South Plazas
This is one of the two Plazas islands. North Plaza is closed due to scientific research and South Plaza is the visitor site. One of South Plaza’s main characteristics is its unusual vegetation comprised of opuntia cactuses and sesuvium plants. The sesuvium is a succulent plant that stores water in its leaves, forms a reddish carpet that spreads on top of the gray rocks.
South Plaza has one of the largest populations of land iguanas in the Galapagos. The iguanas seem to be everywhere once you land. These yellow-brown land iguanas feed on the fruit and pads of the prickly pear cactus.
The sheer cliffs of the southern shore are an unparalleled bird observatory and a perfect bird habitat: swallow-tailed gulls, yellow-tailed mullets, Audubon shearwaters, red-billed tropicbirds, brown pelicans, among others.
