Been there, Done that, Got the T-shirt

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North Seymour and Bartelomew Saturday 10 September
Another cram-packed day of activities starting with an overnight cruise between islands. This time we saw the Frigate birds in full swing with their extra ball bag inflated and bright red to attract their female mates to their nest (bed) for rumpy pumpy!

Spectacular these birds are, with chests puffed out half the size of themselves, and these are big birds. The offspring are a white fluffy bundle of joy with a beak a bit like a cartoon sketch of Margaret Thatcher. The males build there nest in the top of a small bush, a bush shared with several other males and nests while the females circle over head checking out the size and colour of their suitors appendage.

The Land Iguana showed himself just once but bold enough to snap a few shots. Seems strange that some iguanas have adapted to feeding on sea plants and others not.

We saw a Galapagos snake but didn't manage a clear shot of it. We're informed it is a constrictor and preys mostly on geckos and small lava lizards. We saw lots of snake tracks from bushes to rocks behind the beach. Our guide spotted it but failed to let us know in advance, so we could be on the look out.

Bartelomew Island is a great example of lava flows and sparse vegetation. We climbed to the top and admired the great view of the small island and across to Santiago Island. Here we are just below the equator. Snorkeling from the beach, around the rocks was again amazing. At one point I had an underpant-changing moment when I was taking a photo of a fish and a sea lion literally brushed past. Other than that, all was fine. The shoals of fish are so impressive and they let you get right in the middle of them.

So our Galapagos segment comes to an end. Never thought I'd make it and so glad I have. After a night in Quito, we head to the Amazon, Napo Eco Lodge is our destination for 4 days.

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