South Plaza Galapagos is a small island located in the Galapagos archipelago, known for its stunning natural beauty and unique wildlife. Visitors can expect to see a variety of animals, including land iguanas, sea lions, and a vast array of bird species.
The island’s rugged terrain and breathtaking views make it a popular destination for hikers and nature enthusiasts. The crystal-clear waters surrounding South Plaza are also perfect for snorkeling and scuba diving, allowing visitors to get up close and personal with the island’s diverse marine life.
South Plaza is a popular tourist visitor site, while North Plaza is off-limits and only accessible to researchers. Another interesting difference is the fact that land iguanas are present on South Plaza but have never been recorded on North Plaza. In fact, South Plaza is the only place in the Archipelago where the territories and breeding seasons of land and marine iguanas overlap, which has led to interbreeding and the presence of hybrid iguanas.
South Plaza is also known for its colourful flora, carpeted in the endemic low-growing succulent Sesuvium edmonstonei (also known as Galapagos carpet weed) which changes colour with the seasons. The landscape is also dotted with towering Opuntia cacti. As well as iguanas, the island is home to a significant population of Galapagos sea lions and numerous seabirds.
Plazas Islands off the east coast of Santa Cruz is made up of two small crescent-shaped islands, North Plaza and South Plaza. South Plaza Island has a visitor site, however North Plaza is only used for research purposes and is not open to visitors. South Plaza is one of the smallest islands with a visitor site in the archipelago and was formed from an uplifted seabed. Despite its small size, South Plaza is home to a wide variety of species and is famous for its extraordinary flora.
It is believed that introduced mice were responsible (at least in part) for the decline in the cactus population, an important food source for land iguanas. Although the mice were eradicated in late 2012, an ongoing challenge is the long-term restoration of the cactus forest while maintaining a healthy land iguana population.
South Plaza Island is a popular site among visitors. Red-billed tropicbirds and swallow-tailed gulls are some of the many birds that can be found nesting along the cliffs, and a large colony of land iguanas can be found on the island. The South Plaza land iguanas are the smallest in the archipelago. Marine iguanas are also abundant, and an occasional hybrid between a marine iguana and a land iguana can be seen on the trail. Approximately 1,000 sea lions inhabit the island. South Plaza is also home to the beautiful succulent Sesuvium, which changes from bright green in the rainy season to red, orange, and purple during the dry season, and the landscape is dotted with prickly pear cactus trees.
