Cerro Dragon and El Eden
After a comfortable navigation from Puerto Ayora, we woke up anchored in front of one of the most spectacular places of the archipelago: Cerro Dragon. The first exploration of the day was to experience nature deep inside an incense tree forest, so we boarded the Zodiacs in order to enjoy nature’s magic. On the way there, a humpback whale surprised us as it was traveling with its calf.
After the dry landing, we got our gear ready and started hiking to Cerro Dragon. The first stop of the visit was a brackish water lagoon where we witnessed several lagoon birds feeding on some of the small crustaceans that are responsible for keeping different ecosystems balanced.
Once on the inner trail, a land bird paradise was revealed to our senses: different types of Darwin finches were flying all over the area, and Galápagos mockingbirds were singing for us; it was like a symphony of nature. The main attraction of the adventure was found as we reached the slopes of Cerro Dragon: the Galápagos land iguanas. The magnificence of these reptiles was displayed in a combination of colors that was a magical contrast to our eyes.
After coming back on board the National Geographic Endeavour, it was time to go for the next part of the adventure: deep-water snorkeling. The magic world of reef fishes, sea stars, and anemones was revealed to us as soon as we came into the water. Deep water snorkeling was a blast of colors and marine life.
In the afternoon the adventure got better, and the best way to begin it was to have a Zodiac ride around El Eden Island. Sailing around the cliffs of a big tuff cone was a delightful experience to share. A lot of sea birds that like to perch on bushes were found. Further into the visit, we saw blue-footed boobies on the rocks.
At the end of a fantastic exploration, we enjoyed a charming sunset as we circumnavigated Daphne Island. There was no other way to have such a perfect adventure in the Galápagos Islands paradise.
