BARTOLOME ISLAND AND SULLIVAN BAY

Before the wet landing on the beach, make sure to put on some insect repellent. Following the wet landing, you will take a short ten-minute walk across a sand dune takes you to the southern beach, where harmless black-tipped reef sharks and rays are often seen in the warm, shallow water. Ghost crabs creep from under the sand and disappear into their burrows as you approach. Look up at the sky and often you may see a juvenile Galapagos hawk hovering above. From January to March you may see marine turtles coming ashore to nest on the beach.

The summit trail begins with a dry landing, though sea-lions make the purpose-built dock more exciting and challenging to walk up. The trail is a dusty walk through volcanic ash on a wooden-built trail.

The only vegetation is the “pioneer plants”, grey Tiquilia and greenish Chamaesyce. These are vital in binding the ash that fans down from the hill. The park wardens have built wooden steps up the hill to prevent further erosion by humans. The reddish spatter cones were minor eruptions of highly viscous lava that cooled rapidly. The summit is such a cone; it seems higher than 114m as you climb the steps. The eastern side has many small lava tubes. The hike is better before 10h00 or after 16h00, when the light is softer. If you look carefully you can make out sunken craters in the sea below. In the distance you can see most of the central islands, the peaks of Isabela to the west, and on a clear day Marchena and Pinta to the north.

A good snorkeling place lies at the foot of the Pinnacle Rock that leans into the bay. The cliff is an eroded tuff cone. A small family of Galapagos penguins live in the shadows of the Pinnacle. A zodiac ride is usually taken to locate the famous Galapagos Penguins.