Our first morning started a pattern that would be followed for the next 14 days - early breakfast (5:30 am) followed by a short panga ride for a 6:00 am landing.
This morning we were introduced to the volcanic geology of the Galápagos as we clambered ashore onto the vast, desolate lava field of Sullivan Bay on Isla Santiago.
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Lava Field, Sullivan Bay, Isla Santiago, Galápagos
Pentax K-3, Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8 @ 19mm, ISO 1600, f/8 1/320 |
The remnants of various cinder cones lie scattered across the landscape.
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Volcanic landscape, Sullivan Bay, Isla Santiago, Galápagos
Pentax K-3, Sigma 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 18mm, ISO 1600, f/8 1/1250 (stitched panorama) |
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Volcanic landscape, Sullivan Bay, Isla Santiago, Galápagos
Pentax K-3, Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8 @ 16mm, ISO 1600, f/11 1/100 |
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Volcanic landscape, Sullivan Bay, Isla Santiago, Galápagos
Pentax K-3, Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8 @ 34mm, ISO 1600, f/10 1/640 |
The early morning landing allowed us to avoid the overhead sun later in the day (by the time we left the lava field at 9:30 am, it was already scorching hot on the black lava)...
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Walking on the lava field, Sullivan Bay, Isla Santiago, Galápagos
Pentax K-3, Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8 @ 50mm, ISO 1600, f/11 1/200 |
...and provided fantastic lighting for shots of the landscape and lava formations.
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Lava, Sullivan Bay, Isla Santiago, Galápagos
Pentax K-3, Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8 @ 36mm, ISO 1600, f/8 1/320 |
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Lava, Sullivan Bay, Isla Santiago, Galápagos
Pentax K-3, Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8 @ 39mm, ISO 1600, f/8 1/50 |
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Lava, Sullivan Bay, Isla Santiago, Galápagos
Pentax K-3, Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8 @ 43mm, ISO 1600, f/8 1/640 |
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Lava, Sullivan Bay, Isla Santiago, Galápagos
Pentax K-3, Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8 @ 36mm, ISO 1600, f/5.6 1/125 |
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Lava, Sullivan Bay, Isla Santiago, Galápagos
Pentax K-3, Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8 @ 36mm, ISO 1600, f/8 1/125 |
Despite the desolation, life has found a way to get a foothold with two pioneer plants species growing in the lava cracks...
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Lava Cactus, Sullivan Bay, Isla Santiago, Galápagos
Pentax K-3, Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8 @ 16mm, ISO 1600, f/16 1/125 |
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Lava Cactus, Sullivan Bay, Isla Santiago, Galápagos
Pentax K-3, Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8 @ 28mm, ISO 1600, f/16 1/100 |
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Mollugo Carpetweed, Sullivan Bay, Isla Santiago, Galápagos
Pentax K-3, Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8 @ 50mm, ISO 1600, f/4 1/200 |
Lava Lizards seem to eke out a living somehow.
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Galapagos Lava Lizard, Sullivan Bay, Isla Santiago, Galápagos
Pentax K-3, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 1600, f/5 1/1000 |
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Galapagos Lava Lizard, Sullivan Bay, Isla Santiago, Galápagos
Pentax K-3, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 1600, f/5 1/1000 |
and we found one bird species -
Galápagos Dove - which turned out to be almost ubiquitous as we saw them in most environments and islands that we visited.
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Gálapagos Dove, Sullivan Bay, Isla Santiago, Gálapagos
Pentax K-3, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 800, f/4 1/1600 |
The other wildlife experience of the morning was provided by this Galápagos Sea Lion that decided the pangas tied up to the stern of the boat were suitable for basking.
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Gálapagos Sea Lion, Sullivan Bay, Isla Santiago, Galápagos
Pentax K-3, Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8 @ 34mm, ISO 1600, f/10 1/640 |
Next...Isla Bartholomé
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