Today we visited the National Park side of Santa Cruz Island, one of the only islands in the archipelago that is inhabited. Out of the total Galapagos landmass, three percent of the land has been assigned to humans, while the other 97% is all National Park. This morning we landed on Dragon Hill, where we looked for yellow land iguanas, the stars of the show today. We went on a wonderful hike where we experienced close encounters with land iguanas, and lots of action due to territorialism. As we walked along this untouched trail, it was amazing to think that we were walking on an island that is inhabited by humans, yet so well-protected. After the wonderful walk on Dragon Hill, we headed to the ocean for some snorkeling, where we spotted sea lions, sea turtles, and many different species of fish. The rest of the day was spent navigating around Daphne Major and Minor islands, ending with a beautiful sunset and some wine tasting. Another magical day in the Enchanted Islands!
10/4/2024
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Genovesa Island
With coffee in hand, I stepped out onto the front balcony of the lounge to see what was going on. We had just entered Darwin’s Bay, dropped anchor, and the juvenile red-footed boobies had found the ship and were flying around us on an inspection tour. The rest of the day continued with discoveries of all kinds. An early morning inversion layer (locally known as “garúa”) had fallen and dampened the environment with much desired drops of fresh water, although the chicks of various species didn’t appear terribly pleased in having wet feathers. On our return, the same bedraggled individuals looked smooth, sleek and dry once the sun had come out. The Galapagos National Park has only two sites for visitors, both spectacular, both well worth a slow walk among the palo santo trees to see the great frigatebirds, red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, Galapagos doves, Darwin’s finches, short-eared owls, and storm petrels. Snorkeling, kayaking, and paddleboarding along the base of the cliffs of Darwin’s Bay followed. There’s nothing quite like this island anywhere in the world.