Isla Sante Fé en Isla Plazas
After breakfast we visited Isla Santa Fé. Isla Santa Fé is located southeast of Isla Santa Cruz. The island is uninhabited. Tourists are allowed to go ashore at Barrington Bay. The island has the greatest variety of native animal species of all the Galapagos Islands.
When we arrived on the island, we were treated to a noisy welcome from the local sea lion colony. With our guide we walked along the paths on the island. The main attraction of Isla Santa Fé is a towering forest of giant cacti.
Scattered among the cacti were some of the island’s indigenous sun-seekers: marine and land iguanas, rainbow- streaked lava lizards, and lots of land birds, such as Darwin’s finches and Galápagos doves.
After the walk we went snorkeling again in the company of beautiful fishes and sea turtles.
Then we returned to the boat for lunch.
After lunch, we navigated to Islas Plazas. Islas Plazas are two small elongated islands: North Plaza and South Plaza. Both islands are located close to the east coast of Isla Santa Cruz. They are both flat islands consisting of raised ocean floor covered with lava. South Plaza is the smallest island that can be visited by tourists. North Plaza is even smaller, but is a nature reserve and not accessible to visitors.
On the island, there is a large colony of sea lions lounging in the sun every day. South Plaza also boasts beautiful examples of typical Galápagos native flora, such as “sesuvium,” a plant that changes color depending on the season. There are also opuntia cacti, which are the principal diet for both land iguanas and Darwin’s finches. Other birds that may flutter by include lava gulls, yellow warblers, and red-billed tropicbirds.