South Plaza and Santa Fe Islands, 12/29/2022, National Geographic Islander II
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander II
Galápagos
Today was our first full day in the Galapagos Islands, and our expectations were high. As soon as we set foot on South Plaza Island, we realized why these islands are special to scientists and visitors alike. South Plaza is covered with wildlife. On the shore, we observed colonies of sea lions. A few feet away, we spotted land iguanas, gulls, and Darwin’s finches. There is so much to see on this little island!
We woke up anchored off South Plaza, a small piece of heaven near Santa Cruz. Our first sighting was a group of young sea lions at play by the landing jetty. A large, dominant male guarded them. A few minutes after we landed, we spotted a small flock of swallow-tailed gulls and some land iguanas sheltering beneath a cactus tree. Colorful patches of carpetweed cover the island, and we observed the cactus forest and land iguanas everywhere.
Midmorning, we spent a couple hours navigating to our next destination, the charming Santa Fe Island. Here we explored the bay in various ways. Some of us took a Zodiac tour to look for wildlife and observe scenic views of the cliffs. Others went snorkeling. In the last hours of daylight, we offered a hike in the dry forest to look for Santa Fe land iguanas.
Juan Carlos was born in Quito, Ecuador. He spent part of his elementary schooling in the province of Cotopaxi, a beautiful area in the Ecuadorian Andes ringed by volcanoes. In 1989 his family moved to the Galápagos and settled in the highlands of San...
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Genovesa is one of the most beautiful islands in the Galapagos. It is home to over a million birds. The island is the remains of an old shield volcano. Successive lava flows slowly built up a long, flat crater until one side of the caldera collapsed. This let in seawater, forming a protected bay surrounded by the crater walls of the submerged volcano. The calm waters inside the caldera are excellent for snorkeling or kayaking. The cliff walls provide nesting sites for seabirds, and two trails invite guests to walk through huge colonies of red-footed boobies and frigates. After a long navigation from the central part of the archipelago, we arrived at Genovesa. With the first beams of sunlight, we gathered on the outer decks to observe hundreds of seabirds flying above us. We identified red-footed boobies, frigatebirds, seagulls, red-billed tropicbirds, and Nazca boobies. After breakfast, we disembarked at Darwin Bay. A beautiful white sand beach was covered with red mangroves. The trees were occupied by red-footed boobies and frigatebirds, while swallow-tailed gulls and Nazca boobies covered the beach, all in different stages of their nesting cycle. We had seen frigatebirds in flight, but today we were able to see them closer. Walking along the beach, we had the opportunity to see a new variety of prickly-pear cactus. Featuring spines as soft as hair, this cactus evolved without predators such as land reptiles. We returned to National Geographic Islander II to prepare for the next outing. Some of our guests enjoyed the rest of the morning on the beach, while snorkelers left Darwin Bay to go swimming along the caldera. They observed so much marine life, including trumpetfish, Moorish idols, playful sea lions, pompanos, and whitetip reef sharks. After lunch, we took a hike in the magical world hidden by Prince Philip’s Steps. Since the beginning of our visit, seabirds have delighted us and kept us on the lookout. Nazca boobies and their chicks were just another marvel that Mother Nature showed us today. When we reached the other side of the cliff, over the open lava flow, we started to look for the mainland predator of this island, the short-eared owl. We found evidence of its presence in the area: prey carcasses and regurgitated pellets made up of the feathers and bones of storm petrels. We went straight to a cliff where hundreds of those petrels nest. What better place to start our search? We met with success. We spotted three owls from a distance. Just before sunset, we went back on board to behold the sunset coloring the walls of the caldera. We remembered the incredible creatures we saw. They will be part of our memories forever.
These two islands are located in the middle of the archipelago, and we enjoyed kayaking and tours in Zodiacs and the glass-bottom boat. We spent time kayaking along the shores of both islands. Both islands are volcanic and rich in wildlife. Three giant mantas were feeding in the area, and they stayed with us while we kayaked and snorkeled. Sullivan Bay just formed in 1897. Vast oceans of fresh lava showed us the genesis of life on the Galapagos Islands. When the islands first formed, plants and animals struggled to survive with limited resources. Today was a great day to learn from nature.
