Today we explored the northern side of Santa Cruz Island. Yesterday we spent a wonderful day on the most inhabited island of the Galapagos. Today we found ourselves on the northwestern side of Santa Cruz, an uninhabited area.
Dragon Hill gets its name from the presence of “Galapagos dragons,” the marine iguanas and the land iguanas. We observed marine iguanas by the disembarkation area and all along the shoreline. After diving into the ocean to look for food, these dark-colored iguanas rested on the white sand beach to obtain energy from the sun.
Once inland, the visitors’ site offered many surprises. The first surprise was found in the brackish pond behind the coastal zone. Our guests were delighted to spot several Galapagos flamingos as they ate. Our explorers also roamed around a nesting site in search of Galapagos land iguanas. We are currently in the rainy season, so these reptiles are actively establishing territories and digging burrows for eggs.
In the afternoon, we motored towards Borrero Bay. This is a spectacular place thanks to the mangrove forests. Mangroves provide great ecological services. They offer protection for many oceanic creatures like sharks, turtles, and fish, and they add oxygen to the water. Many guests had the opportunity to practice aquatic activities like paddleboarding and kayaking. Other guests preferred coastal exploration. They boarded pangas and photographed the wildlife and scenery.
To end a magnificent day on Santa Cruz Island, we circumnavigated Daphne Major, an iconic islet dedicated to scientific research. Today was full of adventure.
