It was a fun morning as we crossed the equator onboard National Geographic Islander. As soon as we arrived to Punta Vicente Roca, we lowered our Zodiacs and the adventure started. We found a large number of blue-footed boobies resting on small ledges of tuff cone. We spotted several young hammerhead sharks in the water; they even swam close to our Zodiacs! We returned to the ship to get ready for snorkeling. Pacific green sea turtles and Galapagos penguins surrounded us, and it was amazing! We spent the afternoon at Fernandina Island, where we saw hundreds of Galapagos marine iguanas, Galapagos sea lions, colorful Sally Lightfoot crabs and the predator of the archipelago, the Galapagos hawk. It was a fantastic day in paradise!
4/17/2025
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National Geographic Islander II
Plaza and Santa Fe Islands
The sunrise was spectacular today! It was a pleasant morning to explore the magical wildlife present on South Plaza Island, an uplifted area full of endemic species. As soon as we disembarked on a little pier, dozens of sea lions came to say welcome. Just a few yards inland, many land and marine iguanas shared the same ecosystem with seabirds, such as swallow-tailed gulls and pelicans. Along the cliff we saw frigates, boobies, shearwaters, tropic birds, and petrels gliding along. After breakfast, our guests enjoyed kayaking and swimming from National Geographic Islander II , while others took part in a stretching session with our wellness specialist on board. In the afternoon, we motored to Santa Fe Island to snorkel with sea lions. Our guests were astonished to encounter these creatures and so many multicolor fish so close that we felt part of their aquatic world. Later, we disembarked on a very small beach which is home to a colony of sea lions. Further inland we spotted some Santa Fe land iguanas resting at the foot of giant prickly pear cacti. It was an amazing day! Galapagos is a breathtaking place.
