Cerro Dragon and El Eden Island
The Galápagos Islands are a sanctuary of wildlife, and today we enjoyed more of these wonders as we visited the northern side of Santa Cruz Island. Cerro Dragon was the best place to begin our exploration, and after a comfortable dry landing we were ready to find the dragons of the Galápagos: land iguanas. From the very beginning nature showed us its marvels, as Sally Lightfoot crabs were found all over the rocks. Once we reached the sandy area, ghost crabs decorated the beautiful white sand beach, making the perfect contrast for a colorful view.
Further into the trail, a brackish water lagoon was the perfect bird paradise, as black-neck stilts and white-cheeked pintail ducks were feeding on crustaceans. As soon as we came into the incense tree forest, we were surrounded by a magic combination of Galápagos cotton flowers and painted locust that started jumping as we passed. Once in the heart of Cerro Dragon, it was time to look for the main attraction of the morning: Galápagos land iguanas. The first individual was found inside the vegetation looking for a place to take shelter. As soon as we gave the iguana some space, it came to us and moved around before disappearing inside the vegetation.
Once at the summit of Cerro Dragon, an awe-inspiring image of the islands was displayed, which we enjoyed for a few minutes before coming back on board the National Geographic Endeavour. The next adventure of the day was going to be one of the most spectacular: deep-water snorkeling. The magnificence of the Galápagos marine reserve was revealed as we came into the water. A fantastic symphony of colors was found all over the rocks, and enormous amounts of fish were surrounding us all the time. The big surprise of the morning was reserved for the very last moment of snorkeling: a big manta ray swam under us while we enjoyed the company of playful Galápagos sea lions.
In the afternoon the exploration continued to El Eden Island, where we had a comfortable Zodiac ride along the coastline. When we reached the mangrove area, a spectacular variety of animals was found as we got closer to the trees. Baby black-tipped reef sharks, spotted eagle rays, and striated herons were part of the display. At the end of this fantastic journey, we appreciated a wonderful sunset as we circumnavigated Daphne Major for an amazing bird spectacle.
We had a fantastic day in the Galápagos, and it is going to be part of our memories for a lifetime.
