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Santa Cruz Island: Bachas Beach
On their first day in the Galapagos, visitors staying on Santa Cruz II’s can enjoy a stroll down Bachas Beach. Marinated iguanas and frigatebirds are often seen at Bachas, a stunning white-sand beach on Santa Cruz Island’s northern coast. People adore this location because it has a unique quality that always results in breathtaking sunsets.
Facts about the American Flamingo
American Flamingos are rare anywhere other than the Caribbean and Colombian coasts, where they breed. They are among the most giant birds in the archipelago. Thus, their size, long legs, and long necks are not the only fascinating things about them; their pink hue is another. From where does the pink originate? Their unique color is caused by a gland at the base of their tail that transfers pigment to their coat, as well as a diet high in carotenoids, which are present in shrimp.
The Graceful American Flamingo
The exquisite and reserved American Galapagos flamingo is the most well-known species in the American Galapagos Islands, and it is harder to view elsewhere in the archipelago. There are just 600 individuals of this endangered species in the entire Galapagos. A very tiny quantity! That these populations exist here in Santa Cruz and on Floreana Island is a blessing.
Our guide took us to a lagoon near the ocean today. We chose to wait for the flamingos because they hadn’t emerged when we got there. Together with the other visitors, we all got together to invite the flamingos to the lagoon. Fortunately, it was worth the brief wait! Quietly, two flamingos emerged from the shrubbery. We were all standing calmly watching them from the shore, which was quite a distance away, but they kept moving closer and closer.
Close-up Meeting
As the flamingos got closer, we sensed the anxiety in the atmosphere. Some guests seemed to be trying to hear only the cleanest sounds of nature, as I even witnessed them close their eyes. One of life’s most fundamental joys can only be found in such locations, where animals roam freely, and the soothing sound of the ocean waves wafts by.
After a little while, one of the flamingos appears directly in front of us, flawlessly illuminated by the sun, its head occasionally dipping into the water. His head surfaced momentarily to breathe before plunging back into the water to resume fishing. The Enchanted Islands prefer to greet newcomers with a greeting like this.
Here on the Galapagos Islands, where nature coexists peacefully without awareness of human presence, close encounters are a regular pleasure. Since we are only visitors to this archipelago, we try very hard to be as inconspicuous as possible. We will enjoy it more if we don’t disturb it.
