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Newborn boobies
A mother and her newborn boobies. I am going to skip right to the goods.
Today I went on a boat tour to an island called Seymore Island it is just off the island Baltra where you fly to the Galapagos. Baltra is a 10 minute ferry ride from Santa Cruz the island I am staying at.
Around 6:30 am I clamoured out of bed and got myself ready for the big day. At 7am we were starting to worry about not getting food, because breakfast usually isn´t served until 730. So we walked down the block and ran into a guy we met at the Secret Garden back in Quito, he was going diving. (The previous day he swam with a Whale Shark!!!) He didn´t know any places so I walked around, luckily the lady from the hostel was starting to open up just after 7, so we were able to fill our tummies with carbs and for myself a caffine fix to make me wide eyed. Around 745, 15 minutes later than the tour time said, the bus came to pick us up. We had to wait around the front of our hostel for someone or something to pick us up. We
weren´t sure what so when I saw a truck pull up just before 730 I ran to it waving the paper at him. He looked surprised and scared, his response was "No se", "I don´t know" it wasn´t him.
So when the bus comes we board the coach style bus that frequent Ecuador. The Spanish reggaeton was not blaring yet..... We drove around Puerta Ayore picking up other passengers for the tour. After about 15 min we started towards the direction of Baltra Island to start the tour. The bus ride was about an hour of pleasant countryside and local people milling about with their everyday activities.
After an hour we got to the area where you come to across the canal to go to Baltra Island. We anxiously awaited our turn to load up into a dingy and get onto the boat. I was pleasantly surprised to be loaded onto a small Bayliner. We were cruising in style.
After about 10 min we started our trek towards Seymore Island, it takes 50min. Along the way, boats filled with other day trippers cluttered the waters as we spilt into different directions for a day of exploring the
perils of the Galapagos. The ride was very nice I love riding in boats. Jen and I sat at the top and looked out onto the royal blue waters, splashed with sections of turquoise. I love this place. There was a nice breeze to keep you cool, while the morning clouds burned off. The ride was fairly uneventful, until we got closer to the island. Once we were about 150 m away from the island massive birds circled the boat overhead. There were frigates, Galapagos seagulls and pelicans. Some of them flew right up to the boat. I was thrilled and excited to explore.
We all got our our cameras and headed down to load up into the dingy. Off we went towards the island with birds still circling overhead and a shark circling below the water. That was a really cool experience I wish there were more that circled the boat and came closer to the surface so we could get a really good look at them.
After a few minutes we landed and I was bursting with excitment. As soon as we got off the boat crab colonies scuttled back and forth to avoid our approaching feet.
Galapagos seagulls were making nests and pelicans were fishing.
Up the rocks and onto flat ground, here is where the tour would start.
Our guide brought us along the designated trail and within 10 feet there was a baby sea lion about 3-5 months old sleeping in a bush. Another 3 feet and there was one sun bathing on a rock. OMG they are sooo cute!! SO there we were snap snap snap away with our cameras, taking pictures like we would never see another one, yet another 10 feet and there was one who was posing for the camera. Sea iguanas were on the rocks close to the water away from our path.
We kept walking and we saw a momma sea lion and her baby under a bush trying for some shade. At first the mom didn´t give a damn we were there, or that her pup wanted milk. Then miracously she decided to pose for us. Head up, then to the side, then back. After about a 2 minute window she collapsed back to the ground and continued sleeping.
A little further and we were greeted by two land iguanas, these ones are
bigger than the sea ones. A couple more feet and frigate birds were flying over head circling and the males were puffing up their red sacs to draw females in for mating. Others were tending to nests or even young. A frigate bird, (I will upload a photo later) is black and then males have a red sac under their beak that they can blow up and tap with their beak to get the attention of females. There were also albatros, very beautiful and delicate birds, and then the blue-footed boobies. All of the birds were in different stages of reproduction, either they were finding mates (I didn´t see any mating dances just calls and squacks) making nests or tending to the egg or new borns. Some even had months old babies that were walking around and cleaning themselves, not yet finding food for themselves. I was so amazed, we were within feet of these creatures, they were letting us into their world an experience that a zoo could never ever provide. I took a video of the baby boobie and its parents it really is an awesome thing.
We walked around the designated path seeing bird after bird
taking photo after photo. Despite how montonous it may sound every corner was something new.
After the tour we got back on the boat and had some lunch, when I was served it was potatoes, beans, rice and what I thought was a pork chop, turns out it was tuna. If I had just pulled the meat apart I would have seen the way it flaked off. Phew. I did eat a bit, with a little aqi the hot sauce in Ecuador. Whew.
Afterwards, we headed to the front of the boat to tan. Couldn´t have been better, cruising along, water spraying at you as your body heats up and starts to brown. It took about an hour to get to the next stop. This one was where it was at, well at least we thought so (it was great though).
We thought we would be able to swim with sea lions and see sea turtles and that we would have been given snorkling gear.
Reality: 1 sealion, who was around long enough for a photo op and then headed out. No sea turtles because they come at night, however, they were nesting so we got
Path to Turtuga Bay
Oh the way to Turtuga Bay aka Turtle Bay to see the holes they had dug to lay there eggs. The lagoon was empty of the supposed flamingos and horse flys were rampant.
However, despite these set backs, the water was amazing turquoise and spakling and nice an warm, waves were big enough to toss you around a bit but not drown you. The beach was a pristine white sand that felt like silk. We swam and relaxed, and then scoured the beach for shells and washed up coral. We saw pelicans fishing and smaller birds sitting on their heads, trying to get a piece of the catch. Albatros were flying over head and dive bombing into the water and popping up second later, Jen got a video.
After the kids scared away all the marine life and then left, we had an hour to take in the view. It was really nice. Around 200 we climbed back into the dingy and the boat operator proceeded to wipe sand off my bottom I was scared, I wanted to hit him. Turns out you can´t have sand in the boat, I wiped the rest off.
We got back to the boat and I draped myself over the
rail for the next hour, taking in the view and trying not to burn. Unfortunately, I did, and it is a small price to pay.
We got back to the harbour and fell asleep for the journey home. What a day......
PS I started this yesterday but computer problems lead me to finish today, my tour was on Wednesday.
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Mum
non-member comment
I'm so jealous. I hope you have a great day tomorrow on your 21st brithday. Wish I could be there with you. Love Mum xox