It was the first day of our expedition, and no better way to start it than by visiting South Plaza Island. Here, yellow land iguanas have established themselves and feed mainly on prickly pear cacti, as food is scarce. This endemic reptile can live 60-70 years, and it’s an incredible example of adaption to the aridness of the Galapagos. Swallow-tailed gulls and sea lions were also plentiful in number.
Later in the afternoon, we repositioned National Geographic Islander II to a new location, Santa Fe Island. This island is the home of another endemic iguana, known for inhabiting only this tiny, little island in the Galapagos. Its pale color is perfect for camouflaging from the apex predator in the Galapagos, the Galapagos hawk. We also had fun watching Santa Fe’s large colony of sea lions accompanied by the last hour of sunlight on the Equator.
