Puerto Egas (Santiago Island) - August 1st, 2007
Puerto Egas (Santiago Island) - August 1st, 2007
Marine iguanas bask in the sun on lava rock near Puerto Egas.
There are extensive reserves of high quality salt on Santiago (James) Island. Early efforts to mine salt on Santiago Island were made during 1920's but they came to an end when the United Maritime Society of Guayas lost its schooner Albatross to fire in January, 1927. Investments, subsidized by the government of Ecuador, were made in the 1950's and the 1960's to revive the mine but few structures remain as evidence of the money spent.
Sea turtles, sea lions and a variety of fish can be seen off the beach at Puerto Egas.
The Galapagos fur seal is the smallest of the fur seals and it is the only one that breeds in tropical waters.
It feeds at night and spends about a third of its time on land,
staying cool in the shade of rocky ledges.
There are about 15000 fur seals in the islands which makes them much less common than sea lions.
The Galapagos fur seal Arctocephalus galapagoensis has its
pups during the cooler time of the year between June and December.
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