Wednesday 11th February – Red Beach in the Morning, Lighthouse in the Afternoon.
I had thought that we were finished with very early starts when we left the mainland. I was wrong. We were up at five in order to visit Red Beach on Rabida Island before breakfast. The ship laid on coffee and pastries in the Expedition Lounge to help us wake up. We were more or less all awake by the time we piled into the pangas for our trip to the island.
The beach is an incredible bright red colour, due to the very high iron content in the sand.
Flamingos at dawn
As we walked along the beach the first thing we encountered, apart from Sealions, was a brackish lake. It was home to a flock of flamingos.
The young flamingos are grey because flamingos develop their pink colour from the food they eat.
Flamingos are not born pink; they hatch with gray or white down feathers and gradually develop their signature pink, orange, or reddish hues over time as they consume carotenoid-rich foods such as algae, brine shrimp, and other small aquatic organisms
These pigments, including beta-carotene, canthaxanthin, and astaxanthin, are broken down in the liver and transported via the bloodstream to the feathers and skin, giving flamingos their vibrant coloration.
The intensity of a flamingo’s color depends on diet quality, species, and habitat. Birds that consume more carotenoid-rich shrimp and algae develop deeper pink or reddish tones, while those with less access to these foods may appear paler or even nearly white
Colour can also fade if a flamingo’s diet changes or if the bird becomes stressed or ill, because feathers are only replaced during moulting, which occurs twice a year
It typically takes 1 to 3 years for a young flamingo to achieve full pink coloration, reflecting years of consistent carotenoid intake .This process highlights the principle of “you are what you eat,” as flamingos’ iconic color is a direct result of their specialized feeding habits and the pigments present in their natural dietEncyclopedia Britannica
I suppose we spent about an hour exploring the area around the lake. We found a few other wildlife specimens, such as Galapagos Doves and Lava Lizards. We also found a flower—I’m not sure what it is, to be honest; it looks a bit like bindweed to me. It was probably the only flower I saw in the wild. Our naturalist/guide assured us that if we came in a month’s time, there would be flowers everywhere.
We returned to the boat for a well-earned breakfast.
Snorkelling off Rabida
Next up, more snorkelling. This time I caught something reasonably exciting with my video camera. (Excuse the Finger Fish that pops up occasionally.)
The water was again very clear.
I tried to convince my six year old twin grandsons that the small (about 1m 20) White Tipped Reef Shark, was the biggest and baddest shark in the whole of the Galapagos. They didn’t buy my story, but they were impressed by the fact that I had managed to film a shark. I would love to take them there, in three or four years time, when they could cope physically with snorkelling. They would love it.
That was our excitement for the morning. Diane didn’t go snorkelling, as her knee was causing her a few problems, so she went for a trip in the glass bottomed boat.
Bartolomé snorkelling
While we were eating our lunch the ship moved on to another island in the Santiago group, Isla Bartolomé. We landed on the beach by Pinnacle Rock, I went snorkelling again, this time from the beach. Getting into the water from the beach with your fins on is tricky. Walking backwards is the best way.
My videos from this expedition were less successful, but our videographer obtained some excellent footage, which I share below.
He captured things that I had seen, but didn’t get decent footage of, like Rays and Turtles. He also managed to get footage of Hammerhead Sharks, which I didn’t see, as they were the far side of Pinnacle Rock (the large rock formation seen at the end of the video).
The current on the far side of the rock was quite strong. I was—still am—an inexperienced snorkeller. I decided discretion was the better part of valour and stayed on the sheltered side. I think you will agree that some of Andres’ shots are spectacular.
After we had finished our snorkel, we returned to the Santa Cruz II, to change and get ready for our climb to the top of Bartolomé.
Climbing Bartolomé
We had a dry landing for a change. There is a set of concrete steps that leads to a boardwalk which takes you to the summit of the island. After negotiating the inevitable Sealions, who had decided that the steps were a good place for a nap, we were off. There are about three hundred and eighty steps (I didn’t count them) to the summit of the island. The climb isn’t too hard physically, but the heat does get to you. Take water.
Bartolomé, on this side, is very barren. It looks a bit like what I think Mars would be—red, rocky, and barren.
This was the only vegetation that I saw on the climb up. There are places to stop, rest and take photos on the way up.
Contrary to the impression I may have given in my title, it is more of a navigation beacon, rather than a lighthouse on the summit. When you get to the top you are rewarded with some magnificent views of the island.
As you can see the other side of the island is less barren.
Penguins
As we were heading back to the Panga, a bird that I had hoped to see made an appearance: the Galapagos Penguin. Diane, because of her knee, elected to take a Panga tour instead of the climb and told me they had seen loads of them.
It was nearly six p.m. by this time, so the park was closing. We headed back to the Santa Cruz II for a shower and a cold beer.
After dinner there was a charity auction, in aid of the HX foundation, which supports various conservation projects in the islands.
Some of the winners with their purchases.
We had a very good, very full day. There was not much chance of getting bored on this trip.
