Lindblad Galapagos Expedition Cruising — National Geographic Endeavour II Review, Part 2

Lindblad Galapagos Expedition Cruising, Part 2

By Peter Knego

The second day’s 6:30 wake up call would set the pace for the rest of the week.

In lieu of scanning a card at the gangway, guests slide a small token on a board near the zodiac platform to indicate they are off on excursion or back aboard. * Photo: Peter Knego

After breakfast with some of the best huevos rancheros I’ve ever tasted and fresh cappuccinos from a genuine espresso machine in the restaurant, we headed to aft Deck 3 to select our snorkeling gear.

Lindblad provides masks, snorkels, fins and partial wetsuits, eliminating the need to purchase and pack those items.

At some point in the wee hours, the Endeavour II had anchored in Gardner Bay off Espanola Island at the south eastern tip of the archipelago.

Our first excursion would be a snorkel off Gardner islet, where we spotted two large sea turtles, while playful sea lions darted among us and even nibbled at our fins.

That and the “invigorating” water temperature, made for quite a rousing first “wet experience!”

Galapagos Cruising = Go go go!

Once back at the ship, there was just enough time to jettison the snorkel gear and then hop back into another zodiac to a pristine white sand beach. Here, clusters of sea lions entertained fellow guests while I did my best to squeeze in a three-mile barefoot run in the scintillatingly soft sand.

Post lunch, there was an excellent presentation by naturalist Walter Sanchez, who offered tips on i-Phone photography that would prove handy for the rest of the trip.

After such an invigorating morning, a refreshing nap would have been a sensible option were we on a typical cruise ship, but with Lindblad, any moment slept can be an opportunity missed!

Espanola’s Punta Suarez

Instead, we were filing into zodiacs for a dry landing at Espanola’s Punta Suarez.

Here we spent the next couple hours navigating volcanic boulders in the company of lazing marine iguanas, boisterous sea lions and a cast of winged wonders that included nesting giant albatrosses, blue footed boobies, Nazca boobies and frigate birds.

Towards the end of the hike, we paused above Espanola’s sea cliffs to observe a giant blow hole exhilaratingly discharge its salty spray into the sky.

Back aboard, there was barely an hour to get cleaned up and ready for cocktails in the Lounge, where we had our daily recap (a Lindblad tradition) and learned the next day’s agenda.

After that, it was off to dinner, an open seating affair that allowed us to mix with different guests on most evenings or even have a quiet table for two when we needed to just relax and recharge.

I am typically a night owl, but on Lindblad trips, the non-stop pace and activities find me dozing off at an almost normal bedtime, later enabled with the pitching and rolling of the ship’s maneuvering in the wee hours. (By the way, as for choppy seas, they were pretty calm overall, except during the night when the ship made two of its longest crossings between islands, but even then, it wasn’t too bad. I never had any seasickness issues and my sea legs are weak at best.)

On the third day, the Endeavour II anchored off Floreana Island, where we barely made it to the first excursion, thanks to my having set the alarm for 5:45 PM.

Within seven minutes, we made it from our cabin to the zodiac platform, buzzing off at a prompt 6:20 for a wet landing on the molasses colored sands of Punta Cormorant.

Exploring Punta Cormorant

From the beach, we were led on a short hike past a lagoon where a single pink flamingo lurked in the distance, arriving at another beach where sea turtles frequently lay their eggs.

No hatchlings were spotted this time, although the fine sands and hazy morning sun were like ambrosia to the eye.

Back on the ship, there was another delicious breakfast to fuel a zodiac ride around nearby Champion islet. Here, the clear waters revealed vividly colored parrot fish and an endless procession of jousting sea lions.

We soon returned for a deep water drift snorkel on the windward side of the islet, which I actually found quite challenging, despite being a relatively strong swimmer.

On the plus side, being inundated with crashing waves kept our minds off the chilly water temps as our zodiac followed us closely, ready to retrieve us in case we chose to abort.

Once in the calmer waters on the leeward side of the islet, I could actually marvel at the undersea panorama of sea turtles, puffer fish, parrot fish and those playful sea lions, at times only inches beyond my well-fitting mask.

The lunch that followed was a spectacularly authentic Mexican feast with homemade salsas, pico de gallo, chips and tortillas filled with tender, fragrant chicken.

Having grown up with Mexican food, I can easily say that this was by far the best I’ve ever had at sea.

As we ate, the Endeavour II motored off to the other side of Floreana, where we zodiac-ed ashore to see the famous Post Office Barrel.

Ever since this spot was first frequented by whalers in the 18th century, visitors have left their letters and post cards in a small barrel for future visitors to hand deliver to recipients all around the world.

Our next expedition was a kayaking romp around a calm lagoon, where yet more sea lions and sea turtles wowed us.

And like most days, this one ended with a cocktail hour recap and dinner. Finishing off the evening in the Lounge, there was a screening of the David Attenborough documentary “Origin” about the Galapagos.

During the night, the Endeavour II made a northerly course for Santa Cruz, the most populous of the islands, with some 18,000 inhabitants.

After a long ride ashore to the Itabaca Main Channel dock, we filed off onto small motor coaches for a ride into the mountains, stopping at “Los Gemelos,” where deep craters were formed by the collapse of ancient lava tubes.

From there, it was a short ride to “Manzanillo Ranch,” where the Galapagos tortoises roam freely.

