Galapagos Islands

South America » Ecuador » North » Quito
August 2nd 2007

Published: August 7th 2007

Edit Blog Post

Denise and Eric

Galapagos

Cotapaxi volcano from the plane

Have just discovered that in our absence there have been problems with the blog server - will try to restore missing entries later, but for now - Galapagos report follows.

We have just arrived back in Quito after the most amazing trip to the Galapagos Islands, way out in the Pacific, off the coast of Ecuador. We were in a small (16 berth) yacht, but nevertheless very comfortable, though we are glad to be back in a bathroom which doesn’t sway and a bed which stays horizontal! There was a good mix on the boat - all ages and nationalities - British, German, Israeli and a Dutch family who, as it turned out, were part owners of the boat.

We were sailing for 8 days over a distance of 370 nautical miles, criss-crossing backwards and forwards between islands large and small, inhabited and uninhabited. Everywhere we were surrounded by wildlife at incredibly close quarters, and soon became very blasé about seeing sea lions cavorting on the beach - or just dozing, pelicans, iguanas, boobies to name but a few.

We have incredible memories and photos - too many experiences to describe, so here are just a few of

Galapagos - North Seymour

Our boat - Estrella del Mar II

the more memorable moments:

1. Seeing so many sea lions everywhere - on the beaches, in the sea - snoozing, suckling, playing, honking to each other, fighting. They blend into the landscapes so well that it is sometimes hard to see them. Bill still has the toothmarks where a young sealion bit him on the leg when he trod on its flipper!

2. Snorkelling off Floreana Island and coming across a huge turtle feeding underwater on weed, then coming up for air inches away from me, quite unperturbed.

3. Frigate birds inflating their magnificent scarlet breast pouches on Seymour Island.

4. Blue footed boobies doing their high step courting dance on the main footpath on Espagnole Island, and seeing them doing their vertical dive bombing en masse into the sea to catch fish.

5. Albatrosses performing their ‘kissing’ beaks entwined mating ritual, and seeing baby albatrosses in their nests.

6. Pelicans perching on the boat in pursuit of food after breakfast.

7. Seeing the unique land and marine iguanas, sally lightfoot crabs, and other amazing wildlife only living on the Galapagos.

8. Flamingoes and white tipped sharks in the lagoons.

9.

Galapagos - North Seymour

Male Frigate bird inflates his magnificent red pouch

View from the top of Bartomole Island - after climbing up 300 steps to the summit.

10. Being 3 feet away from a Galapagos penguin after surfacing from snorkelling and seeing it sitting on a rock.

11. Seeing a bottle nosed dolphin riding the prow wave of the boat, leaping out of the water and weaving
beneath the front of the boat from side to side.

The weather was not quite as equatorial as hoped for - but tomorrow we had South down the avenue of the volcanoes to Riobamba, then Cuenca - which we are told might be cold - just hoping for clear weather to see the splendid snow capped volcanoes which we saw from the air on the flight in today.

Messages welcome - all for now.

Additional photos below

Photos: 27, Displayed: 24