Today we spent the day exploring Santa Cruz Island. We started our morning by learning more about how the first settlers lived before electricity was available on the islands, and we learned more about the coffee and sugarcane processes. This large island provides many different ecosystems, and the humid Scalesia forest is one of them. Walking around the pit craters in this endangered forest was such a unique experience, and we learned more about the endemic plants of the area. We also observed several different finch species, like the warbler finch. Afterwards, our exploration took us to Manzanillo Ranch, where we walked among giants! Giant tortoises are an iconic species in this archipelago, and we didn’t have to walk far to find them. They were everywhere! We finished our day by visiting the National Park’s giant tortoise breeding center. Afterwards, we were happy to return to our floating home and enjoy a delicious dinner in the company of our new friends.
5/6/2025
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National Geographic Islander II
North Seymour and Rabida Islands
At 6:30 in the morning, some guests joined us for an expedition on North Seymour Island, which is slowly losing its green color due to the beginning of the dry season. It is a perfect time of year to see blue-footed booby couples starting to reproduce with the typical courtship displays and a good number of male frigatebirds with their red gular sack inflated. We encountered a good number of healthy land iguanas since they still have a lot of food, thanks to the previous wet season. While navigating to Rabida Island, bottlenose dolphins escorted National Geographic Islander II for at least 45 minutes, and guests had an excellent time watching them. In the afternoon, we snorkeled from the beach with colorful fish and young, playful sea lions who put on a great show. At the end of the day some guests took a walk on the red colored sand and watched American flamingos behind the dune at a saltwater lagoon. Others went kayaking along the coast full of land and sea birds.
