Galapagos Islands Adventure 2009 – Part 10

It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks (with a few more busy weeks ahead), but I am finally back to the blog and ready to complete the final posts of our 2009 Galapagos Family Adventure…

Santa Fe was the final island on our list before motoring back to our starting point of San Cristobal. At first glance, Santa Fe has many of the same elements of other islands we had already visited. A white sand beach full of sea lions greeting us upon landing, ghost palo santo forests, black volcanic rocks along the shore and the ever present opuntia cactus.

Santa Fe, however, offers some uniqueness. The giant opuntia cacti, an endemic subspecies found only on Santa Fe, are the largest and oldest found on the islands — some 30 feet tall and 200+ years old! The form a wonderful “forest” on the edge of a volcanic cliff.

The sea lions here are extra friendly and curious. They play in the surf until they come check out the snorkelers as we enter the water. Swimming all around they beckon us to play with them in the breakwater. The current is a bit strong here, so we stand our ground and just enjoy their curiosity.

This island also has its own species of Land Iguana, who laze in the sun allowing fun photo opportunities!

On our 4 hour motor back to San Cristobal the afternoon before our return to Quito, we were, for a brief time, surrounded by hundreds of dolphins. I unfortunately failed to photograph the amazing scene getting only the image above. I was so astounded by the spectacle (and the desire to be sure all in our group was witnessing the event) that I never raised my camera to my eye until the moment was nearly gone… but the memory will surely remain forever!