Blogs from Española Island, Galápagos, Ecuador, South America

It doesn't get much better than when you find yourself doing whatever you enjoy most. If that comes about by chance, that's good, if by design, it's all the better. My lust for the outdoors, wildlife and photography have come together very nicely here in the Galapagos. After an arduous slog across the southern pacific ocean overnight, one that kept most of us awake as doors slammed, glasses smashed and all sorts crashed around the boat in the big swell, we found ourselves at another paradisical beach festooned with sea lions and patrolled by Frigate birds. The island was Espaniola. The weather wasn't flash and everyone was feeling the effects of little sleep. Nonetheless we walked down the beach to find a rare Galapagos Hawk, sodden from the recent downpour. Perched on a rock at the ... read more

As promised, here is a blog on our 2nd day in the Galapagos. We have a pretty good internet connection here, so there´s a good opportunity to upload photos, which I have done. We awoke Wednesday morning moored off Española Island. After breakfast, we went for a two hour walk on Punta Suarez, where we saw more sea lions, hundreds of marine iguanas, crabs and sea birds up close. Among the many interesting facts about the wildlife that our guide Roberto provided was this gem: Marine Iguanas can survive drinking salt water - they have glands that remove the salt from the water and they sneeze out the salt. Staying on the path here was critical, as the iguanas were busy digging nests everywhere. Because of their dark colour, and the black volcanic rock, it was ... read more

More walking, snorkelling and generally being awestruck by the beauty and wildlife... The water is freezing which I didn't expect and on some of the beaches with really fine sand the visibility has been less than great but there are no complaints from this crew, even Wayne trying not to complain about seasickness - poor thing - wondered why he would book a cruise when standing on a jetty can make him feel queazy but he will tell you its totally worth it and he's coming back to do it again as soon as they build bridges from island to island. Next day Post Office Bay on Floreana where we left postcards and picked one up to deliver to Mermaid Waters. We also explored a pirate cave (a lava tube that is deep and dark and ... read more

Española bietet Heimat fuer eine Kolonie von Albatrossen; wir beobachten die Voegel beim Brueten und tolpatschigen Landungen. Die Albatrosse muessen vom Innern der Insel bis zur Steilkueste watscheln, wenn sie starten wollen; dort stuerzen sie sich von den Felsen und werden vom Wind aufgefangen. Beim sogenannten Blowhole spritzt - abhaengig vom Seegang - eine bis zu zwoelf Meter hohe Wasser(staub)fontaene empor. Daneben fuehren Blaufusstoelpel ihren Paarungstanz auf, begleitet von merwuerdigen roehrenden Geraeuschen. Bevor wir heute ins Wasser duerfen, muessen wir eine Notfalluebung ertragen - offensichtlich hat vor einigen Jahren ein betrunkener Kapitaen ein Touristenschiff kentern lassen, wobei einige Reisende ertrunken sind. Da Todesfaelle schlecht fuer das Geschaeft sind, wissen wir nun, wie man Schwimmwesten seemannsgerecht anlegt. Dann Schnorcheln mit Rochen in der Gard... read more

The yacht was driven overnight to Punta Suarez on Espanola, the southernmost island in the archipelago. After the best breakfast in South America we hopped into the dingy and luckily had a dry landing before our 3 hour walk. Once again, sea lions played around the dingy and as soon as we got off we were surrounded by vividly red crabs scuttling across the lava rocks, and sea iguanas (live to 80 years) perfectly camouflaged and very hard to spot. We learnt that the sea iguanas can spend an hour in the sea, using their tails to swim, feeding on algae using their 3 pointed teeth. They then return to land, with their bellies on the hot black lava, returning to 35 degrees. They eliminate the salt from their digestive system by spitting it out through ... read more

The seaweed is always greener In somebody else's lake You dream about going up there But that is a big mistake Just look at the world around you Right here on the ocean floor Such wonderful things surround you What more is you lookin' for? Under the sea Under the sea Darling it's better Down where it's wetter Take it from me Up on the shore they work all day Out in the sun they slave away While we devotin' Full time to floatin' Under the sea Down here all the fish is happy As off through the waves they roll The fish on the land ain't happy They sad 'cause they in their bowl But fish in the bowl is lucky They in for a worser fate One day when the boss get hungry Guess ... read more