Galapagos

Galapagos Day 1
This morning we had to be up by 5 and on our way by 6. "We" are a group of 12 from various parts of the world, including one couple from Vancouver. We flew to the Island of Balta arriving late morning. It was a surprise even though I had been forewarned by a friend (Hi Maura!!). It is flat, dry and has lots of large cacti. We were whisked off by bus to the catamaran used by Gadventures. We had a delicious lunch which included fresh tuna. After this we got suited up for our snorkel experience. Boy those wet suits are tight!

The picture is a bit hazy because the camera came from the air conditioned room to the moist outdoors.

 We snorkled in a little bay to start with as some of us are beginners at this. I'd only done it once before. I saw some cool fish -- one I liked was all black with yellow lips, tail and fins. And we saw several sharks which were much bigger than me! After we did that I had a quick shower to get the salt off then we were back in the zodiacs to explore along the shore.





 Saw my first blue footed boobie! As Don put it -- their feet and legs are "robin's egg blue".

 We also saw a very small heron and lots of frigates. Now, one of those frigates pooped on us -- managed to spray 4 of us in a line. Our guide got the worst of it thank goodness!

Pelican

We had a snack of round baked balls of dough that we dipped in honey. Yummy. I went for a nap then was wakened by a call to see the dolphins. They were the big ones and they were swimming under both bows of the ship. And they jumped a few times. Very exciting but didn't manage to get a picture as my memory card was full. Got it changed so am ready for more tomorrow.
Our rooms are comfy with our own bathroom, shower, bathrobes, and desk. We are on the top deck while some others are on the main. Actually, there is another deck above us -- is a sundeck with deck chairs. Too windy for me today.
Tonite's supper was served to us whereas lunch was buffet style. Soup, chicken, veggies and the usual potatoes. Dessert was a crepe.

Galapagos Day 2

We travelled for most of the night and, as it was quite rough, many didn't sleep well including Don. Not me -- I slept the whole night. We arrived in Isabella before breakfast. We were wakened by music then an announcement that breakfast would be ready in half an hour. We ate at 6:30 and were in the dinghies by 7:15. We first had a dry landing on a little volcanic island with a narrow path to follow.

We saw marine iguanas of all ages. One area is called the "kindergarten" as it is full of little ones. The big ones were about 30 inches long. They lay around all day and only go into the water at low tide to eat algae that grows on the rocks. They were often seen quirting water from the sides of their heads. Turns out this is the way they get rid of the seawater they have swallowed when eating. We then saw sea lions which look more like our seals. They aren't the big monsters we have on our coast. They lie around like all sea lions but if it gets too hot they go under the mangroves. There were little lizards around as well.

Mom and new pup

After this we went to the main part of the island by dinghy. A crazy open bus picked us up and we went to a spot which had flamingos. Next stop was a turtle sanctuary. That was really interesting as we saw the oldsters of 60 years or more plus all ages of younger ones. They don't mature sexually until about 25 to 30 years of age. There is a real conservation program going as the turtles are in trouble. Years ago, they were used as food by the inhabitants plus by passing seamen. These guys would put the turtles in the hold of the ship -- upside down, unfed and eventually to be eaten. It was a way of having fresh food when at sea months at a time.
Then it was back to the boat for a snack and to get changed for snorkling. We saw some awesome stuff today -- 4 of the great big turtles swimming just below us and 2 sea lions which seemed to be playing with us. I'm glad the sessions are quite short as I get cold. It was cloudy today so little sun to warm up with.
Isabella has palm trees which seemed more like what we should find. This island has, I think, 5 volcanos.
We spent the afternoon sailing to the next island which is Floreana. According to our guide it wasn't rough but it did bounce us around a lot. Hard to walk. There were some queasy stomachs and mine wasn't feeling normal. Mind you, I don't know what is normal anymore as I'm still not 100% since being sick back in Peru. I slept most of the afternoon then was wakened by the announcement that a pod (?) of dolphins was going by. There were about a thousand of them leaping in the air as they moved along. An amazing sight.
I've been having my shower when I get in from snorkling. I'm already wet so that gets the salt off me and my hair washed. By the way, my hair is quite curly with the moist air.
Snack today was pizza. We had our nightly briefing at 7 then sat down for supper about 7:45. They waited until the ship was anchored which certainly made it more pleasant. Supper was a lovely salad followed by the main course of something between a porkchop and ham, spuds and carrots. Dessert was bread pudding. At lunch we'd had skewers of shrimp, veggies and tuna followed by strawberries and cream. We eat very well.
We will have a quiet night as we are achored. Tomorrow is another busy day.
Our guide is a naturalist who lives in the Galapagos. He's very knowledgeable plus entertaining during the nightly lectures. He's the one who takes us snorkling and leads all the walks or dinghy rides. Today he told us how the islands got named. There is one species of turtle with a shell like a saddle for a horse. The word "gallop" got incorporated into Gallapagos.

