Today we awoke anchored on the eastern side of Santa Cruz Island, right near two uplifted islands shaped like parentheses known as the Plazas. On South Plazas, we lucked upon a healthy population of land iguanas in their natural habitat. We also had a great panoramic view from the 30-meter cliff of the island, an ideal vantage for observing marine birds in flight. In the afternoon, we navigated for about an hour to Santa Fé Island (named after a city in Spain). Here we had our first snorkeling and kayaking activities. We enjoyed the diversity of marine life, especially the groups of sea turtles at their cleaning stations. To finish a great day, we took a short walk at sunset surrounded by giant prickly pear cacti.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 15 Jun 2023
South Plazas and Santa Fé, 6/15/2023, National Geographic Islander II
- Aboard the National Geographic Islander II
- Galápagos
Felipe Wittmer, Naturalist
Felipe’s connection with the Galapagos Archipelago dates back to his great grandparents, who came to the islands in the 1930s. The Wittmer family moved to the island of Floreana and were one of the first families to settle in the Galapagos. Felipe’s ...
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Floreana Island
This is an incredible island with its natural history and a deeply seated human history. Floreana was the choice for many visitors due to its fresh water source and giant tortoises that were used as a food source from the 18th century on. We visited Cormorant Point early in the morning and witnessed Galapagos sea lions playing on the beach and American flamingos in a brackish pond actively feeding. These are two beaches with a drastic contrast of volcanic sand with olivine crystals and an organic white coralline beach. Blue-footed boobies were feeding along the coast and tending to their active nests. Mid-morning allows a snorkel along a satellite island, Champion Islet. Young Galapagos sea lions play with all, and as we finish our dip, a humpback whale with her young calve passes close to our Zodiacs with a breach that leaves us in awe. The afternoon brings us to Post Office Bay and the oldest postal system in the Americas as we all sort through the mail and leave correspondences to be delivered through this honor system. Kayakers explored the coast as the sun peaked through this season’s low-lying clouds.
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Española Island
We had an amazing first full day of exploration on the islands. During the morning, we explored the fantastic underwater world of the Galapagos, and it was amazing. We spent the afternoon on the lookout for the stunning waved albatross. We observed so much unique wildlife as we hiked this impressive island. Today was just the start of our extraordinary adventure in the Galapagos Islands!