Plaza Sur and Santa Fe, 5/2/2024, National Geographic Islander II
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander II
Galápagos
With an early morning hike at Plaza Sur, our day started. We kayaked amongst the volcanos. In the afternoon, we enjoyed an amazing snorkel, a tender ride, and a hike with blue-footed boobies and iguanas on Santa Fe Island. It was a lovely day.
Bernardo, known by his friends and family as Bernie, was born In the Andean city of Quito, located in the highlands of Ecuador. His grandfather, however, moved to the Galapagos Islands in the mid-70s, and worked as one of the first Naturalist Guides,...
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The hot season begs for an early morning start, in order to avoid the crushing heat of midday at the Equator. The first activity on today’s agenda was kayaking around North Plaza Island, followed by breakfast. Afterward we enjoyed a land walk at South Plaza Island where sea lions, yellow land iguanas, prickly pears, red sesuvium bushes, and swallow-tailed gulls combine to perfection. After departure and while motoring to our next destination, National Geographic Islander II was surrounded by hundreds of bottlenose and common dolphins. Upon arrival in Santa Fe, we went for a walk among friendly sea lions, pale land iguanas, and giant prickly pears. The rocky trail could not distract us from the beauty of the place. The day finished with a BBQ dinner on board. Photographers : Fernando Ortiz and Roberta Schiess
Today we woke up inside of the majestic caldera of Genovesa Volcano, which happens to be in the northern hemisphere of the archipelago. We started the day with a visit to Darwin Bay which was full of red-footed boobies, the largest population in the world at approximately 200,000. The morning ended with a phenomenal snorkeling excursion. After lunch, we went for a kayaking outing along one of the cliffs of the island where we saw many seabirds nesting and resting on the rocks all along the coast. Later, we visited Prince Phillip’s Steps where we walked through the incense trees and yellow cordia forest that led us to a lava field full of wildlife. We finished the activities of the day with a sunset wine tasting event. It was a beautiful day in Galapagos, a fantastic journey in Ecuador!
Santa Cruz Island is located in the central part of the archipelago, and it is one of the most visited islands for its natural beauty and because it is the best island to observe and learn about the iconic Galapagos giant tortoises. Here, we get to experience the tortoises in their natural environment and at the Galapagos Giant Tortoise Breeding Center. It was a full day filled with joy and learning experiences.
