The best known of the island's features is the tuff cone known as Pinnacle Rock.
Our journey on Bartolome is to walk to the Summit Trail this begins w
ith a rock and concrete pathway. The walk continues on a wooden walk way over the volcanic sand. Once over the sand a steep ascent continues up a wooden stairway.
The volcanic landscape on the journey up seems barren except for the lava lizards scurrying about. Further up volcanic spatter cones with deep red, gleaming blacks and intense greens can be seen on both sides of the trail. The spatter cones and lava tubes give the feeling that you are hiking on the moon rather than an island in the Pacific.
Arriving at the top we are treated to one of the great panoramic views in the Galapagos. To the distance the islands of Santiago, Santa Cruz, Baltra, North Seymour, Rabida as well as a number of rocks and small inlets can be seen. The islands vary in color from a bright orange, to blacks and greens. The turquoise waters and white shores add to the incredible seen. The eroded pinnacle rock stands at the end of the island poising for pictures.
It's easy to see why this is one of the most popular photographic spots on all the islands.
Back to the boat so we can get ready for our wet landing to swim and snorkel from the northern beach. This is a popular snorkeling site where we had the opportunity to swim with fish and sea lions.
Back on the boat for lunch, the boat picks up anchor and makes it way towards Sullivan Bay where we will go exploring the lava fields.
T
he Sullivan Bay lava field has a variety of interesting patterns. The shapes and textures of trees, which once existed there and caused pockets of gas or water trapped under the lava and exploded. The lava here is known a "Panoehoe" (Hawaiian for rope). This thin-skinned lava's molten material cools down after an eruption causing the surface materials to buckle creating a rope like appearance, "Panoehoe" lava is rare to the rest of the world, but is common to the volcanoes of Hawaii and the Galapagos Islands. The walk took approximately an hour to an hour and a half. Ahh!!! just in time to make it back for sunset and a spot of dinner.
ith a rock and concrete pathway. The walk continues on a wooden walk way over the volcanic sand. Once over the sand a steep ascent continues up a wooden stairway.The volcanic landscape on the journey up seems barren except for the lava lizards scurrying about. Further up volcanic spatter cones with deep red, gleaming blacks and intense greens can be seen on both sides of the trail. The spatter cones and lava tubes give the feeling that you are hiking on the moon rather than an island in the Pacific.
Arriving at the top we are treated to one of the great panoramic views in the Galapagos. To the distance the islands of Santiago, Santa Cruz, Baltra, North Seymour, Rabida as well as a number of rocks and small inlets can be seen. The islands vary in color from a bright orange, to blacks and greens. The turquoise waters and white shores add to the incredible seen. The eroded pinnacle rock stands at the end of the island poising for pictures.
It's easy to see why this is one of the most popular photographic spots on all the islands.
Back to the boat so we can get ready for our wet landing to swim and snorkel from the northern beach. This is a popular snorkeling site where we had the opportunity to swim with fish and sea lions.
Back on the boat for lunch, the boat picks up anchor and makes it way towards Sullivan Bay where we will go exploring the lava fields.
T
he Sullivan Bay lava field has a variety of interesting patterns. The shapes and textures of trees, which once existed there and caused pockets of gas or water trapped under the lava and exploded. The lava here is known a "Panoehoe" (Hawaiian for rope). This thin-skinned lava's molten material cools down after an eruption causing the surface materials to buckle creating a rope like appearance, "Panoehoe" lava is rare to the rest of the world, but is common to the volcanoes of Hawaii and the Galapagos Islands. The walk took approximately an hour to an hour and a half. Ahh!!! just in time to make it back for sunset and a spot of dinner.