After an early morning weather update, and soon after breakfast, our explorers were at the disembarkation gate for today’s dry landing. Cerro Dragon, at the northwestern coast of Santa Cruz Island, was our destination this morning. All of our adventurers prepared for this expedition and were rewarded, for soon after we landed at a brackish water lagoon we viewed some flamingos feeding along the coast of a nearby pond. We were hoping to see a large number of birds, including sandpipers, whimbrels, and white-cheeked pintail ducks. We walked along the path, stopping to photograph birds along the way and to learn about the vegetation around us.
The area was dry and warm, and in time we found iguanas hiding in the vegetation. The trail then took us to a nice viewpoint where we enjoyed a discussion about the landscape before heading back to the landing site. The Zodiacs then took us back on board in time to change into snorkeling gear. For the second part of our morning we stopped at Guy Fawkes Rock for some deep water snorkeling among the tropical and colorful fish, sharks, sea lions, and even a Galapagos penguin. What a way to end the morning!
For the afternoon’s adventures we went to Eden and took Zodiac rides along the coast and mangrove estuaries. This area by the mangrove trees is fascinating, filled with all types of fish, sharks, and turtles. It’s close to a tidal area where there are many shorebirds as well. By the end of our Zodiac ride we were in the company of a young pelican who was too curious to leave us for long!
Today was a fantastic day and we’re now preparing for our next stop at Daphne. The National Geographic Endeavour will circumnavigate the island while watching for some great birding action. What a wonderful day in the Galapagos!
