Ecuador, Peru - Galapagos, Machu Picchu and more...2014: Monday 29.9.14 – Galapagos – Puerto Ayora, Santa Fe & South Plaza Islands

Awake ultra early today, but having been in bed early, feeling ok. It was lovely to sleep soundly.

Aunty Sue is struggling a tad (claustrophobic) with our little cabin, so we will try sleeping with the door open tonight.

We seem to have managed to pack ourselves away OK.

I headed up to the lounge about 5.30, but no action, and it was dark, it is really 4.30, Galapagos time. Walking around the deck I spotted a little shark swimming in the clear blue water, in the glow of the ship’s lights.

We got underway just before 6am. No sign of the sun yet, its ultra dark. 7.00 wake up call, breaky at 7.30 then we are heading to Sante Fe Island by 8.30 for a walk.

On the Island we saw amazing Sea Lions close up – mainly females and babies on the beach. It was a wet landing, meaning we have to get off the Zodiac into water about knee deep. We had some time with the Sea Lions, followed by a walk on the Island. It is quite a harsh environment – lots of cacti, also saw Land Iguanas and Lava Lizards and good views of the ship from shore.

Drying off the feet before putting shoes on after wet
landing on Santa Fe.

These guys were everywhere.

Mockingbird again.

One of many MASSIVE cacti.

Our group off on our walk inland on the Island. Lots
of rocks and the Scalesia trees look dead, but
evidently in the wet 'Garua' season, this is all
greened up. Hard to imagine now.

View of Coral 1, through Scalesia and Cacti.

Land Iguana behind the stop
sign. These have been
placed on many of the walks,
as on more than one occasion,
someone from the USA has
walked off the edge - cos they
weren't told to STOP!

Land Iguana eating the cactus.

Sea Lion Tail.

Sea Lion flipper.

This is one of the guides Hernan,
just to show how close the Sea
Lions are.

Sally Lightfoot crabs, these guys are everywhere too,
and are actually the only critter, that skitters when we
approach.

Galapagos Eagle.

Newly born Sea Lion pup with mum.

Zodiac loaded and ready to go.

Back on board about 10.15ish, where we went up onto the top deck to grab a set of snorkelling gear and a wetsuit before our deep water snorkel – in off the zodiac. We saw heaps of fish, Sea Lions eating the fish, some Diamond Stingrays and a white tipped reef shark. We snorkelled for 30 minutes in very clear water along the shore of Santa Fe.

All finned up and ready to snorkel.

Sea Lion underwater.

Moving into the school of fish.

Marbled Ray, I think.

Sturgeonfish.

Obligatory selfie.

Then back onto the ship for lunch and some downtime while the Coral 1 moved to our next location. My plan to type up the blog was foiled by my visit to the top deck, where we had some Frigate birds circling, then they actually landed on the roof of the top deck and on the antennas and things up top. There are two types of Frigate the Great Frigate and the Magnificent Frigate, I’m sure we had both sorts up there and some juvenile ones also. One of the males actually pumped up his red pouch, as a female was flying overhead, very exciting to see and only a metre or two away. There was another Albatross like bird as well.

At one stage there were 8 birds on the roof plus others flying around – it was a fantastic experience.

We neared some Islands while watching the birds. Anchored off South Plaza Island, and there are squillions of birds milling around in the thermals and along the rocks and cliffs of the island – Tropicbirds, Shearwaters, Frigates.

Frigate bird.

Bunch of Frigates on top of ship.

Sitting on the front of the deck.

Patterns in flight.

One of the many small Islets around the place.
Havens for birds, hence the white guano.

Second trip off ship heading to South Plaza Island for a walk. Saw heaps of Swallow Tailed Gulls and Juveniles. We saw both Marine and Land Iguanas, they really are a most prehistoric looking lizard. Lots of Sea Lions again, this island is a bachelor pad for male Sea Lions who have been beaten in the struggle for dominance, and for young males who need to hang out and fatten up, ready for the fights that result in the successful Sea Lions mating with the females. So there were lots and lots of old and young males, lazing around the rocks on the Island. Basically this is where the “loser” Sea Lions hang out to regain their strength.

We tried to photograph Tropicbirds – a beautiful white bird with a brilliant red beak and amazingly long and slender tail that has two long thin feathers flying out the back, they were almost impossible to capture. There were also Brown Pelicans, Nazca Boobies and we saw a beautiful little golden yellow bird with a red cap on his head – a Golden Warbler.

Interesting to see the range of colours and shapes and sizes of the Sea Lions, those coming out the water, looked in some cases like they had been spray painted bronze or gold, while those who had dried out on the rocks were furry, like the texture of Cumbungi before it goes all fluffy and the seeds fly away. (for those of you who know what Cumbungi is, you will know what I mean.)

Swallowtailed Gull.

Marine Iguana and Lava Heron.

More cactus and an amazing red and yellow coloured
succulent type plant.

Tropicbird.

Nazca Booby.

Juvenile Swallowtailed Gull.

Beatiful bronze/golden
coloured Sea Lion, fresh
out of the water.

Marine Iguana.

Not so lucky Marine Iguana,

Coral 1.

Suzie, scrambling along the rocks.

We were back to the ship about 6pm, after 90 minutes on the Island. We divide into 3 groups of about 12, each with a guide who is provided by the Galapagos National Park, no one is allowed to wander alone in the Galapagos, everyone MUST have a guide. Things are very strictly regulated, in terms of numbers, and time on land as well as having very well defined paths to which we must stick.

It is hard to believe how close the wildlife here is, there is no fear of humans and it’s fantastic – a vast change from the Amazon, where things were so far away. Already I feel like I have ticked off so many things I wanted to see, the only real biggie left from my list is the Blue Footed Booby – evidently tomorrow is the day.