It’s always exciting to start something new. Even more exciting to start a new Galapagos adventure. Big expectations, curiosity, and that unique rush all come together in hopes that everything will turn out well. And this is exactly what happened during one of my trips aboard the Santa Cruz II while officially inaugurating our new Eastern Galapagos Islands Itinerary. My favorite day on this particular excursion happened to be at Eden Islet and North Seymour.
Eden Islet = Paradise
It was a beautiful day as the old tuff cone the Eden Islet consists of shone with the early morning light. We started off with a panga ride, which was quite gratifying indeed.
Eden means “paradise,” and it is a true paradise for many birds that use its ledges as perching sites. Blue-footed boobies, brown pelicans, Nazca boobies, brown noddy terns are some worth mentioning. The site is really a practicing ground for immature boobies and pelicans which were busy plunge-diving right beside our pangas! It is also a nesting site for marine iguanas, and we even witnessed a great blue heron catching a baby iguana while hear! The Galapagos Islands are constantly alive and teeming with all sorts of natural activity!
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A New Galapagos Adventure Filled with Water Activities
We did some kayaking as well, exploring the mangrove coves where shy sea turtles peeked their heads out of the water every now and then and baby sharks swam around along the silty bottom. The mangrove roots provided a good hiding place for small herons that patiently waited for any young Sally Lightfoot crabs that walked around nearby or fish that got too close. Snorkeling was fun too, with a seafloor that was carpeted with sea stars. Endemic fish, like the white-tailed damselfish, took care of their seaweed gardens as schools of rainbow wrasses moved around.
In the Afternoon: North Seymour!
North Seymour is simply fascinating! Most of the year, this visitor site greets us with crystal clear water and, during our snorkeling activity in Galapagos, half a dozen whitetip reef sharks were taking their afternoon siesta down at the sandy bottom. Colorful surgeonfish, trumpetfish, and a very serious-looking but fine-scaled triggerfish escorted us as we snorkeled around. Colour is the best word to use when describing North Seymour. We landed on jet-black lava, hopped ashore onto a reddish-brown surface, walked amongst grey Palo Santo trees, and looked at frigatebirds with their brightly-colored and heart-shaped red balloon – their gular pouch.
North Seymour in Galapagos truly is an island that wraps up everything we have come to see throughout our trip, providing us with an excellent conclusion to our new Galapagos adventure. Icing on the cake consisted of blue-footed boobies that were goofily displaying their aquamarine feet during their courting display alongside the largest land iguanas in the Galapagos Islands and playful sea lions that bid us farewell.
The Santa Cruz II Eastern Galapagos Islands itinerary is freshly adapted to cater to explorers and nature lovers alike, with top tier cruising standards and splendid island exclusivity.
So, are you ready to satisfy your curiosity about the Galapagos Islands in modern-style? Look no further than the Santa Cruz II Galapagos cruise.
