Cerro Dragon & Sombrero Chino

Just when we think we have seen it all, we land at the northwest corner of Santa Cruz Island, and a new world is presented in front of our eyes. This morning it was the world of land iguanas, a site with giant cactus and Palo Santo trees; with finches, mockingbirds, flamingos and warblers. By far, the kings and queens were the dragon-like reptiles; therefore the name of this area is Dragon Hill: Cerro Dragon in Spanish. After the walk, where we encountered several iguanas, many of our guests headed north by Zodiac to explore the underwater realm around Guy Fawkes Islet, a tuff cone with impressive marine life.

In the afternoon we began getting ready for snorkeling along Sombrero Chino’s shoreline, where we found an innumerable array of multi-colored fish and some white-tipped reef sharks. At the same time, we were able to explore the shoreline by kayaks, where we found some shore birds and of course, penguins! Some wandered the beautiful beach with the adorable baby sea lions. The dramatic shapes of the lava in this area make you wonder how little we really are.