Sante Fa and South Plaza
Sleeping on a boat for the first time was certainly an experience and definitely hard to sleep as when we started moving i woke up. After an early breakfast and a wet landing on the beach at Sante Fa we started walking around the island. We saw a large group of Galapagos Hawks waiting to feed on a dead sealion baby which was sad but nature is nature after all. A sealion then came right up to sniff me which was crazy how small and close it was. On the walk we saw our first type of land iguanas.
Once back on the boat we went for our first snorkel! I got to see a very young sealion which i go really close to and a shark along with the huge array of fish. As we swam towards the shore we found our selves playing with a group of sealions which was so cool. We then got taken to snorkel at aonther part of the bay where we got to see a pacific green turtle sleeping at the bottom of the ocean. After topping up my tan whilst the boat moved we then arrived at South Plazas where we got to see a different type of land iguana which are remarkably different. We also got to see a tropic bird, swallow tail gull, more great frigate birds and sheerwaters. We even got to see blue footed boobies. Boobies are named from the spanish word meanig clown (another interesting fact). Plazas was definitely the most beautiful island I got to experience. It really is like a place from a movie. Once back on the boat we saw another shark and a turtle. After dinner we got to look at the stars which you have no concept of just how many there really are.
Genovesa
Genovesa is so very different to the Islands we saw yesterday. Our wet landing took us straight onto the beach where we saw a great frigate bird feeding its chick. The chicks were so fluffy. We also saw lots of red footed booby chicks. As we were sat having a talk about the wildlife nature came very close. An adult frigate bird picked a chick that wasnt its own from its nest, flew really high and just dropped the baby. The baby chick was screaming and even when it landed it was still alive as it had landed on sand. The hardest thing was that we were not aloud to put the chick back near the nest. Its such a clear example of the selfish gene though as what the evil bird did wasn't for the best of the species, just for the own individual bird to pass on its genes. As we kept walking we then witnessed another horrible act of the smaller chick being pushed out of the nest because the parents lay 2 eggs, each a week apart and the second is just an insurance baby so the younger chick just starves to death. It's a horrible idea but as I came to realise during my trip, nature isn't actually that nice when it comes down to the nitty gritty!
We then returned to the boat for some snorkeling and got to see another turtle. Sadly the water wasn't very clear the first time we went snorkeling. Our second snorkel was a lot better as got to see fur sealions and I got to see a angel fish like the one from the book you read when your a kid!We then got to see lots of masked boobies which look brilliant and the very allusive short eared owl. It was a very mixed day as there was alot of sadness but also alot of happiness as there were so many new born chicks!
Santiago & Rubida
The travel to the island was incredibly choppy, alot of people seemed to be sick, somehow though I managed to sleep through some of it which I felt was a minor miracle. After breakfast we headed over to Santiago to the larva platforms which are only 130 years old. They were incredible, how the pattern of larva formed called rope into so many amazing patterns. The colours through the rock showed all the different minerals which was so beautiful. After coming back to the boat we then went snorkeling and managed to get so close to a pacific green sea turtle which was incredible, I also got to see marine iguanas when they were in the water. When we got back into the zodiac we found the penguins bobbing around, it was amazing to see real penguins in their natural habitat!
We then traveled to Rubida which had a read beach and a black lagoon but sadly there were no flamingos. The galapagos humming birds were very interesting, they like drink water out of the lid as they have learnt that people have water, not only are they cute, but also very clever! After a nice walk and some incredible views we came back to the beach and went snorkeling with sea lions. They are such gentle and playful animals to get to share the water with.
Once back on board the boat moved on again to where we are visiting on the last morning. The trip flew by and if I could, I would go back in a instant, even if that did mean I would have to spend a week experiencing no sleep and bumpy seas!
Santa Cruz and back to Ecuador
Banks in Equador seem to be difficult to extract money out. Instead of going to the 0'0'' point on the equator we wandered all around the markets and down little streets to the banking district where we had coffee at a lovely cafe in the sun before returning to the hotel and then leaving for the airport.
Sante Fa and South Plaza
Sleeping on a boat for the first time was certainly an experience and definitely hard to sleep as when we started moving i woke up. After an early breakfast and a wet landing on the beach at Sante Fa we started walking around the island. We saw a large group of Galapagos Hawks waiting to feed on a dead sealion baby which was sad but nature is nature after all. A sealion then came right up to sniff me which was crazy how small and close it was. On the walk we saw our first type of land iguanas.
Once back on the boat we went for our first snorkel! I got to see a very young sealion which i go really close to and a shark along with the huge array of fish. As we swam towards the shore we found our selves playing with a group of sealions which was so cool. We then got taken to snorkel at aonther part of the bay where we got to see a pacific green turtle sleeping at the bottom of the ocean. After topping up my tan whilst the boat moved we then arrived at South Plazas where we got to see a different type of land iguana which are remarkably different. We also got to see a tropic bird, swallow tail gull, more great frigate birds and sheerwaters. We even got to see blue footed boobies. Boobies are named from the spanish word meanig clown (another interesting fact). Plazas was definitely the most beautiful island I got to experience. It really is like a place from a movie. Once back on the boat we saw another shark and a turtle. After dinner we got to look at the stars which you have no concept of just how many there really are.
Genovesa is so very different to the Islands we saw yesterday. Our wet landing took us straight onto the beach where we saw a great frigate bird feeding its chick. The chicks were so fluffy. We also saw lots of red footed booby chicks. As we were sat having a talk about the wildlife nature came very close. An adult frigate bird picked a chick that wasnt its own from its nest, flew really high and just dropped the baby. The baby chick was screaming and even when it landed it was still alive as it had landed on sand. The hardest thing was that we were not aloud to put the chick back near the nest. Its such a clear example of the selfish gene though as what the evil bird did wasn't for the best of the species, just for the own individual bird to pass on its genes. As we kept walking we then witnessed another horrible act of the smaller chick being pushed out of the nest because the parents lay 2 eggs, each a week apart and the second is just an insurance baby so the younger chick just starves to death. It's a horrible idea but as I came to realise during my trip, nature isn't actually that nice when it comes down to the nitty gritty!
We then returned to the boat for some snorkeling and got to see another turtle. Sadly the water wasn't very clear the first time we went snorkeling. Our second snorkel was a lot better as got to see fur sealions and I got to see a angel fish like the one from the book you read when your a kid!We then got to see lots of masked boobies which look brilliant and the very allusive short eared owl. It was a very mixed day as there was alot of sadness but also alot of happiness as there were so many new born chicks!
The travel to the island was incredibly choppy, alot of people seemed to be sick, somehow though I managed to sleep through some of it which I felt was a minor miracle. After breakfast we headed over to Santiago to the larva platforms which are only 130 years old. They were incredible, how the pattern of larva formed called rope into so many amazing patterns. The colours through the rock showed all the different minerals which was so beautiful. After coming back to the boat we then went snorkeling and managed to get so close to a pacific green sea turtle which was incredible, I also got to see marine iguanas when they were in the water. When we got back into the zodiac we found the penguins bobbing around, it was amazing to see real penguins in their natural habitat!
We then traveled to Rubida which had a read beach and a black lagoon but sadly there were no flamingos. The galapagos humming birds were very interesting, they like drink water out of the lid as they have learnt that people have water, not only are they cute, but also very clever! After a nice walk and some incredible views we came back to the beach and went snorkeling with sea lions. They are such gentle and playful animals to get to share the water with.
