Isla de la Plata is a small island off the coast of Manabí

Manabí Province

Manabí is a province in Ecuador. Its capital is Portoviejo. The province is named after the Manabí people.-Economy:Manabí's economy is based heavily on natural resources such as cacao, bananas, cotton, etc. It's industrial sector is based on Tuna canning, tobacco, and alcoholic beverage production...

, Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...

, and is part of Parque Nacional Machalilla

Machalilla National Park

Machalilla National Park is a preserve in the Ecuadorian Manabí Province near Puerto López and the rural parish of Machalilla, a small fishing village in the vicinity of the park....

. It can be reached by boat from the city of Puerto López

Puerto López

Puerto López is a small fishing village set in an arched bay on the Pacific coast in the Ecuadorian Manabí Province. Puerto Lopéz is the Machalilla National Park headquarters. The main industries include fishing and ecotourism...

.

On the island, there is a large diversity of animal species. For example, several species of booby, including the Blue-footed booby

Blue-footed Booby

The Blue-footed Booby is a bird in the Sulidae family which comprises ten species of long-winged seabirds. The natural breeding habitat of the Blue-footed Booby is tropical and subtropical islands off the Pacific Ocean, most famously, the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.- Etymology :The name booby...

, Red-footed booby

Red-footed Booby

The Red-footed Booby, Sula sula, is a large seabird of the booby family, Sulidae. As suggested by the name, adults always have red feet, but the colour of the plumage varies. They are powerful and agile fliers, but they are clumsy in takeoffs and landings...

, and the Nazca booby

Nazca Booby

The Nazca Booby, Sula granti, is a booby which is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, namely on the Galápagos Islands where it can be seen by eco-tourists, and on Clipperton Island...

. Another species found here is the South American sea lion

South American Sea Lion

The South American sea lion , also called the southern sea lion and the Patagonian sea lion, is a sea lion found on the Chilean, Peruvian, Uruguayan, Argentine and Southern Brazilian coasts. It is the only member of the genus Otaria...

. Dolphins, like the Pantropical spotted dolphin

Pantropical Spotted Dolphin

The Pantropical Spotted Dolphin is a species of dolphin found in all the world's temperate and tropical oceans. The species was beginning to come under threat due to the killing of millions of individuals in tuna purse seines...

can be found in the water near the island.

Guided tours are given on a couple of different hiking trails. There are many nice beaches on the island where you can see many forms of wildlife and plant species.

Gallery

File:Blue-footed Booby at Isla de la Plata.jpg|Blue-footed Booby on Isla de la Plata in winter.
File:Blue-footed Booby with young.jpg|Blue-footed Booby with new young on Isla de la Plata.
File:Isla de la Plata tour.jpg|Tour guide addresses customers at the beginning of a tour.