Image id: 09ECU-4299

We visited Puerto Egas via a wet landing on Santiago (or San Salvador, or James) Island, in the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador. Santiago is equivalent to Saint James in English; and its alternative name San Salvador refers to the island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea. Santiago Island has a maximum altitude of 907 metres (2976 feet). Marine iguanas, sea lions, fur seals, land and sea turtles, flamingos, dolphins and sharks thrive here. Human-introduced pigs and goats caused great harm to the endemic species, but have been subsequently eradicated (pigs in 2002; goats almost all eliminated). Darwin Finches, Galápagos Hawks and a colony of Fur Seals are usually seen here.