Day 3

We had a bit of a later start today -- 7:30. After breakfast we were into the zodiacs with a wet landing on a beach.

 

Walter putting the postcards back in the mailbox.

 We walked to the "Post Office" which is a box with many many postcards in plastic bags. The idea is to take one with you from your area and hand deliver it. This is where the sailors left their letters and someone going back home would take them. Only found one from BC and we didn't even recognize the name of the place.
Next was snorkling which I really enjoyed today. Saw four or five large turtles swimming just below me. Also watched them eating which was really cool. They nibble at the algae on the rocks. Don't get much with each bite. And we had a couple of sea lions playing around us.
Next we had lunch which again was very good. It's amazing what comes out of that little kitchen. After some rest time (I nap every day!) the others went snorkling again. I get so cold that I didn't want to do it twice. So four of us had a nice ride around these incredible rocks seeing cacti (!), blue footed boobies, sea lions, etc. Then it was everyone into the zodiacs to go for a walk from a black sand beach over to a white one. Gorgeous place with noone around except us. I have fallen in love with the crabs.

They are red with painted designs on their shell. Some are dull but apparently it is getting time for them to molt. There are sea lions here that are golden in color -- only seen here apparently. Oh, the sea lions were bigger today -- we were finally seeing the alpha males. Saw a bunch of young ones waiting for their mothers to come back from fishing. Apparently they are dependent for at least 10 months. And we saw one that was just born today. It didn't seem to have a clue where the milk was! All our shore excursions are very leisurely and our naturalist guide Walter is amazing.
It was the "last supper" for the group as all are leaving tomorrow but us. They were most enjoyable companions for the past 3 days. (Two from England, one from Mexico, a mother-daughter duo from the US, a son-father duo from LA and the other couple from BC).

Our ship Queen Beatrix

We are now underway for the next island -- is 8 pm and feels like time to go to bed! By the way, we are only an hour out of BC time and the same as Alberta. When we fly back to Quito, we will be the same as Peru.

Day 4

After all our companions left this morning, we had breakfast then were in the zodiak by 8. We had a tour of the Charles Darwin Center. We were a bit disappointed as it wasn't much more than the turtle sanctuary we'd been to earlier (except that George, who died in June of a very old age, lived here.) We then wandered into town. This Island (Santa Cruz) has 15,000 inhabitants. The last island (Floreana had 1000). So the town was quite large with lots of souvenir shops. I bought a t-shirt, some coffee and chocolate. Nothing else said "buy me" especially since our house is full of stuff already. We were taken back to the boat about 11 and relaxed until lunch time. The next group arrived -- one couple from Switzerland, another couple from Austria (but she is Mexican), a couple from Indonesia (but he is French) and a woman from the US who is really interesting. She's been in the air force in Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. Has a boyfriend who's from Peru.
In the afternoon Don and I were driven up to the Highlands with our guide. It began to rain, as predicted, as soon as we gained some elevation. Eventually we were at 500 m above sea level. What a difference! Lush and green with crops such as bananas and oranges.Lots of cattle grazing. Our destination was an area where we could see the giant land tortoises in their natural habitat. We put on gum boots as the ground was mucky from all the rain. Saw lots of happy tortoises grazing.This one is about 80 or so years old.

