South Plaza and Santa Fe Islands, 7/11/2024, National Geographic Islander II
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander II
Galápagos
Today, we visited two small and fascinating islands: South Plaza Island, located near the northern part of Santa Cruz and Santa Fe Island to the east. These islands are inhabited by two different species of iguanas, the Galapagos land iguana and the Santa Fe land iguana. Additionally, each island grows a different species of prickly pear cacti, characterized by features specific to their individual habitats.
Aside from this, we observed several sea birds and a few colonies of the iconic Galapagos sea lion.
Javier grew up on Santa Cruz island where his grandparents first arrived in the 1940´s. Veritable pioneers, his grandparents settled in the highlands where they found a place to raise their children.
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This morning, we set foot on South Plaza Islet, a tiny but full of life satellite rock located on the east side of Santa Cruz Island. This place has a large population of yellow land iguanas, a large colony of sea lions, and many other species to observe such as lava lizards, Swallow-tailed gulls, mockingbirds, and a variety of finches. As we walked through the cliffs, we could observe a few red-billed tropic birds and frigatebirds flying. The afternoon offered the first snorkeling of the expedition in the crystal-clear waters of Santa Fe Island. Snorkeling with sea lions can be one of the best experiences our guests can experience in the Galapagos, and today was spectacular. Sea lions were very playful and colorful fish were abundant. Later in the afternoon, we landed at one of the beaches in the bay to go looking for a different species of iguana, the pale land iguana. It was such a treat to find not one or two, but four of them together in the same place. Definitely a great afternoon as well!
Today we visited one of the most amazing places in the Galapagos, Genovesa Island. Invasive species have not arrived here. We like to call this place Bird Paradise. There are birds everywhere: nesting on trees, mangroves, and rocks. The birds interact with each other near human visitors, letting us observe the experience as we enjoyed this unique place. We explored the island by hiking, kayaking, and snorkeling. The unique experiences on this island are sure to remain with us for a long time. We observed animals up close, giving us opportunities to capture amazing photos while learning about the animals’ behavior, anatomy, and history.
Today we anchored at Chinese Hat, an islet off the coast of Santiago Island. This recently formed monogenic cone has a paradisaic view full of colors, including blue, black, and red. We started our morning with water activities and had a great time exploring the coastline by kayaking, Zodiac tours, and swimming. Later in the day, we continued to the eastern side of Santiago to Sullivan Bay. This popular visitor’s site offers amazing views. The lava field allows guests to experience what feels like a glimpse into outer space. The red colors of the basalt made us feel like the first humans stepping onto Mars.