The Galapagos Islands are a sanctuary of wild life, and today we enjoyed more of the wonders of this paradise as we visited the northern side of Santa Cruz Island. Cerro Dragon was the best way to begin our exploration, and after a comfortable dry landing we were ready to get into nature in order to find the dragons of the Galapagos: land iguanas. Since the very beginning nature showed us it’s marvels as Sally lightfoot crabs were found all over the rocks. Once we reached the sandy area ghost crabs decorated the beautiful white sand beach, making a perfect contrast for a colorful view.
Farther into the trail, a brackish water lagoon was the perfect bird paradise as black neck stilts and a greater flamingo were feeding on crustaceans. As soon as we came into the incense tree forest, we were surrounded by a magic combination of bird callings. Once in the heart of Cerro Dragon, it was time to look for the main attraction of the morning: Galapagos land iguanas. The first individual was found inside the vegetation looking for a place to take shelter. As soon as we gave some space to the iguana, it came to us and moved around as it disappeared inside the vegetation.
Once at the summit of Cerro Dragon, an awe-inspiring image of the islands was displayed on a marvelous landscape that we enjoyed for a few minutes before coming back on board the National Geographic Endeavour. The next adventure was going to be one of the most spectacular activities of the day: deep-water snorkeling. The magnificence of the Galapagos marine reserve was displayed as we went into the water. A fantastic symphony of colors was found all over the rocks, and enormous amounts of fish were surrounding us all the time. The big surprise of the morning was reserved for the very last moment of snorkeling once we reached the other side of the islet: a juvenile Galapagos penguin swimming past us very fast.
In the afternoon the exploration continued to El Eden Island. In order to enjoy all the wonders of nature, we had a comfortable Zodiac ride along the coast line. When we reached the mangrove area, a spectacular variety of animals were found as we got closer to the trees. Baby black-tipped reef sharks, spotted eagle rays, and striated herons were part of the display that nature gave us at that moment. At the end of this fantastic journey, we appreciated a wonderful sunset as we circumnavigated to Daphne Mayor for an amazing bird spectacle. Today we had just a fantastic trip at the Galapagos, and it is going to be part of our memories for a lifetime.
