Isla Santa María Travel Guide

 MalenaN Says:  Devil’s Crown is said to be one of the best sites for snorkelling around the Galapagos Islands. Here the cone of a small submerged volcano has been eroded to look like a crown. The rocks of Devil’s Crown are situated just a few hundred metres of the coast from Punta... 

 MalenaN Says:  After lunch the boat moved to Post Office Bay. Besides M/S Cachalote there were already three other boats anchored in the bay and soon after we arrived several crewmembers from the boats hopped into the pangas and went ashore. It turned out there is a soccer field there and... 

 MalenaN Says:  Outside the populated areas visitors are only allowed to visit certain sites, and then always accompanied by a certified naturalist guide. When visiting these visitor sites you can only walk on the trails or on the beach. But even there you should be careful where you put... 

 DennyP Says:  POST OFFICE BAY I was really amazed when I first saw the Post office at Post Office Bay..The post office consisted of a drum surrounded by the names of boats and yachts that had previously visited the Island..The deal was to post a card or letter in the Box which is and ols... 

 MalenaN Says:  The Galapagos Flycatcher (Myiarchus magnirostris) is also called Large-billed Flycatcher. It can be seen on most islands, but not on the northern islands of Genovesa, Darwin and Wolf. The Galapagos Flycatcher is a common bird in the dry forests and shrub lands of the... 

 MalenaN Says:  There is a population of about 400 - 500 flamingos on the Galapagos Islands. They can mainly be seen on Floreana (Punta Cormorant), Isla Isabela (Villamil), Isla Santa Cruz (Las Bachas Beach), Santiago and Isla Rábida.As you can see in the photo there was only one flamingo... 

 MalenaN Says:  The Black-neck Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) is a graceful wader which can be seen in shallow pools of saline water or freshwater. It can be found on several of the Galapagos islands, in the lowlands near the coasts. The Black-necked stilt is also found in many other parts of... 

 MalenaN Says:  If you see a small bright yellow bird on the Galápagos Islands it will be a Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia). The Yellow Warbler can be found all over Galápagos Islands and in all habitats.The male has a bright yellow breast with reddish streaks, and the upper part is... 

 MalenaN Says:  The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) can be seen on most big islands of the Galapagos (you can also see them in the West Indies and North- and Central America). The Great Blue Heron is a wader and when you see one it will probably be near shallow water, where they are often... 

 MalenaN Says:  Post Office Bay on Floreana is visited because of its history. Already in 1793 British whalers put up a Post Office Barrel here. At this time the whalers could be on the ship, away from home, for as long as two years. Crew on outbound ships could leave a letter in the barrel... 

 MalenaN Says:  The beautiful Sally Lightfoot crabs (Grapsus grapsus) can be seen all over the shores of the Galapagos Islands. With its bright orange colour it stands out from the black lava rocks where you often see them. The young ones are dark in colour though, and this make them well... 

 kathymof Says:  Floreana like other islands in the Galapagos, has its share of Lava Lizards. They are fun to watch. 

 kathymof Says:  There were waders along with flamingos in the salt water lagoon. Here is a picture of a Black-Necked Stilt along with a duck. You will see them right along the edge of the lagoon. 

 kathymof Says:  Enjoy the colorful Sally Lightfoot Crabs that are all over the rocks at Sand Flour Beach. They are black and match the lava rock (more natural selection at work) when they are young and vulnerable but start turning dramatic shades of red, yellow and blue as they age. 

 kathymof Says:  There were a few ghost crabs on Sand Flour Beach. We did not get to see the crabs but were able to see the results of them burrowing into the sand. They leave all of these round sand pellets when the burrow into the sand looking for food. 

 kathymof Says:  Head over to Sand Flour Beach (end of wildlife hike) and stand in the water directly ahead of where the trail comes in. You need to stand still to keep from possibly being stung, but there are dozens of gentle stingrays in the water there. They will swim into the very... 

 kathymof Says:  You can view flamingos by heading down towards the salt-water lagoon. There are also some waders present. If you scan the vegetation surrounding the lagoon, especially on the side away from the viewing area, you might be able to spot some flamingo nests. You are in a...