Early in the morning we started our expedition on a satellite island called south Plaza. Today is Land-Iguana day.
Uplifted by magmatic pressure this sea floor became a small island which then became the home for many seabirds, lava lizards, finches, impressive cacti, colorful succulent plants, marine and land iguanas all in close proximity. This is a wonderful gift for its small biodiversity becomes a predictable ecology easy to understand. We could see how it all works together, how all is associated as connecting dots to reveal a big picture we call evolution.
We took a mile and a half walk over boulders surrounded by wildlife. Our guests were immediately greeted by land iguanas and swallow tailed gulls. As we continued on we were also gladly surprised by sea lion pups.
Plaza has a unique landscape and flora also. The prickly pears with trunks like trees are yet another unique adaptation for an archipelago that, even though is located on the equator, is clearly not a typical tropical island. Today we were also lucky to find a “hybrid” of marine and land iguanas…“forbidden” breeding. It was a personal highlight for it was my first Hybrid-Iguana. I’ve heard and studied this phenomenon since I became a naturalist 17 years ago, and today my heart was extremely happy to see it.
We returned to the ship and started jumping and swimming from the ship. Clearly we have become enchanted by this magical place as we laughed and enjoyed this simple, yet special activity. Some of us opted for a “Human History of the Islands” talk and/or hands-on photo instruction.
As we enjoyed lunch our ship repositioned to our next site, Santa Fe Island. Once we arrived we started snorkeling. Today we saw sea lions, rays, turtles, and of course lots of fish. We had a great time in the warm, turquoise water.
After we disembarked we took a mile walk over boulders searching for the Santa Fe’s land iguana, a different species which can only be found here and nowhere else in the world. This place has two white sandy beaches with many sea lions. Mommies, babies and daddies (if you prefer to humanize them) were everywhere, resting and playing. This species may be our guests’ favorite.
We were back onboard ready for our recapitulation and briefing about our next visitor site for tomorrow. As I see our guests eagerly talking about their experiences, I feel very fortunate to be part of this wonderful expedition, a journey of discovery you can only experience, for we know this place is impossible to describe. It’s a place with unique landscapes and wildlife which has no fear. This magical combination invites us to return to nature as we once were.
