Ecuador Bird Watching — Isla de la Plata Seabird Tour

Known as the Poor Man's Galapagos, Isla de la Plata in Machalilla National Park hosts one of the mainland Pacific's most accessible seabird colonies, reachable by a 45-minute boat ride from Puerto López across the rich Humboldt Current waters. Expert local guide Sandra Plúa — a Naturalist and Bird Watching Guide certified with Ecuador's Ministerio de Turismo who ran the Seabird Monitoring Project on the island from 2009 to 2012 — leads visitors to nesting colonies of Blue-footed, Red-footed, and Nazca Boobies, Red-billed Tropicbirds, and Magnificent Frigatebirds, while the crossing often turns up Galapagos Petrel, Galapagos Shearwater, and Waved Albatross in season. Humpback Whales (June–October) frequently accompany the boat on the way out.