Bartolome is famous for Pinnacle Rock, a
towering spearheaded obelisk that rises from
the ocean's edge and is the best known
landmark in the Galapagos. Galapagos penguins—the
only species of penguin found north of the
equator—walk precariously along narrow
volcanic ledges at its base. Sea lions snooze
on rocky platforms, ready to slide into the
water to play with passing snorkelers. Just
below the surface, shoals of tropical fish
dodge in and out of the rocks past urchins,
sea stars and anemones. A perfectly crescent,
pink-and-white sandy beach lies just to the
east of the pinnacle. Sea turtles use the
beach as a nesting site and can sometimes
be found wading in the shallow water near
the shore, or resting in the sand to recover
from the arduous task of digging nests, laying
eggs and covering them over.
Penguins dot the nearby rocks less than a
kilometer along the eastern shore. Here the
submerged walls of a tiny volcanic crater
give the impression of a fountain pool. The dry landing (no wet
feet) is the entrance to a 600-meter (2000
foot) pathway complete with stairs and boardwalks
leading to Bartolome's summit. The route
is not difficult and presents a museum of
vulcanology; a site left untouched after
its last eruption, where cones stand in various
stages of erosion and lava tubes form bobsled-like
runs from the summit. At the top you are
rewarded with spectacular views of Santiago
Island and James Bay to the west, and far
below, Pinnacle Rock.