We were issued rubber boots and allowed to wander the muddy grounds to admire these wondrous, docile reptiles, some of whom are 150 years old, before enjoying a nice lunch fortified with ice cold Ecuadorean beer.

Enjoy my video below to see Galapagos tortoises in their natural habitat.

After heading back to the ship, we donned our swimsuits for a walk along Las Bachas beach to observe more marine iguanas before rewarding ourselves with a refreshing swim in its tranquil waters.

That evening, it was a short ride to the Northwestern coast of San Cristobal, where we dropped anchor.

The next morning’s 8:00 AM excursion was a 1.75 mile walk on a trail encircling Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill), where we sought out the endemic Galapagos land iguanas, which are making a successful comeback from near extinction.

My video below will help you to experience the morning excursion at Cerro Dragon.

During that hike, in addition to spotting a few of the yellowish creatures, which tend to be shyer than their reddish marine counterparts, we saw some wild goats.

We returned to the ship later that afternoon via kayak. Then it was time to don snorkeling gear and hop back into a zodiac for a ride to the rugged Guy Fawkes Islets, where we drift-snorkeled underneath the sea cliffs, as long-tailed tropic birds and frigates hovered above.

After lunch, we kayaked through the mangroves of El Eden islet, where there were a few white-tipped sharks, in addition to the more familiar aquatic and aerial fauna observed earlier in the week.

Cocktail hour was savored on deck as the Endeavour II slowly cruised around Daphne Major, a rugged volcanic islet, at twilight.

At 6:20 AM the following day, we were filing into zodiacs off Bartolomé Island for a dry landing that would take us to a plank-topped trail with 376 steps up to a windy observation point.

Sample a morning at scenic Bartolomé island in my video below.

From the full rainbow that framed our ship, to the beautifully lit and dramatically tilted Pinnacle, the views that unfolded that morning were nothing short of magnificent.

After breakfast, we were back in “wet” mode for a snorkel off the nearby beach, which boasted glorious sand granules that looked just like brown sugar.

It also marked my first and thankfully only encounter with an aggressive and blood thirsty horse fly.

Our snorkel was highlighted by puffer fish and the occasional warm current and then followed by a ride on the Endeavour II’s glass bottom boat, where we had a close encounter with a family of Galapagos penguins.

Back aboard, as we devoured a well-earned lunch, the Endeavour II headed for her next anchorage off Sombrero Chino (Chinaman’s Hat), another small islet off Santiago Island.

I was truly exhausted at this point, so opted to take a short nap in lieu of the drift-snorkel offered immediately after lunch.

Meanwhile, as I lay with eyes wide shut, the Endeavour II sailed past a spectacular caldera with a green lake in its midst called Flamingo Lake. That and all the reports of manta and shark sightings on the snorkel gave me serious pangs of remorse.

Needless to say, I did not miss the next opportunity, which was a sunset zodiac ride through the isthmus between Sombrero Chino and Santiago Island, where we observed yet more sea lions and even a few penguins before returning to the ship for a lovely deck barbecue.

With the wheelhouse only steps away from our cabin, I watched the following dawn as the captain maneuvered the Endeavour II along a narrow channel into the caldera of remote Genovesa island. It’s like a miniature Santorini with streaks of guano substituting for the latter’s white stucco and blue tiled roofs.

My video below will help you visualize a day at remote Genovesa Island

Once the Endeavour II was safely anchored, we headed off on zodiacs to Darwin’s Bay, where we were vastly outnumbered by the birds, most familiar from prior excursions, save for the red footed boobies, which are exclusive to this spot.

Another snorkel at the base of the cliffs was followed by a kayak ride to Prince Philip’s Steps. Here we would trade in the kayaks for a dry zodiac landing and scale a narrow crevasse for our final hike of the week.

After a gloomy morning, the sun broke through, bathing everything in a golden light as we navigated fields of flat lava rocks. Along the way we even spotted several tiny Galapagos Owls amongst a more familiar flying cast of boobies, frigate birds and my faves, the elegantly long-tailed Tropic Birds.

Meanwhile, skeletons of tiny petrels scattered all along the trail were evidence of the owls’ voracious appetites.

We had a recap that evening with a preview of the custom video shot during the week by the ship’s videographer in the Lounge (typically offered for an additional charge), then retreated to pack and get some rest.

After breakfast on Saturday morning, we rode zodiacs back to where it all started, the little marina and village of San Cristobal.

A morning tour of a local turtle sanctuary in the foggy highlands wrapped up our time in the Galapagos before we returned to the airport and our flight back to Guyaquil, Ecuador.

Ironically, after a week of Lindblad’s non-stop expeditions and adventure, I was far more tired than I was prior to embarking, but there would always be time to get some rest back at home.

Meanwhile, memories of the Galapagos wondrous landscapes, unique inhabitants and our time aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II, are something I will always cherish.

RELATED: Enjoy Part 1 of Peter’s review of Lindblad’s Nat Geo Endeavour II in the Galapagos.

All-inclusive fares per person for the 9-night Endeavour II Galapagos expedition start at $7,560, not including the flights.

For more info on Lindblad’s Galapagos expeditions, click here.

RELATED: Check out writer Peter Knego’s awesome YouTube channel HERE, he’s got some great videos of ships of all kinds, but mostly historic, small and/or quirky ships & boats. Subscribe & enjoy!

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