We are following Darwin’s footsteps during our voyage. It is fascinating to realize that we are seeing the same species of animals, plants and landscapes that he saw during his exploration in 1835. Today we are exploring aboard the National Geographic Islander, a much more modern ship than the Beagle, but the feeling of discovering new things and having new experiences is exactly the same!
This morning we are anchored close to South Plaza Island, near Santa Cruz. This small island is teeming with life of all kinds. Our first wildlife encounter was with a group of young sea lions playing on the shore. As we hiked around the island, we found a colony of swallow-tailed gulls and some tropicbirds trying to find a nesting site on the rocky cliffs, as well as the highlight of the area, the colony of land iguanas. They are everywhere!
In the afternoon we anchored on the north side of Santa Fe Island. Some guests explored this place from kayaks and others with snorkeling gear. We had a lot of fun at the snorkeling site, swimming with many schools of fish as well as sea lions and sea turtles! We also saw a school of yellow-tailed surgeonfish, parrotfish, many sting rays and black striped salemas.
There is always something new to discover in this magical place!
