Day 4 – Dragon Hill, Santa Cruz Island
We dropped anchor at the northwestern coast of Santa Cruz, stepping ashore onto the unspoiled rocky shores of Dragon Hill. From here, we began a three-kilometer hike to the summit, as we encountered surprises along the way hidden in the lush expanse where towering Opuntia cacti stood like prickly guardians masquerading as abstract animal statues. Meanwhile overhead, the sky came alive with the silhouettes of Darwin’s finches and mockingbirds.
Midway through, we hit the isolated lagoon entirely devoid of its regular pink flamingos. Instead, a handful of shorebirds paddled about and a solitary marine iguana glided through the sun drenched ripples effortlessly keeping its cool.
But it was the land iguanas that stole the show. We found ourselves pursuing these colorful mini dragons who moved with a striking prehistoric grace, whether drifting through the bush or quietly munching on grass. Despite Santa Cruz being the most bustling human populated island in the Galapagos, this thriving pocket of greenery is a proof that nature stages glorious comebacks. These modern dragons successfully made a comeback, surviving historical chaos brought by whalers, pirates and early settlers whose feral dogs, goats and cats had once driven them to the brink of extinction.
Later, we swapped our hiking gear for fins and plunged beneath the surface off the coast of Dragon Hill, finding ourselves in the middle of a shimmering silver constellation of anchovies that darted around in perfect synchronization.
Finally, leaving Santa Cruz behind, we sailed north toward the southern tip of Santiago Island and stepped into a world that stood in stark breathtaking juxtaposition of everything the morning had promised.
Sullivan Bay, Santiago Island
In between the jagged crevices, small, resilient shrubs poked through the grey, offering a soft contrast against a barren world of dried lava. It was the kind of surreal landscape that could drive your imagination wild. We had timed our arrival perfectly for the late afternoon wanting to catch the century old lava fields as they woke up under the dipping sun. It transformed the landscape into a metallic tapestry. In the distance, volcanic peaks of Bartolome Island framed the horizon.
Beneath us lay an endless canvas of intricate lava patterns, swirling like frozen waves. I tried to capture the depth of these micro worlds, but the sheer scale of it was overwhelming. Let’s face it, I have to master the art of macro-photography on a professional camera. I’ve been spoiled by Apple. My iPhone is the genius that automatically captures the soul of a place with a single tap. Standing there in absolute awe of nature’s raw design, I found myself equally in awe of the Silicon Valley engineers who somehow programmed the perfect settings to capture this magic.
CRAYSCAPE 