The ones in the sanctuary aren't particularly happy campers. They get fed Mon, Wed and Fri so we saw the feeding both today and Monday. They are noisy chompers. They don't have teeth, so when in the wild they spread seeds all over the place which results in new vegetation. Their poops are rather large!!
The highlands have an odd climate. In the dry season, which is just ending, it is rainy and moist. In the wet season, it is drier and the lower areas get the rain. The males tend to be up in the highlands while the females are lower where it is warmer for incubating their eggs. Our guide told us that they go on facebook when it's time to meet for mating. The males have a concave lower shell to facilitate the mating.
Then it was back to the boat and a relaxing few hours before our nightly briefing and supper. Part of the meal was very salty tonite -- it's happened a couple of times. We had fresh tuna again with a nice sauce on it. Oh, earlier in the day we saw the fish market. Lots of pelicans looking for scraps plus a sea lion right under the table.

Day 5

This morning it was up early again with breakfast at 7. Good breakfasts on the ship: lots and lots of different fruits, granola, yogurt, meat, cheese, eggs plus some extras such as plantain fried with onions and herbs today.
We were in the boats before 8 to visit the sea lions on the Island of Santa Fe. The beach was full of them with the alpha male constantly patroling the beach and braying. The males get very tired as they don't take time to eat. That's when the competitor moves in. We watched them for a long time then walked over a headland to the next beach. The land iguanas were everywhere and as it is mating season, we saw the males following the females. The other thing they do is spend a lot of time under the cactus "trees" as their only food is the flowers which drop off the cacti. They have lost their ability to climb trees.

this one is about 30 inches long

 We saw two snakes as well -- near each other so probably mating as well. They kind of looked like our garter snakes but are actually boa constrictors. After getting to the next beach, we were picked up and taken back to the ship. Next was snorkling. It wasn't as interesting today -- the most fun was watching the young sea lion swirling around me. They seem to like to play with us in the water.
After lunch we set sail for a very small island called South Plaza. It was promised to be beautiful and it certainly was. It was covered with vegetation which was red/orange so lots of color. We walked a long trail around the island seeing many land iguanas, some marine iguanas (which climb the cliffs), sea lions (some of whom also climb the cliffs on a steep path), loads of sea birds, iguana nests (holes in the ground), birds galore, a baby seagull -- one alive and one dead, etc.

 Gorgeous views of the turquoise water, our ship, the colorful landscape.

Most of the land looks barren as the trees are all dormant. That's why the color on this island was so welcome.

Walter can't get his arms around the base of the cactus.

Forgot to say that we saw a long, drawn out fight between two sea lions in the water near where we were snorkling. Wouldn't want to get in their way!
In our lecture tonite, Walter (our naturalist guide) told us some of the history of the islands. Tomorrow we will be at Espanola which is the oldest and most southern. It has a history of 5 million years but the iguanas there have a history of 9 million years. So there was another island which sunk so the iguana moved on. All the islands gradually shrink as their volcanoes implode. Eg Fernandino Island lost 3 or 400 meters of height in the 1980's when the empty volcano collapsed with an earthquake. That's a continuing process -- as is the formation of new islands to the west.
The rocks on the little island today were amazing. They are polished so much by thousands of years of sea lions sliding over them that they shine in the sun. We've seen it before but it was much more obvious today. One spot was like a shiny highway.
I am regaining the weight I lost when in Peru. The meals are great and it is hard to resist taking a bit of each interesting item. Will probably need to go on a diet when I get home. Not enough exercise and what we do is very leisurely. Also I have a nap every afternoon plus sleep all night.

Day 6

Today we are at Espanola Island. The crossing in the night was a bit rough so I took a gravol. Will do that again tonite as well. We finish supper by 8 pm then head for bed on a full stomach. Not a good idea when the boat is rocking and rolling.
We were in the zodiacs by 8 am and had a dry landing. We walked (slowly!!) for almost three hours. Saw the usual sea lions but it was the albatross which we were going to see. They have an "airport" where they land but they can't take off from there. They need to walk to the edge of the cliff and launch themselves from there.

