We started our shore excursion 15 minutes after sunrise to be back on board before the day becomes hot. The landing spot at South Plaza Island was beautiful. On the left-hand side, a perfect little pool for young Galapagos sea lions and on the right side, an enormous beach master told us to stay away from his territory. Just a few yards inland, the yellow land iguanas were getting active after their night slumber. The island looked emerald green after 4 years of relentless drought. The swallow-tailed gulls screeched with fear when a magnificent frigate bird attacked one of them, trying to make it spit out its last meal. A quick visit to the bachelor´s colony of male sea lions and we marched back to the boat. We were ready for a delicious breakfast. Right after the meal, it was time to go for a quick dip from the back of the boat.
After motoring for a couple of hours, it was snorkeling time at Santa Fe Bay. The tropical fish were abundant. Zebra moray eels, cornet fish, yellow-tailed razor fish, stingrays, spotted eagle rays, and a long etcetera were there to our delight. The main attractions were the ever-friendly sea lions and a small group of green sea turtles at the end of the swim. Finally, we had the opportunity to go for a walk on Santa Fe Island where we found the elusive endemic land iguana and, because we can never get enough, more sea lions.
