Our last day in the Galapagos Islands!! It was great, but this week sure went fast! ! ! !
Brett went on one last deep water dive. He loved it again. He said it was the best ever. While he was there, I took the zodiac in to the beach at Garner Bay. It was like being at the Children’s Pool in La Jolla times ten. One of the naturalists who does a count each week counted either 162 or 192 sea lions. A large percentage of them were mothers with babies. The big difference is that you could walk right between them, and they would just continue sleeping! ! ! The babies that were nursing made the exact same noise as baby people, slurping away!!! I was close enough that I could see the sucking a swallowing as I heard each slurp. We saw a few altercations, but fortunately, they were between sea lions, not us. Brett got there after about an hour. We looked around a little more, then back to the boat.
After lunch (really, we should never be hungry again!!!) we made our last landing at Punta Suarez. Mores sea lions, BEAUTIFUL marine iguanas with a surprisingly bright red coloring, blue footed boobies and their babies, and then, AMAZINGLY, albatross! ! ! ! I don’t know what the plural is, but there were tons of them, and babies, too.
Tonight we have to pack up, and get ready to . . . . . . .HEAD FOR PERU! ! ! !
Adios!!!!
OH MY GOSH – I wrote the previous part before dinner. Dinner was great. Then there was a surprise cake and singing by the crew for a birthday. Then the lights went off, and there was singing in Spanish and commotion and chaos and it was an ANNIVERSARY cake for us. Two shocking surprise parties in one month. I’ve aged a lot!!! We don’t even know who told them. Both Brett and I have mentioned it to a couple of people, but who knows who told . . . Anyway, it was very nice (and more shock and awe)!!!
ADIOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Galapagos Day #6

We started off the day at the Post Office Barrel, on Floreana Island, where whalers would leave a pick up mail primarily bound for England. When the whaler got home, he would deliver any mail from the barrel that was going to a neighbor. When we checked the barrel this morning, we found mail going to China, Israel, Holland, and many spots in the U.S. Brett and I have a card to deliver to Carlsbad!!! We also left a batch of cards. Who knows how long they will take to arrive!!!!
We rode the zodiacs around a small islet – Champion – looking specifically for Charles Mockingbirds. We saw one – it s small mean bird our naturalist told us. They eat babies of all kinds, with their very strong beaks.
Brett got ahold of some diving weights, so he was very happy snorkeling today. They have wetsuits for everyone on board, but only the naturalists have weights. So, one of them was not going, and Brett got his weights. He found one of those crazy sea lions that thinks he’s Dexter – romping all over the place, trying to have his picture taken. Brett got a good photo, but you’ll have to wait to see it!!!
Finally, we went on a hike at Punta Cormorant. There’s a brackish pond here, where you are likely to see flamingos. There are 480 flamingos in the archipelago, divided up between 20 brackish ponds. Sometimes they have seen 125 at this pond, but not today!!! (None for us!) But when we got around the pond to the beach we saw HUGE batches of sting rays – 20 at a time, and everyone wanting to take their picture. It was a little nervewracking!! But no one got stung – some people felt them sort of float by in the surf. It was crazy!!!
How can tomorrow be the last day of the Galapagos for us???
Adios

Galapagos Day Day #5

I have forgotten to mention - - - THERE ARE NO MOSQUITOS! ! ! ! that was the biggest health concern that the travel medicine people told us about. So, great news!
We are back on our regular schedule now, up at 5 – 5:30. I know, weird. We had plenty of time to have coffee and tea and breakfast before the longer hike this morning. We hiked on the northwestern coast of Isabella Island. This is the biggest one, shaped a little like a seahorse, if you look at a map. We went along a sort of lava coast, and then inland for awhile. We saw our final type of iguana – the land iguana. This animal is very solitary – not the big piles we’ve gotten used to seeing. Also, they are very a very pale, yellowish color. Incredible to see them just strolling/plodding along. We saw several, and none of them were thrilled to see us. We, however, were thrilled to see them. The camera equipment on this trip is pretty amazing – everything from point and shoots to major cases of cameras/lenses/video/etc.
On the inland portion of the hike, we spotted a tortoise, out on her own, in the bushes ! ! ! She was a young (?!?!) one, our naturalist told us, around 25 years old! This was a very hot hike, even though it was early morning.
In the afternoon, Brett went snorkeling again and I went on a zodiac ride, into the mangrove coves and estuaries. The “Able Seaman” (driver of the boat) turned the engine off in the various coves, and we just floated along, watching for animals. TONS of turtles, many varieties of fish, and most impressive, three kinds of rays – several huge manta rays, and group of five golden rays and what looked like a leopard ray (I can’t remember the name)! !! The naturalist told us that he had once seen a group of about 40 golden rays – it looked like a golden carpet on the surface!!! A different zodiac group saw a flamingo! ! ! Brett was continuing to look for the elusive seahorses, but they continued to be elusive. Too bad, but he saw sea urchins with spines about 6 inches long!! Plus a huge variety of fish! ! !
Finally, stargazing in the Southern Hemisphere!! What a day!!!
Adios!!

