South Plaza    Click on the images below to see an enlargement

The two Plaza islands, just off the eastern tip of Santa Cruz, are formed from uplifted lava plates. Only South Plaza is open to visitors, but it is one of the most concentrated wildlife sites. The ground, covered in bright orange Galapagos Carpetweed, slopes up from the sea to a cliff where seabirds use the updraft for soaring.

The small dock proved to be well guarded by a grumpy bull Sea Lion and it some care to get ashore. A trail leads up to the cliff, along the top and around. We saw a hybrid of the Land and Marine Iguanas. The Swallow-tailed Gulls, with their striking red-rimmed eyes, were still nesting, as were some Nasca Boobies. At the eastern end is a concentration of bull Sea Lions, often called "the Hospital", because they may be recovering from a fight or unrequited love.

A close look under each cactus tree often reveals a solitary Land Iguana waiting for a succulent cactus pad to fall.

Bright orange Galapagos Carpetweed or Sesuvium plants	Prickly Pear Cactus	Mr Grumpy	Breastfeeding the easy way	View to North Plaza and the "Pelikan"
Galapagos Land Iguana		Nice teeth!	Swallow-tailed Gulls
	Nasca Booby			Swallow-tailed Gull Chick
Hungry Land Iguana