Scenery and Sunsets

Highlands of Santa Cruz Island

This picture was taken near the Royal Palm Hotel in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos.

House on Academy Bay

This building is at the end of a peninsula jutting out into Academy Bay near the town of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos.

Academy Bay, Santa Cruz Island

This is the side of Academy Bay on Santa Cruz Island. There is a public dock here where you can catch a boat taxi between this section of the island and the town of Puerto Ayora.

Sunset in Academy Bay

Sunset seen from our yacht anchored in Academy Bay, at Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos.

Sunrise over Española Island

Sunrise seen from our yacht, anchored in Gardner Bar at Española Island in the Galapagos.

Drift Wood on Española Island

Photographed on the beach at Gardner Bay on Española Island in the Galapagos,.

Beach at Punta Suárez

This small beach on Española Island in the Galapagos is known as Punta Suárez. It is the home to marine iguanas (seen in the lower left) as well as sea lions. The boat in the distance is the Reina Silvia, a companion yacht from the same tour company that followed us around in the Galapagos.

Coast of Española Island

This is a section of the northwestern coast of Española Island, south of Punta Suárez. A single marine iguana guards the small bay and some boobies are nesting in the distance.

Coast of Española Island

This is a section of the northwestern coast of Española Island, south of Punta Suárez. A blow hole can be seen spouting in the distance and a few male sea lions are hanging out on the rocks in the foreground.

Coast of Española Island

This is a section of the northwestern coast of Española Island, south of Punta Suárez.

Surf and Rocks at Punta Suárez

These rocks are just off of Punta Suárez on Española Island in the Galapagos. The red splotches are sally lightfoot crabs.

Sunset over Punta Suárez

Sunset from our yacht anchored at Española Island in the Galapagos. The point of land in the image is Punta Suárez on Española Island.

Sunset over Punta Suárez

Sunset from our yacht anchored at Española Island in the Galapagos. That is probably our sister ship in the foreground.

Yachts off of Punta Pitt

Our yacht, the Integrity, and its sister yacht, the Reina Silvia are ancored off of Punta Pitt on San Cristóbal Island in the Galapagos.

Galapagos Carpet Weed on San Cristóbal Island

This landscape is part of northeastern San Cristóbal Island near Punta Pitt. The red plants are Galapagos carpet weed or sesuvium edmonstonei.

Olivine beach at Punta Pitt

This is a view of the beach at Punta Pitt on San Cristóbal Island in the Galapagos. The beach is seen from our hike up and over the peak of the island. The color of the beach is due to olivine (iron magnesium silicate), which adds a green tint to the sand. (Or maybe I got the color balance wrong.)

Kicker Rock

This is Kicker Rock, the remains of a lava cone, now split into two, off of the coast of San Cristóbal Island in the Galapagos.

Kicker Rock Close-Up

This is a close up of a small section of Kicker Rock off of the coast of San Cristóbal Island in the Galapagos. That formation is probably around 30 meters high.

Kicker Rock Facade

This is a close up of a small section of Kicker Rock off of the coast of San Cristóbal Island in the Galapagos.

Beach near Cerro Brujo

This beach is near the Cerro Brujo hills of San Cristóbal Island in the Galapagos, which you can see in the background. The sand is as soft as it looks, and we hiked barefoot along this beach.

Beach near Cerro Brujo

This beach is near the Cerro Brujo hills of San Cristóbal Island in the Galapagos. The sand is as soft as it looks, and we hiked barefoot along this beach. That is Barbara in the white shirt.

Sunset through Kicker Rock

After our beach walk at Cerro Brujo, on San Cristóbal Island in the Galapagos, we asked the captain if he would relocate the yacht so we could see the sunset behind Kicker Rock. The captain delivered so we could watch the sunset behind the rock formation.

Sunset through Kicker Rock

After our beach walk at Cerro Brujo, on San Cristóbal Island in the Galapagos, we asked the captain if he would relocate the yacht so we could see the sunset behind Kicker Rock. The captain delivered so we could watch the sunset behind the rock formation.

Sunset through Kicker Rock

After our beach walk at Cerro Brujo, on San Cristóbal Island in the Galapagos, we asked the captain if he would relocate the yacht so we could see the sunset behind Kicker Rock. The captain delivered so we could watch the sunset behind the rock formation.

Sunset at Kicker Rock

After the sun set behind Kicker Rock (lower-left in the image), I took this picture of the clouds lit up by the sun below the horizon. Near San Cristóbal Island in the Galapagos.

Sunrise near Santa Fé Island

The sun behind clouds soon after rising, while the yacht was anchored at Santa Fé Island in the Galapagos.

Coast of Santa Fé Island

This is a small section of the northwest coast of Santa Fé Island in the Galapagos.

South Plaza Island

This picture was taken on our approach to South Plaza Island in the Galapagos.

North and South Plaza Islands

From South Plaza Island (foreground), you can see North Plaza Island and out yacht in the distance.

Rocks on South Plaza Island

Years of erosion have resulted in these interesting rock formations on South Plaza Island. One primary contribution to the erosion are sea lions, who drag themselves over these rocks.

Sunset at South Plaza Island

The sun behine clouds as its set near South Plaza Island in the Galapagos. The island in the distance is Santa Cruz.

Sunset at South Plaza Island

The sun behine clouds as its set near South Plaza Island in the Galapagos. The island in the distance is Santa Cruz.

Sunrise near Santiago Island

The sun starts to rise behind low clouds, photographed from our yacht while we were anchored next to Santiago Island in the Galapagos.

Sullivan Bay at Santiago Island

This is a view of Sullivan Bay at Santiago Island in the Galapagos. The foreground shows a section of the pahoehoe lava field from an eruption around 1900.

Pinnacle Rock from Santiago Island

Pinnacle Rock is that distinctive formation in the distance, part of Bartolomé Island. The picture was taken from Santiago Island in the Galapagos, with a section of the lava field in the foreground.

Ocean Spray

The ocean waves were pounding against the coast of Bartolomé Island as we disembarked from out Pango boat. A little patience allowed me to capture this spray resulting from the pounding surf.

Desolate Landscape of Bartolomé Island

This is a section of the landscape of Bartolomé Island in the Galapagos, showing the almost complete lack of vegetation. You can distinguish this landscape from scenes of Mars by the presence of the Pacific Ocean (and a boat) in the background.

Bartolomé Island and Pinnacle Rock

An iconic view from the top of Bartolomé Island in the Galapagos. Pinnacle Rock is the formation on the right hand side and Santiago Island is in the background.

Islands off of Santiago Island

A pair of small islands off the coast of Santiago Island in the Galapagos, near Sombrero Chino Island.

Beach on Sombrero Chino Island

Dark lava rocks covered with red sally lightfoot crabs are highlights on this beach on Sombrero Chino Island in the Galapagos.

Small Island off Sombero Chino Island

A small island near Sombrero Chino Island (and neat Santiago Island) in the Galapagos.