Today our Galapagos expedition brought us to one of the most beautiful places in the Archipelago, and the best way to begin exploring was by visiting south Plaza Island. After a comfortable dry landing we found ourselves totally surrounded by wildlife. Farther along the trail the magnificence of this place was displayed by the presence of one of the most iconic reptiles of the Galapagos, the land iguana. A symphony of colors was seen in the island’s landscape-a beautiful combination of lava rocks, red sesuvium, prickly pear cacti, and the blue sky as the background.
As we reached the farthest point on the trail we enjoyed a magnificent view of the cliff area. A blend of different wildlife that was found in the area made and many different kinds of seabirds: brown pelicans flying, red billed tropic birds singing, Galapagos shearwaters soaring, and frigate birds gliding above us. Once we arrived back onboard the National Geographic Islander we got everything ready to begin navigation to our next destination, Santa Fe Island.
In the afternoon exploration got even better and a set variety of activities was waiting for us. The first activity was the exploration of the underwater world and deep water snorkeling was the best way to begin the afternoon activities. Once in the water, the marvels of the Galapagos Marine Reserve were displayed in several different manners- colorful reef fish were found all over the rocky area, diamond sting rays were resting on the sandy bottom and playful Galapagos sea lions were our companions.
After snorkeling was over, there was no time to waste, so we got geared up for a splendid hike in order to explore inner Santa Fe Island. The wonders of Santa Fe were witnessed from the very start, as we had a wet landing on a place crowded by Galapagos sea lions. Farther along the trail we experienced several Galapagos species that live on the island including the most symbolic of all, the Santa Fe land iguana. At the end of the hike we enjoyed a marvelous view with a magnificent sunset to accompany our fantastic journey. This was like no other day in this living paradise, the Galapagos Islands.
