Today we woke up on the untouchable side of Santa Cruz Island, Cerro Dragon. This visitor’s site is known for a population of yellow land iguanas that live and nest in this territory. No humans are allowed to live in this area, so visiting it provides a wonderful, different view of the island of Santa Cruz. In the morning, we hiked along Cerro Dragon where we looked for iguanas and land birds, followed by a breathtaking snorkeling outing in a group of islets called Guy Fawkes.
In the afternoon, we continued our water activities with kayaking and paddleboarding in the beautiful mangrove ecosystem of the western side of Santa Cruz. We also went on a fantastic Zodiac ride, where we spotted blue-footed boobies dancing, iguanas climbing cliffs, and sea lions resting.
This beautiful day ended with a sunset navigation around Daphne Major, which was the location of the natural laboratory of Rose Mary and Peter Grant, who together made a great discovery about the speed of evolution by studying finches. Today has really been another magical day in paradise!
