Galapagos Day 5: Santa Fe & South Plaza

We arose looking tired thanks to the combination of the collective downing of a bottle of Absolut vodka the night before, a lot of lost sleep due to a rough journey through the night and an early start so our crew could get back to Santa Cruz island to vote in a referendum (compulsory here).

Undeterred we boarded the dinghy to visit Santa Fe which was notable for yet another colony of sea lions but especially its own unique species of iguana. This sand-coloured, lizard-like creature has a curious symbiotic relationship with the equally unique giant cactus which grows on the island. The iguanas grow big by eating the cactus leaves that fall and the cactus growth is enhanced by the passage of its seeds through the iguana's digestive system. A good example of a local ecosystem at work.

Next up was our daily snorkel when we saw an immense shoal of fish resembling a dark grey cloud against the sandy sea floor. There must have been a thousand fish packed together in a tight circle some ten metres across. However, the highlight for the two of us was to be able to swim alongside a giant turtle. These creatures often get under a rock or swim away but we found one in shallow, clear water that seemed unbothered by our presence. We got a close look at this extraordinary beast as it swum elegantly beneath us, its green body shell shimmering in the golden sunlight.

Sea lions on the beach

We spent much of the rest of the day travelling to South Plaza where we saw more sea lions and iguanas. For once we had landed with a few other groups whereas we have had most of the islands virtually to ourselves. Fatigue had set in and it was not the most productive of our trips ashore. Even the kids took less than 500 photos today. It was also the last trip with Eli-ran and Henrik who were leaving us after four nights. Back on the boat there were photos an then they were cheered off in scenes reminiscent of a Big Brother eviction. However unlike Big Brother the dinghy soon returned with two replacements, Martin from Germany and his Australian-Zimbabwean girlfriend Briony, who live and work in Ecuador.