Early in the morning, National Geographic Islander anchored on the coast of North Seymour Island. Guests observed bird activity early in the day. After our dry landing on the rocky island, the trail led us to a dense palo santo forest. This typical dry zone forest is a perfect nesting spot for both magnificent and great frigatebirds. Just beside the trail, blue-footed booby couples nested. We couldn’t miss the Galapagos land iguanas. They heated up their bodies under the sun before roaming around for vegetation and the prickly pear cactus they feed on.

In the afternoon, the snorkeling adventure started at the coast of Rabida Island, a unique red sand beach. This was just the beginning. We walked on an easy trail along a brackish water lagoon. We searched for wildlife, including Galapagos flamingos. These birds barely visit this island, but lately they have been using it for nesting, something that hasn’t happened for a very long time.

This was the perfect way of ending a wonderful day in the Galapagos Islands.