Early in the morning, National Geographic Islander anchored near the coast of North Seymour Island, where a dry landing waited for us. Even though the trail was rocky, it was wonderful to observe the palo santo forest that covers this small uplifted island. Nothing compares to the diverse wildlife found here. Galapagos sea lions slept on the white sand beach, and we realized that frigatebirds were everywhere. Males of both species, great frigatebirds and magnificent frigatebirds, displayed their beautiful red pouches. They are always trying to attract the attention of the females. Blue-footed boobies, also nesting on the ground, danced around while land iguanas basked on the rocks, enjoying the warm temperature.
In the afternoon, the red sand beach of Rabida was the perfect site to practice snorkeling. We looked for different species of fish. The highlight is always the company of Galapagos sea lions. These animals love to play with the guests. After a refreshing snorkeling, we walked along the red sand beach. The red sand is due to a high concentration of iron. Our walk led us to a brackish water lagoon with close to ten Galapagos flamingos. It was the perfect way to end a great day.
