To the northwest flank of Santa Cruz and far from the inhabited area of the island is Dragon Hill, a place with remarkable variety in both flora and fauna.
After a wet landing on rocky terrain we came across a white sand beach surrounded by black basaltic rock. All this combined with the greens and reds of the plants give the place an outstanding mosaic of color. Of course this location is also inhabited by animals like sea birds, marine iguanas, lava lizards, and shore birds, among others, including fish in tide pools.
Behind the beach we encountered a brackish water lagoon in which flamingoes find their favorite food; a microscopic shrimp called Artemia Salina with in turn gives them the remarkable pink coloring on their feathers. Here they share with other birds likes ducks, stilts, and occasionally waders, as well as shore birds like sandpipers and plovers.
A red trail due to the presence of iron on the rocks takes us through a Palo Santo forest which at this time of the year are without leaves due to lack of rain. Finally we reach Dragon Hill where land iguanas can be seen at any time of the year. Large iguanas, mostly yellow in color, are the highlight of the excursion here.
After coming back aboard we got ready for the new adventure, this time along the walls of a small island called Guy Fawkes for snorkeling. Here live different types of fish, sea lions, sharks, and sometimes rays and turtles.
In the afternoon we moved to a different island called Eden to go on a Zodiac ride along the coast looking for animal, such as birds or marine life in the mangroves growing along the shore. Turtles, baby sharks, rays, and sea lion inhabit these areas.
To conclude this lovely day we navigated around the island of Daphne Major. This is where science found the perfect scenario for the studies of finches over the course of decades, observing the dramatic changes in the size of their beaks which are influence by both food shortage and availability.
The sun set behind the island, and with birds and other animals around, we saw another fantastic day come to an end.
