South Plaza Islet and Sant Fe Island, 10/31/2024, National Geographic Islander II
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander II
Galápagos
Today we took advantage of the first light of day to go for a natural history walk on this small but abundant in wildlife island. As we walked along the trail, we saw countless swallow-tailed gulls, yellow land iguanas, and Galapagos sea lions. The red Galapagos carpet weed gave the island a very exotic look and enhanced our photographs.
During the afternoon, we enjoyed the crystal-clear waters of Santa Fe Island by taking part in different activities, such as a glass bottom Zodiac tour and snorkeling. The highlight of the late afternoon was a hike along the forest. Here we found a unique species of land iguana, the pale iguana. Hawks were also observed until sea lions stole our guests’ attention.
Adriana was born in Guayaquil , the largest city in Ecuador, on the Pacific coast . When she was only a year old, her parents moved to Galapagos where her father captain ed a small bay - tour boat. She returned to the mainland to finish school, but t...
Our expedition on board National Geographic Islander II took us to the captivating South Plaza and Santa Fe Islands. We were treated to an extraordinary day of wildlife encounters and breathtaking landscapes, leaving us with a deeper understanding of the island’s unique ecosystems.
Today we had an extraordinary opportunity to visit one of the most breathtaking islands in the Galápagos. Genovesa Island is a true sanctuary with more than 1.5 million seabirds. It is home to some of the world’s largest colonies of red-footed boobies and great frigatebirds. We began our morning by kayaking around this spectacular volcanic caldera. We were surrounded by flocks of seabirds flying above us in every direction. The geology, the towering cliffs, and the wild calls of the birds created an unforgettable atmosphere. Later, we disembarked at Darwin Bay, where we observed male frigatebirds in full courtship display. They inflated their bright red gular pouches and beat their wings dramatically to attract females during this peak breeding season. We encountered Nazca boobies, the largest of the booby species found in the Galápagos, as well as striking swallow-tailed gulls, considered the only nocturnal gull in the world. Galápagos sea lions rested on the beach, and we enjoyed a peaceful walk along the shore, taking countless photos and engaging in enriching conversations about the uniqueness of this ecosystem. Our morning concluded with an exciting snorkeling session, where we swam alongside colorful reef fish, rays, and even some reef sharks. In the afternoon, we landed at the iconic Prince Philip’s Steps, where we hiked just over a mile along the cliffside trail. The path led us through large seabird colonies, including red-billed tropicbirds and clouds of storm petrels fluttering around the rocky ledges. One of the highlights was spotting the elusive short-eared owl, the only owl species in the Galápagos. Unlike most owls, it is diurnal, meaning it hunts during the day. We ended the day by enjoying the breathtaking landscape and a stunning sunset from the cliffs.
South Plazas is a small island of the Galapagos archipelago, with vibrant vegetation, a big colony of Galapagos land iguanas, swallow-tailed gulls, and Galapagos sea lions along the coast. It’s awesome to walk through this rocky terrain on this sunny morning, while at the same time being surrounded by this spectacular wildlife. Afterward we returned to National Geographic Islander II , enjoyed a delicious breakfast, and then set out for kayaking with sea lions playing beside us. In the afternoon we reached our second destination of the day, Santa Fe Island, which is another stunning site with unique wildlife. Our first activity was snorkeling, where we were surrounded by different kinds of fish and some young, playful Galapagos sea lions. Later we went for a hike and looked for the Santa Fe land iguana, a species exclusive to this site. We found a few of them getting ready for the night, walking to their burrows where they sleep. We were mesmerized by the size and the yellow coloration of this precious reptile.
