Cerro Dragon, El Eden & Daphne Island
After a comfortable navigation we woke up anchored at one of the most emblematic places of Galápagos: Cerro Dragon. The first adventure of the day was a hike into the domain of the land iguana. After a dry landing we ventured deep into an incense forest. The splendor of the place overwhelmed us from moment we arrived. The perfect symphony of colors was played by the right red Sally Lightfoot crabs dancing along the rocks.
Farther along the trail, we found one of the most attractive creatures on the island – the greater flamingo. It looked marvelous filtering shrimp through its bill. As we reached the inside part of the coast, it was time to look for the main attraction of the morning: the land iguanas. One by one the land iguanas emerged from the vegetation as if they were welcoming us to their territory. The coloration of some individuals was amazingly similar to the ground – a natural camouflage. As we reached the summit of Cerro Dragon, we found one of the most fantastic views of the expedition.
As we returned to National Geographic Endeavour, it was time to continue with the next adventure of the day: deep-water snorkeling at Guy Fawkes islet. As soon as we jumped into the water, we were amazed by the amount of fish that were swimming around us. The color combination of the marine life made us feel as though we were inside a natural aquarium.
In the afternoon the exploration only improved. We took a Zodiac ride around El Eden Island – the perfect way to begin our activities. The splendor of nature was as delightful as elegant. Blue-footed boobies surprised us as they plunge dived for food, and from the sky the elegant red-billed tropicbirds topped off a magnificent visit. Later we enjoyed a pleasant circumnavigation around Daphne Island, and the sunset let us know that tomorrow would bring another adventure. Today we had a journey that is going to be with us for a lifetime.
