Plazas Sur (South Plazas) Island was originally under water, but today belongs to a group of islands that rose above sea level due to tectonic plate movements and volcanic eruptions. Therefore, from time to time, pieces of white coral can be observed along the trail on this island.
As soon as we arrived on the island, we saw an attractive combination of contrasting colours: greens and reds from the sesuvium “carpet weed” and bright green “dwarf” opuntia cacti against black and white lava. It was a visual delight; a pleasing landscape worth photographing.
Land iguanas, lava lizards, and sea lions were the main protagonists of today´s morning. We were able to view their habitat, food, and special way of behaving. Amazing marine birds such as blue-footed boobies, swallow tailed gulls, and red-billed tropicbirds on cliffs entertained us with their fine and elegant flying.
Jumping and swimming off the ship was an extremely fun activity that our guests could enjoy after we finished our hike. The sun came out exactly at the right moment, making this activity even more enjoyable for kids and adults. Everyone did the most interesting and dynamic jumps ever! Furthermore, our naturalist guides complemented the morning with educational talks about Galápagos’ wildlife and video editing.
After a delicious lunch, we were ready for more adventure. We had a dynamic afternoon kayaking along the beaches of Santa Fe Island. We were able to appreciate Galápagos’ impressive geological formations and unique marine animals. Hiking in Santa Fe was also spectacular, since we found the unique Santa Fe´s land iguana, conolophus pallidus, as well as the tallest opuntia cacti in the whole archipelago. We even saw an endemic species of rat!
What makes these islands so special? Apart from their beauty, every island is different. Although they are not far from each other, we were amazed at how varied and different environments and animals can be on each island.
The day ended with delicious food, nice chatting, and good company: relatives, friends, and the warm staff on board National Geographic Islander.
