Today we explored the northern part of Santa Cruz Island, having seen the southern part yesterday. It’s hard to believe we were on the same island! Leaving behind the humid green zone and its giant tortoises, today’s excursion took us to a dry forest in the search of land iguanas.
The northern side of Santa Cruz is very arid because the southern side blocks the humidity from coming with the winds. Giant prickly pear cacti decorated the landscape, along with the endemic “Palo Santo,” a deciduous tree that had already lost all its leaves at this time of year. We disembarked early before the sun got too strong. Land iguanas are ectothermic animals, so they need to regulate their body temperature. Early in the day they come to the open areas to warm up, and later on they look for shade under trees and bushes. We found several colorful males and some shy females. We also spotted many burrows, where the iguanas make their home. It was a great experience seeing these animals in the wild, considering that some years ago they were in danger of extinction.
We came back to the ship to get ready for snorkeling and beach time. We enjoyed some wonderful deep-water snorkeling along a very colorful reef wall, full of invertebrates, different fish and even a lonely penguin. In the afternoon we explored Eden Islet from our Zodiacs. Blue-footed boobies, brown pelicans, great blue herons and other birds were spotted. Sea turtles, sea lions and sharks came up to us.
Finally, we navigated toward Daphne Major. This islet has become an icon for scientific research in the Galapagos. For more than 40 years, Darwin finches have been studied here. We learned about these important studies while enjoying a cocktail on the outer decks. We were ready for a good rest so we could continue exploring this unique place tomorrow.