Galapagos Day #4

Today we were on the front deck of the ship at 6:30 – the boat was traveling to the furthest western part of the Galapagos. There are all kinds of currents going on, which cause the water to be colder, have more nutrients, and therefore different animals – sometimes whales and dolphins. So we were watching for them!! Also, we would be crossing the equator, and the ship’s crew told us there would be a special ceremony. I was a little apprehensive, as Alice told me when her Semester at Sea ship crossed the equator, the tradition was to shave your head or be doused with fish guts. Hmmmmmm
Fortunately, neither of those two things happened. They keep pirate costumes on board for the kids to wear, and they were the equatorial pirates, with the crew joining in.
We went on the zodiacs to the edge of a “shield volcano.” Along the way were TONS of sea turtles. The most we’ve seen from the boat. Also, all kinds of birds, perched along the sea wall/cliff.
Brett went on the snorkel here – there is a remote possibility of spotting sea horses, and they’re deep, so I wasn’t on that trip. Brett looked, but didn’t see them. The water was supposed to be quite cold, but he said it wasn’t. I, of course, didn’t believe him, but they measured the temperature at 66, and that’s about what it’s been all along the way.
We ended up on the island of Fernandina – the youngest island – for an incredible walk around the marine iguanas and sea lions. There were hundreds of the iguanas every time we turned around. Incredible. I sat down to get sand out of my shoe, and almost sate on one. They’re SO well camouflaged, even though after the hatchling stage they have very few predators.
We were watching mother sea lions with their babies that were in the one-week-old range. The big male, father of all the babies in this location, was barking away full blast in the little cove. All of a sudden a second male apparently tried to land. Or, he did land, and the father, or dominant male SHOT out of the water like a torpedo. Which meant that the invader male also shot like a torpedo. RIGHT BETWEEN OUR LITTLE HIKING GROUP! ! ! Two three-hundred pound plus sea lions, 20 mph, 8 feet away!! Even the fancy photographers didn’t get photos of the actual event, but the one I took seconds after is pretty good. Watch for it next week!!!
I can’t think of another place in the world where you could have these kinds of experiences! ! !
Adios!!!!

Day #3

Today was the day for tortoises. They are amazing, just walking or plodding around. We even saw a tortoise altercation over a specific place in a pond.
We started the day at the National Park Headquarters/Charles Darwin Research Station. Because the tortoises are genetically different on each of the islands, and were dangerously close to extinction on some (down to 11 on one island), breeding is being done at the Research Station. We saw the incubation method, and then tortoises from less than a year on up. They are very carefully trying to reintroduce the tortoises to their native habitats. Interestingly, a tortoise’s sex is determined by the temperature at which it is incubated!!! We even saw Diego, whom my brother, Jim, and I sat on in the 1950s at the San Diego Zoo. The Zoo returned him to the Galapagos in the 1960s
We walked through the town, and then rode a bus to the highlands of Santa Cruz. This is the most heavily populated island (by people), and most of them work in tourist related industries. In the highlands we saw the tortoises in the “wild.” The area where we walked is privately owned. However, the owners have to follow very strict guidelines, which include letting people come to see them. We were close to them – maybe 15 – 20 feet. They’re HUGE! ! ! !
We walked through a lava tube – 400 meters long, mostly fairly tall, but some parts we had to crouch down. We also saw some huge canyons caused by collapsing lava tubes.
What a spectacular place. Brett is off in the library, which s small, but has a ton of interesting books. Can you believe I haven’t opened a junk novel since I got on the boat???
Adios!!!

Day #2

We started with a 6:00 am hike up to the top of North Seymour Island. This is the spot that Buzz Aldrin, the astronaut, says most closely resembles the moon’s surface. I assume he’s right!! Up at the top it was pretty barren. In the short distance, thought, we could see the other islands.

