Santa Cruz and Santa Fe islands, Galapagos
Trip Start
Feb 03, 2006
1
52
59
Trip End
May 09, 2006
Santa Cruz and Santa Fe islands, Ecuador
Sunday, April 30, 2006
South Plaza Island is a very small island just off Santa Cruz island. It is arid to the point of looking like a desert. The only animal life I encountered were marine and land iguanas, and a hybrid of the two that can neither swim nor reproduce. Lots of bird life on the steep cliff side of the island. Frigates and doves and gulls and blue-footed boobies, and many more.
Went deep water snorkeling at Gordon Rock, off Santa Cruz island, which was incredible. First time we had blue skies and great visibility under water. I circumnavigated the island, took about 45 minutes. Saw lots of fish, and the most fun was swimming with sea lions, probably 10-15 of them. Underwater they would come up to within a few feet to check me out, then do flips and twirls and literally put on a show. I wish I had an underwater camera.
Later in the afternoon, more snorkeling at Santa Fe island. I swam with green sea turtles and manta rays, and even a group of white tipped sharks, which I ran into accidentally. I really mean, ran into. I literally swam right into the side of a shark, probably a 6 footer. In this one section the water was quite murky and I could not see very far in front of me. I moved from there to a reef with the best snorkeling I have ever experienced. Clear blue water and great visibility, and thousands and thousands of fish, from tiny to large, with an occasional sea lion running by to check us out.
Comments
Santa Fe offers one of the more beautiful and sheltered coves in the islands. Its turquoise lagoon is protected by a peninsula of tiny islets forming an ideal anchorage. The island lies to the southeast of Santa Cruz within sight of Puerto Ayora. Like North Seymore, Santa Fe has been uplifted seismically, and you can see underwater lava formations.
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