North Seymour and Rábida Island
This morning we arrived at North Seymour Island in the central realm of the Galápagos. As we arrived, we noticed that it had rained earlier and there were some small ponds where finches and doves found fresh water to drink. At this time of the year all land birds are mating and nesting all around the archipelago, so the air is filled with bird song, and on the bushes and trees we found some new nests. Besides the small birds we also encountered some frigatebirds in different stages: males with their red pouches inflated, juveniles waiting for their parents to feed them, and a few females looking for mates by flying over breeding males.
Along the sandy coastline we saw several marine iguanas and Galápagos sea lions sunbathing while we marveled at the sight of giant waves breaking along the coast. As we left North Seymour behind, we started to navigate towards Rábida Island.
Rabida is called “Red Island” due to the high amount of iron in the rocks; it looks very red and it makes a great contrast with the green color of the vegetation. Here we had different options for everyone. Some of our guests went snorkeling from our Zodiacs in deep waters where they saw sharks, rays, turtles, and different species of fish. We also had the kayaks available to explore the coast of this island, while others went on the glass-bottom boat for a ride along the cliffs to explore the underwater world of Galápagos. Later in the afternoon we went ashore for a walk to admire the beautiful and unique landscapes of Rábida Island.