Waiting for us at the dock was a sea lion, so tame that he sniffed Brett’s leg closely enough that Brett felt his nose!!! We have great photos of that, but no photos on the blog from the boat. Later!!

It was 479 feet to the top of the island. Whenever we go on these hikes, there is a naturalist with us. This is a National Park law, and as a result, there is NO graffiti, NO trash, NO foot prints anywhere but on the pathways. Also, it’s part of why the animals are not at all afraid of people. It’s very difficult to come here on anything but a tour. Even bringing your own boat – sailing or motoring from somewhere – there are huge landing fees, and you still have to join a group to look around. Even the naturalists cannot bring friends along. Each hiking group is around 12 – 14 people. It’s very well managed.
After the morning hike, and breakfast, we (yes, me, too!!!) went snorkeling. Someone on our flight here told us that we would be amazed, even the fish don’t seem to be afraid. All kinds of fish to see, but the most amazing thing of the day for me was a PENGUIN! ! ! They are the third smallest penguins in the world. This one was swimming back and forth along the shore. Brett saw one (maybe the same one) when he was starting out snorkeling – took him completely by surprise! ! ! ! It was wonderful!!
The food has been consistently wonderful, but today’s lunch was many Ecuadorean specialties. Ceviche was my favorite. After lunch there was a lecture on the geology of the Galapagos.
Brett went on a second dive this afternoon, and saw turtles that time. The water was not as clear as the naturalists were expecting, but it was clear for us!!! He was obviously able to move faster and see more with me on the boat.
Last of the day was a sunset hike on Puerto Egas. It was beautiful, along the volcanic coastline. There were land and marine iguanas everywhere. I thought that photos we saw ahead of time were wonderful advertisements for the trip, but not daily occurrences!! There were REALLY heaps of ten iguanas, and a little further along, a three foot wall – like sandstone, but Brett thinks compacted volcanic ash – maybe 30 feet long, COVERED with iguanas, getting their last sun of the day.
The sun was setting as we rode the zodiac back to our boat!!!!

Day #2

We started with a 6:00 am hike up to the top of North Seymour Island. This is the spot that Buzz Aldrin, the astronaut, says most closely resembles the moon’s surface. I assume he’s right!! Up at the top it was pretty barren. In the short distance, thought, we could see the other islands.

Waiting for us at the dock was a sea lion, so tame that he sniffed Brett’s leg closely enough that Brett felt his nose!!! We have great photos of that, but no photos on the blog from the boat. Later!!

It was 479 feet to the top of the island. Whenever we go on these hikes, there is a naturalist with us. This is a National Park law, and as a result, there is NO graffiti, NO trash, NO foot prints anywhere but on the pathways. Also, it’s part of why the animals are not at all afraid of people. It’s very difficult to come here on anything but a tour. Even bringing your own boat – sailing or motoring from somewhere – there are huge landing fees, and you still have to join a group to look around. Even the naturalists cannot bring friends along. Each hiking group is around 12 – 14 people. It’s very well managed.
After the morning hike, and breakfast, we (yes, me, too!!!) went snorkeling. Someone on our flight here told us that we would be amazed, even the fish don’t seem to be afraid. All kinds of fish to see, but the most amazing thing of the day for me was a PENGUIN! ! ! They are the third smallest penguins in the world. This one was swimming back and forth along the shore. Brett saw one (maybe the same one) when he was starting out snorkeling – took him completely by surprise! ! ! ! It was wonderful!!
The food has been consistently wonderful, but today’s lunch was many Ecuadorean specialties. Ceviche was my favorite. After lunch there was a lecture on the geology of the Galapagos.
Brett went on a second dive this afternoon, and saw turtles that time. The water was not as clear as the naturalists were expecting, but it was clear for us!!! He was obviously able to move faster and see more with me on the boat.
Last of the day was a sunset hike on Puerto Egas. It was beautiful, along the volcanic coastline. There were land and marine iguanas everywhere. I thought that photos we saw ahead of time were wonderful advertisements for the trip, but not daily occurrences!! There were REALLY heaps of ten iguanas, and a little further along, a three foot wall – like sandstone, but Brett thinks compacted volcanic ash – maybe 30 feet long, COVERED with iguanas, getting their last sun of the day.
The sun was setting as we rode the zodiac back to our boat!!!!