What a lovely way to announce the day is piped pan music at 6.30 am as our wake up call. I was awake anyway having heard at 3 am the anchors being brought on board as we relocated to South Plaza Is just several hours away.
Breakfast at 7 am and by 7.45 am away by 2 zodiacs for a dry landing. This pm will be a wet landing.
South Plaza Island is only 600 x 100 metres though it felt much bigger than this.
Our passage way to the island on the stone dock was blocked by some sea lions.
Everywhere one looked you had to carefully see the wildlife most of whom were carefully camouflaged into the rocks and also was home on this tiny island. It was also a temporary home to the organised small groups of visitors carefully controlled by the National Park authorities so that the various landings were set apart.
Sea lions, land (black) and marine iguanas of different colours, endemic plants, beautiful landscapes is what these pictures will show. shearwater birds soaring above the cliffs, nazca booby (white), Darwin finch and plenty of Swallow tailed gulls (white bird) withe a red ring around their eyes. These birds are able to follow ships at night attracted by the ships lights.
The picture of what appears to be a red backed iguana is of the blood having just giving birth overnight. They were so unaffected by us humans. We could walk right up to them and they would not scatter away. Staying on the marked trail was so easy as no need to wander to find the wildlife, they would find us or be in our way. This island has one of the largest golden coloured land iguanas population. They were everywhere and proved to be one of my top two favourite islands.
Two hours was not enough and after side stepping the sea lions on the dock again, we had to leave and cruised for 2 hours to reach Sante Fe Island (also known as Barrington).
Photos still to be edited, labelled and re-ordered.
Pre-historic iguanas
Thursday, December 29, 2011
South Plaza Island, Galápagos, Ecuador
Other Entries
-
4The day before Otavalo Saturday market
Dec 1613 days priorOtavalo, Ecuadorphoto_camera61videocam 0comment 0 -
5Otavalo Market
Dec 1712 days priorOtavalo, Ecuadorphoto_camera238videocam 0comment 0 -
6One speed to Tena!
Dec 1811 days priorMisahualli , Ecuadorphoto_camera22videocam 1comment 0 -
7Amazon _ _ _ _ Forest? What is the missing word?
Dec 1910 days priorMisahualli , Ecuadorphoto_camera102videocam 0comment 0 -
8Floating away to the Atlantic
Dec 209 days priorPuerto Misahuallí, Ecuadorphoto_camera117videocam 1comment 0 -
9Banos - may the clouds clear up
Dec 218 days priorBanos, Ecuadorphoto_camera32videocam 0comment 0 -
10Red hot volcano tossing out molten lava
Dec 227 days priorBaños, Ecuadorphoto_camera20videocam 0comment 0 -
11Canyoning
Dec 227 days priorRío Negro, Ecuadorphoto_camera154videocam 8comment 0 -
12White Water Rafting Banos style
Dec 236 days priorBanos, Ecuadorphoto_camera118videocam 20comment 0 -
13Free as a bird
Dec 236 days priorPelileo, Ecuadorphoto_camera87videocam 3comment 1 -
14Cuenca means the children rules
Dec 245 days priorCuenca, Ecuadorphoto_camera172videocam 0comment 0 -
15Christmas at Cuenca = the children of Cuenca
Dec 254 days priorCuenca, Ecuadorphoto_camera122videocam 0comment 2 -
164 hrs @ Cuenca a'port, Quito views from up high
Dec 263 days priorQuito, Ecuadorphoto_camera105videocam 0comment 0 -
17Tucan Travel - my fellow Ecuador group members
Dec 272 days priorQuito, Ecuadorphoto_camera174videocam 6comment 0 -
18Quito's Old City CLOSED
Dec 272 days priorQuito, Ecuadorphoto_camera179videocam 0comment 2 -
19Giant Tortoises
Dec 281 day priorSanta Cruz Island, Ecuadorphoto_camera125videocam 1comment 0 -
20250 year old cactus plants
Dec 29earlier that daySouth Plaza Island, Ecuadorphoto_camera116videocam 0comment 0 -
21Pre-historic iguanas
Dec 29South Plaza Island, Ecuadorphoto_camera238videocam 1comment 0 -
22Swimming with the sharks, sea lions & turtles
Dec 29later that daySouth Plaza Island, Ecuadorphoto_camera42videocam 13comment 0 -
23Sting Rays, Crabs & Turtles
Dec 301 day laterFloreana, Ecuadorphoto_camera64videocam 0comment 0 -
24Devil’s Crown - snorkelling
Dec 301 day laterFloreana, Ecuadorphoto_camera43videocam 10comment 0 -
25Post Office Bay - NO stamps required
Dec 301 day laterFloreana, Ecuadorphoto_camera20videocam 0comment 0 -
26Sea Turtles and me
Dec 301 day laterFloreana, Ecuadorphoto_camera25videocam 11comment 0 -
27Galapagos albatross
Dec 312 days laterIsla Espanola, Ecuadorphoto_camera260videocam 0comment 0 -
28Sea lions as sunbathing companions
Dec 312 days laterEspanola Island, Ecuadorphoto_camera67videocam 0comment 0 -
29Graceful Sea Lions underwater
Dec 312 days laterEspanola, Ecuadorphoto_camera40videocam 8comment 0 -
30Interpretation Centre
Jan 013 days laterPuerto Baquerizo Moreno, Ecuadorphoto_camera33videocam 0comment 0 -
31Lobos Is
Jan 013 days laterSan Cristobal, Ecuadorphoto_camera36videocam 0comment 0 -
32Swimming with the sharks again
Jan 024 days laterNorth Seymour, Ecuadorphoto_camera23videocam 12comment 0 -
33The Frigates with their big red pouch
Jan 024 days laterNorth Seymour, Ecuadorphoto_camera71videocam 2comment 0 -
34Who needs Sea Life Park?
Jan 024 days laterMosquera Island, Ecuadorphoto_camera71videocam 7comment 0 -
35Lava = Moonscape = black pack ice
Jan 035 days laterSantiago Island, Ecuadorphoto_camera63videocam 0comment 0 -
36Swimming with the penguins
Jan 035 days laterBartolome Is , Ecuadorphoto_camera51videocam 9comment 0 -
37375 steps to the TOP
Jan 035 days laterBartolome, Ecuadorphoto_camera67videocam 0comment 0 -
38Charles Darwin Research Centre
Jan 046 days laterPuerto Ayora, Ecuadorphoto_camera60videocam 0comment 0 -
39Galapagos Islands SUMMARY
Jan 046 days laterBaltra, Ecuadorphoto_camera74videocam 0comment 5
2023-06-02