As the boat refueled on Santa Cruz, we slept in a bit. This island is the most populace in the Galapagos, at around 24,000, but we were not visiting the developed area today. Upon completion of the fueling, we ate breakfast as the Letty moved to the opposite side of the island to Bachas Beach. Departing the ship by panga, we arrived at a white, sandy beach and followed a marked trail that overlooked a lagoon with a few flamingos. Lava rock, marine iguanas, and remnants of a floating dock used by the Americans during WWII were also seen on the walk as we returned to the beach area for snorkeling. Marine iguanas, Galapagos green sea turtles, sharks, and rays joined us on our swim.
Returning to the boat, we lunched and had a short siesta as the boat moved to another portion of
the island, off Dragon Hill. Here we did a "deep-water" snorkel with more turtles, dozens of black starfish with orange dots and a variety of fish. The swim was followed by a hike where we spotted sizable land iguanas. Previously decimated by feral dogs, and their food supply destroyed by other domestic animals introduced by the people coming to live on the island, the iguanas were reintroduced and are now thriving due to the extraordinary efforts of the Park Service. Now moving on to Fernandina.
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| Marine iguana going for a swim |
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| Black starfish with orange dots |
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| A strangely evil smile on this marine iguana |
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