We awoke to a drastic change in scenery as we explored Cerro Dragon, on the northern flank of Santa Cruz Island. As we are entering into the dry season, we started our hike with a dry forest of Opuntia prickly pear cacti and palo santo incense trees. Galapagos cotton plant flowers surrounded us as we headed inland.
Galapagos mockingbirds and Galapagos flycatchers sang lyrical songs as we searched for Galapagos land iguanas inland. We found numerous burrows dug by the iguanas, and large male iguanas soaking up the morning equatorial sun along the path. At the summit of Dragon Hill we enjoyed an incredible view of the surrounding islands with National Geographic Endeavour II calmly at anchor.
After raising the hook we headed toward Borrero Bay on Northern Santa Cruz, for kayaking and Zodiac exploration along an inlet of red mangroves. Juvenile blacktip sharks and golden cownose rays swam in the surrounding waters; blue-footed boobies were plunge-diving into the waters for their daily sustenance, as a great blue heron tended to its nest in the mangroves.
The sun broke through the clouds over Santiago Island as we circumnavigated Daphne Major Island, a fitting end to this enlightening day in the Galapagos Archipelago.
