We awake to sun breaking through the mist and illuminating areas in the highlands of Santa Cruz. The Plaza Islands were formed by uplift as the volcanism formed Santa Cruz Island. As we land this morning we immediately note the dense population of the land iguanas that are found here. Opuntia prickly pear cacti tower over us as we gain altitude on the island. Bright red carpetweed covers a good percentage of the ground as we continue to encounter land iguanas mostly at the bases of the cacti. Frigatebirds hang in the air as they search for any morsel they can find. Red-billed tropicbirds approach the cliffs as they try to land close to the nesting areas. Heading toward the coast we find a bachelor sea lion colony with a few boisterous males vying for space along the cliffs and relaxing until the next foraging run. Returning to our ship the sun appears to break more of the mist as the day brightens.
Navigation brings us to Santa Fe Island in the central part of the archipelago. The turquoise blue water attracts us as we snorkel in the bay that is found here. A white-tipped reef shark, stingrays, and an abundance of fish are seen as we head into the shallow water. Some Galápagos sand dollars are seen lying in the sand as we start to return to the Islander. Kayakers explore the same area and are surprised at the amount of sea lions lazing in the sun at the beach area. A few shore birds including blue-footed boobies make their various types of chatter and some even showing mating displays. In the late afternoon we return to Sante Fe to hike to the top of the island. Hopping between boulders and skirting a narrow trail to a cliff we are rewarded with spectacular views of our anchorage and surrounding seas. Once again we marvel at the diversity among these islands of not only the wildlife but also the volcanic formations.
