We spent the morning on the small island of South Plaza. We were welcomed by Galapagos sea lions; females and pups were all around the landing place. There are a good number of Galapagos land iguanas on South Plaza, and we observed them underneath the prickly pear cacti along the trail. As we walked by the cliffs, we saw many seabirds flying, such as swallow-tailed gulls, Galapagos shearwaters, brown pelicans, magnificent frigatebirds, and red-billed tropicbirds. It is a challenge for photographers to get pictures of birds in flight; however, with the right settings and patience, it is always possible! The afternoon was spent at the island of Santa Fe. Here we enjoyed kayaking and snorkeling inside the protected bay, a great place for colorful fish and playful Galapagos sea lions. We ended the day with a great hike. We observed huge prickly pear cacti, Santa Fe land iguanas, and hundreds of sea lions on a white sandy beach. It was a fantastic day in paradise!
8/1/2022
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National Geographic Islander
Seymour and Rabida Islands
Today was the first full day of our expedition…so exciting! We started our morning with a wonderful breakfast prepared by our expert chef. Afterwards, it was time to get ready and board our Zodiacs. Plenty of wildlife was waiting for us! Our first visit was to North Seymour Island, a place known for its abundant wildlife. We observed male frigatebirds as they displayed their gular pouches to impress the females as they flew by. This is their breeding season, and we weren’t disappointed. We found lots and lots of juveniles and babies still covered in fuzz. Blue-footed boobies amazed us with their courtship displays. We could also see booby couples that had their babies already. Our young explorers were fascinated by the diversity of animals found on this island. We enjoyed the company of lazy Galapagos sea lions and their pups, territorial lava lizards, and yet another endemic species, the Galapagos land iguana. Today we also launched our Global Explorers program. The children joined in a tour of the Bridge and learned more about the devices needed for safe navigation. Later in the afternoon, our guests enjoyed snorkeling lessons given by our expedition staff. We were ready to get in the water! Rabida Island offers a wide variety of fish species. Certainly, the most popular companions were the playful sea lions! After a quick change of clothes, we adventured into the island, this time for a nice, relaxed walk along the beach. We found nesting flamingos, which is quite rare. This species has not bred on Rabida for at least 20 years. What a sight–wow! A baby flamingo was easily spotted, along with a family of oystercatchers, several species of finches, and more sea lions. Another wonderful day in the Galapagos Islands!
