We navigated towards a satellite island located off the coast of Santa Cruz Island. Today we are on South Plaza Island which is a bit barren, but is covered with red succulents and cacti. Reptiles love this location and have settled in and call it their home.
After a dry landing we encountered a large variety of wildlife. We saw sea lions, swallow tailed gulls, and land iguanas. These endemic reptiles have created a large population, more than a thousand! Iguanas and cactuses have a tight relationship because cactuses provide food and iguanas distribute cactus seeds.
After lunch, we navigated to Santa Fe Island. While some of us went on a kayaking outing, others went snorkeling with sea lions and sea turtles. These marine mammals form colonies on the beaches and they are playful and charming. Along the hike we spotted a large variety of Darwin finches and a few Galapagos mocking birds. In the late afternoon we had some time to explore the dry forest in search of the endemic Santa Fe land iguana and several were spotted. It was a successful day in the Galapagos.
