Santa Cruz & Sombrero Chino
Today we woke at Cerro Dragon with a beautiful sunrise and turquoise clear water. We had a nice breakfast and then we headed towards Cerro Dragon, in search of land iguanas. We found a couple of them beneath the giant prickly pear cactus. Since we were on the leeward side of the island, guests were able to see the different dry deciduous type of vegetation in contrast with the green and lush landscape we experienced yesterday on the windward side. The Palo Santo forest is also dominant here and this offers a good habitat for such species as finches, mocking birds, Galápagos flycatchers, etc.
After we finished our visit, we came on board, put on our wet suits and went snorkeling at Guy Fawkes. Here we had such a marvelous time playing with the always inquisitive sea lions. We saw sea stars such as the chocolate chip sea star, Panamic cushion star, lots of anemones, yellow tail surgeon fish, king angel fish, black coral and white tip reef sharks.
Once we were back on board, we had a nice shower, went out on the sky deck and had the chance to sun bathe and drink cocktails before lunch. After a short siesta, Naturalist Ernesto Vaca gave a very interesting lecture about Charles Darwin.
In the afternoon, some guests went snorkeling and others went to the beach. The water was so clear and we saw plenty of fish, white tip reef sharks, penguins, and marine iguanas feeding under water. At the same time we had the chance to take a look at Sombrero Chino, with its Mars-like volcano, lava and candelabra cactus. People had the chance to go kayaking; we also had the chance to do a zodiac ride along the coast of James and Sombrero Chino.
Early this evening we gathered for our daily cocktail hour and Expedition Leader Paula Tagle briefed us on the activities for the following day. This was followed by a tasty barbeque out on the sky deck, and of course the sky tonight was spectacular, filled with stars and planets. What an awesome day!