An albatross flexing its wings.

Saw some chicks --- so cute!

 We watched the birds soaring along the cliffs and saw a blowhole. Saw some chicks of the blue footed boobies as well.

Masked booby.

 The birds sure aren't bothered by us. We can walk within inches of them and they don't move. Saw lots of mating dances -- both of the albatross and the boobies.
Then we sailed to Gardner Bay where we had lunch. They always stop the ship at mealtimes which is much appreciated by the servers, cooks and us. Then it was nap time followed by snorkling at 2 pm. Today was really neat as I was surrounded by about 7 or 8 juvenile sea lions. They were eating something which was also interesting to see. One kept coming right up to me and brushed its whiskers on my hand. Then he looked like he wanted to take a nibble so I backed up a bit! Saw interesting things like sea urchins -- big black spines.
I always have a hot shower after snorkling as I get quite cold. We are in the water for about an hour. It might be better is we had sunshine but there's been little of that. It's OK as when the sun does come out, it gets really hot. Today I used the hairdrier because we were going back out onto a beach and I didn't want to go with wet hair. We were dropped off on a white sandy beach with 170 sea lions -- Walter counted them. Also saw two dead babies. Forgot to mention that we saw a whole pile of new pups in the morning.

 One still had the umbilical cord hanging down. Mom was encouraging it to go into the water. They have 4 teats and nurse the pups until they are a year old. They mate again when the pup is about a month but the embryo sits dormant for about three months as the mother needs the hormones for her milk.
Supper tonite was a salad of eggplant baked with mozz cheese, shrimp, carrots, beans, mashed spuds and a custard. A few things are too salty but most are good. Despite the saltiness, I see the others dumping more on!!!
Don didn't come with us today. His feet are too sore and the walking is difficult -- very stoney and exactly what his feet don't like. He's happy to read while we are out. He also won't go snorkling though others do who can't swim. They put on wet suits plus a life jacket.

Day 7

This morning we woke up beside the island of San Cristobal. What a difference! It is an old volcano with high cliffs. Our first activity of the day was to climb up to the open flat area where the birds were supposed to be nesting. It was the first decent exercise I've had in over a week! -- but it didn't last long enough. I can hardly wait to get home and be active again. Anyway, we were supposed to see red footed boobies but only saw a baby and a juvenile. They look exactly like blue footed ones. The foot coloration doesn't appear until they are a year old. A National Geographic crew was there today with their fancy camera. Probably most of the passengers were paying ones.

We then took a slow cruise around Kicker Rock which is a massive rock formation surrounded by water. On the way here we were in the midst of a big pod of dolphins. Again, they were swimming right under the boat. Really neat to see but hard to get a picture of. Saw a humpback whale close up as well as a manta ray surfacing off in the distance.
Lunch was a series of Ecuadorian dishes starting with ceviche -- served with popcorn! I was glad of the popcorn as, when I had it before, I had nothing to balance the acidity of the dish with.
Our afternoon snorkling was interesting with 4 sea turtles along the reef. One came up for air right beside me. Saw a gorgeous, big blue fish. Most are smallish.
After this we had a walk on the little island off the main island. Saw many pairs of blue footed boobies courting plus one mating.

Courting dance. Note the upright tails. They also stamp their feet and do things with their bills.

Also many were already on nests. Found out about how they make the nest boundary. The bird (male and female take turns for 40 days) sits on the eggs (two or three but usually only one chick survives). They face the sun and poop out the back end so, as they change directions, the nest is ringed with guana. This defines the area and possibly is a deterent for bugs.

 Several birds were nesting on the trail so had to put up with lots of people going by. Saw one abandoned nest.
Tonite was our farewell cocktail where the crew is re- introduced and thanked. Dinner was steak, baked potato and veggies. Tomorrow we have about an hour on shore before we head for the airport.