Charles Darwin visited Santiago Island, the second Island he visited. It was named after King James II of England. It was home to a lot of water and salt and provided food for passing whalers and buccaneers. A salt mine was located inland, which was used to salt fish or tortoise meat. The island was once home to land iguanas, but they are now extinct. Darwin himself noted that the land iguanas thrived because there was nowhere to pitch a tent. Today, Santiago Island is one of the most popular islands.
Santiago Island: Sullivan Bay
Sullivan Bay is a satellite Island of Santiago. It is the ideal spot to view the Galapagos fur-seal. Although there isn't much wildlife here, the old lava formations with tuff cones and pyroclastic coni are worth a visit.
Bartolome Island
Bartolome Island, another satellite island, is also a result of Santiago Island. It is the home to the Pinnacle Rock. The island is named after James Sullivan who was a friend and colleague of Charles Darwin. This island is the most photographed of all and was featured in the 2003 film "Master and Commander".
Pinnacle rock is an expelled magma from an underwater volcano. The hot lava was cooled by the sea and the pieces exploded as they came into contact. This created this massive rock with many layers of basalt. A small number of green sea turtles nest on the beach that forms this huge rock. Here, Galapagos penguins congregate and you can swim to see colorful schools of fish as well as curious sea lions.