South Plaza and Santa Fe Islands, 3/20/2025, National Geographic Islander II
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander II
Galápagos
With a very relaxing pre-breakfast hike, our day began. We had a nice time seeing iguanas and lots of cacti. In the afternoon, we visited Santa Fe Island where we snorkeled with a bunch of reef fish species and even saw a hawksbill turtle, a rare discovery of the day. We finished the day surrounded by sea lions and the pale land iguanas from Santa Fe. At night we enjoyed a nice barbecue dinner.
Bernardo, known by his friends and family as Bernie, was born In the Andean city of Quito, located in the highlands of Ecuador. His grandfather, however, moved to the Galapagos Islands in the mid-70s, and worked as one of the first Naturalist Guides,...
Our expedition on board National Geographic Islander II took us to the captivating South Plaza and Santa Fe Islands. We were treated to an extraordinary day of wildlife encounters and breathtaking landscapes, leaving us with a deeper understanding of the island’s unique ecosystems.
Today we had an extraordinary opportunity to visit one of the most breathtaking islands in the Galápagos. Genovesa Island is a true sanctuary with more than 1.5 million seabirds. It is home to some of the world’s largest colonies of red-footed boobies and great frigatebirds. We began our morning by kayaking around this spectacular volcanic caldera. We were surrounded by flocks of seabirds flying above us in every direction. The geology, the towering cliffs, and the wild calls of the birds created an unforgettable atmosphere. Later, we disembarked at Darwin Bay, where we observed male frigatebirds in full courtship display. They inflated their bright red gular pouches and beat their wings dramatically to attract females during this peak breeding season. We encountered Nazca boobies, the largest of the booby species found in the Galápagos, as well as striking swallow-tailed gulls, considered the only nocturnal gull in the world. Galápagos sea lions rested on the beach, and we enjoyed a peaceful walk along the shore, taking countless photos and engaging in enriching conversations about the uniqueness of this ecosystem. Our morning concluded with an exciting snorkeling session, where we swam alongside colorful reef fish, rays, and even some reef sharks. In the afternoon, we landed at the iconic Prince Philip’s Steps, where we hiked just over a mile along the cliffside trail. The path led us through large seabird colonies, including red-billed tropicbirds and clouds of storm petrels fluttering around the rocky ledges. One of the highlights was spotting the elusive short-eared owl, the only owl species in the Galápagos. Unlike most owls, it is diurnal, meaning it hunts during the day. We ended the day by enjoying the breathtaking landscape and a stunning sunset from the cliffs.
South Plazas is a small island of the Galapagos archipelago, with vibrant vegetation, a big colony of Galapagos land iguanas, swallow-tailed gulls, and Galapagos sea lions along the coast. It’s awesome to walk through this rocky terrain on this sunny morning, while at the same time being surrounded by this spectacular wildlife. Afterward we returned to National Geographic Islander II , enjoyed a delicious breakfast, and then set out for kayaking with sea lions playing beside us. In the afternoon we reached our second destination of the day, Santa Fe Island, which is another stunning site with unique wildlife. Our first activity was snorkeling, where we were surrounded by different kinds of fish and some young, playful Galapagos sea lions. Later we went for a hike and looked for the Santa Fe land iguana, a species exclusive to this site. We found a few of them getting ready for the night, walking to their burrows where they sleep. We were mesmerized by the size and the yellow coloration of this precious reptile.
