A trail leads inland past two saltwater lagoons which often play host to flamingos. Iguanas continue to be released here every 3 or 4 years from other breeding centers in the Galápagos to ensure the continued success of the Dragon Hill Iguanas.Īs well as being the landing site to visit the Hill, the rocky shoreline here is a great snorkeling site where you can swim with green turtles, sharks and rays. The program was extremely successful, and the last captive-bred land iguana was released from the breeding center onto Dragon Hill in 1991. The Charles Darwin Research Center swung into action with an emergency breeding and rearing program for land iguanas. In 1975 almost the entire population of land iguanas in this part of northeast Santa Cruz was wiped out by packs of feral dogs. The beach is good for snorkeling, and if you keep your eyes skywards you may also spot Galápagos Hawks circling overhead.ĭragon Hill is the site of a success story in the history of Galápagos conservation.

In fact, the small group of tortoises that live near the beach have been found to be Pinzon tortoises, and their presence may be the result of escapees from the whalers' clutches scurrying away from the beach. The crews would return to the semi-circular beach with water and with their prize of giant tortoise, which were easy to catch and were a good source of meat to stock up with for their journey back to their home ports.

It's thought that in the 1800s this beach was the head of the only trail into the highlands of Santa Cruz.

It is thought that Whale Bay is so-named because it was a popular point for the whaling vessels to weigh anchor while their crews headed inland from here in search of fresh water. This is also one of the few visitor sites in the Galápagos which is more open, allowing visitors to wander somewhat freely and explore for themselves.īehind the beach is a hill, and the climb from the inland side is easiest to enjoy fine views from the top. Ballena, or Whale, Bay has a beach with green sand, caused by the high percentage of olivine crystals present here. This is one of the quieter and least visited sites in the Galápagos.

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