Cerro Dragon and Daphne Major, 12/6/2017, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
Our journey through the Galapagos continued as we explored the northern shore of Santa Cruz Island at Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill). Early morning walks were focused on looking for the landing’s namesake, the endemic land iguana but also included some surprise sightings. The day continued with snorkeling activities and a cruise around Daphne Major at sunset.
Jennifer Davidson is a photographer and educator who specializes in travel, culture, and the art of visual storytelling. She has photographed across the globe, including extensively in Colombia, where she documented remote fishing villages, and Ecuad...
Today we arrived in Northern Santa Cruz. After breakfast we took local buses to Puerto Ayora. We went to Fausto Llerena Breeding Center for Galapagos giant tortoises. After observing and learning about this unique animal, we had a chance to go into town, and we had an opportunity to explore and have lunch next to the sea. This afternoon, we got onto buses and headed to the highlands where we encountered many Santa Cruz giant tortoises roaming free in their natural habitat. Later, we drove further up to the highlands to the twin craters and walked through the endemic giant daisy forest and experienced a bit of garua (light mist). Photos by Walter Perez, Jose Guerrero and Carlos Carrion
Isabela Island has five active volcanoes and from time to time we can observe how the geology continues to change in a short period of time. Some areas on this island are still in the process of colonization, while other areas are covered with a dense, lush vegetation. This morning, we visited Urbina Bay, which has a lot of vegetation, making it the ideal place for Alcedo giant tortoises and Galapagos land iguanas. This site is one of the best for birding and geology interpretation. Punta Vicente Roca is another fascinating visitor site on Isabela Island. We snorkeled with turtles, sharks, rays, and lots of fish. During our Zodiac ride, we saw many different species of seabirds, such as pelicans, brown noddy terns, Nazca boobies, frigates, and blue-footed boobies resting on the cliffs and plunge diving for fish.
Today we had a very interesting day, starting with a visit to the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center to learn about its conservation projects. Later, we drove to the highlands of Santa Cruz into the agricultural zone and visited a small coffee and sugarcane farm, a family run business established in the Galapagos for close to 50 years. In the afternoon, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Manzanillo Ranch and walked among giant tortoises in the wild. Today we had a mixture of experiences, learning about tortoises, conservation, and management and experiencing how the Galapaguenos make their living in such a special and vulnerable world like the islands and sharing their skills with the local community.
