Cerro Dragon & Sombrero Chino
Our day started at the northwestern coast of Santa Cruz Island. We were anchored at a site named Cerro Dragon, Spanish for Dragon Hill. The beautiful name given to this place reflects the fact that Galápagos Land Iguanas live in the area. The colorful reptiles resemble miniature dragons. In addition, there is a little hill that, in the distance, resembles an iguana.
During the morning’s hike, we found several land iguanas basking under the strong sun that accompanied us during the walk. Although Galápagos Land Iguanas were our main goal, we were gladly surprised by the presence of other animal species such as Black necked Stilts, Whimbrels and White-cheeked Pintail Ducks. They were found in the brackish water lagoon that is located by the disembarkation place. On the walk, we saw Cactus finches and Galápagos Mockingbirds. These bird species delighted us with their songs. We reached the summit of the hill, enjoying not only the refreshing ocean breeze, but the beautiful scenery seen from there as well.
We went for a snorkeling outing later in the morning around Guy Fawkes Islets. It turned out to be great! Galápagos sharks, playful Galápagos sea lions, Parrot fishes, Sea stars, Cup corals, Sea sponges, big schools of Black-striped Salemas, and Creole fishes made our snorkeling outing a joyful adventure!
In the afternoon, the ship repositioned to Sombrero Chino Islet. Many activities were offered including quality time on a nearby little white beach, kayaking or snorkeling. The little beach was great today. We made our way through a Galápagos sea lion colony to have a view of a big sea lion bull patrolling the area. Kayakers were paddling along the dramatic volcanic coastline. Some people got wet this afternoon, others did not, but we all enjoyed the activities. What a great day!
Our day started at the northwestern coast of Santa Cruz Island. We were anchored at a site named Cerro Dragon, Spanish for Dragon Hill. The beautiful name given to this place reflects the fact that Galápagos Land Iguanas live in the area. The colorful reptiles resemble miniature dragons. In addition, there is a little hill that, in the distance, resembles an iguana.
During the morning’s hike, we found several land iguanas basking under the strong sun that accompanied us during the walk. Although Galápagos Land Iguanas were our main goal, we were gladly surprised by the presence of other animal species such as Black necked Stilts, Whimbrels and White-cheeked Pintail Ducks. They were found in the brackish water lagoon that is located by the disembarkation place. On the walk, we saw Cactus finches and Galápagos Mockingbirds. These bird species delighted us with their songs. We reached the summit of the hill, enjoying not only the refreshing ocean breeze, but the beautiful scenery seen from there as well.
We went for a snorkeling outing later in the morning around Guy Fawkes Islets. It turned out to be great! Galápagos sharks, playful Galápagos sea lions, Parrot fishes, Sea stars, Cup corals, Sea sponges, big schools of Black-striped Salemas, and Creole fishes made our snorkeling outing a joyful adventure!
In the afternoon, the ship repositioned to Sombrero Chino Islet. Many activities were offered including quality time on a nearby little white beach, kayaking or snorkeling. The little beach was great today. We made our way through a Galápagos sea lion colony to have a view of a big sea lion bull patrolling the area. Kayakers were paddling along the dramatic volcanic coastline. Some people got wet this afternoon, others did not, but we all enjoyed the activities. What a great day!
