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GALAPAGOS! |
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Trip Log—Galapagos |
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Trip Log |
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Day 2
The boat rocked all night as we moved locations to Santiago Islands. The two hulls on either side of the main hull were airborne on many occasions I’m sure, hitting the water with a force that knocked everything about that wasn’t secured. A long, relatively sleepless night, and when the 5:30 am bell sounded, we were already awake and ready for coffee and the briefing… off to dive before breakfast.
Dive 2 — Cousins Rock 81 ft. for 47 minutes.
Lots of Galapagos black coral which had greenish yellow polyps., turtles and we saw the Galapagos puffer twice. Apparently rare to see them, although they were quite small, not something that would stand out if we hadn’t been told that it was special. Lots of sea lions, (Galapagos and fur sea lions) White tipped reef sharks, lots of small stuff — gray shark… Lots of little stuff!
Breakfast buffet of eggs, meats, cheeses, coffee or tea, juices. Yum!!! Gene not feeling well but he ate some breakfast.. The rocking of the boat is a little more than we had expected. |
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Dive 3 Cousins Rock 68 ft. for 50 minutes
Same site in reverse profile, 15 minutes of kicking into the current — whew! Actually pulling ourselves along with our hands from rock to rock. Saw seahorses! Several of them, Octopus, very big green turtles. Moray with bright yellow eyes called a starry Moray. Nice dive!
Lunch was a delicious and beautiful buffet.
Snorkel — Bartolome Island (Off the coast of Santiago) Gene did not go on this. This was a penguin “hunt” and we found them! In the Panga we spotted them on land in the water. Everyone would try to enter the water quietly and ones in the water would usually duck and disappear and we would climb back in and do it again. A couple of times we found some that would swim around so we could see them under water. The ones on shore would stay in place usually. One was standing with a Galapagos Heron (Endemic) I saw 2 swimming for quite a long ways — they flew and darted about like birds flying in the air. Back to shower and get ready to hike the Island. |
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Land 2 — Bartolome Island
Another dry landing and right away a marine Iguana just sat there for pictures, occasionally snorting out salt crystals from his nose. Then we hiked up… the stairs and path and more stairs. The landscape on this Island was like a moon-scape. Craters from where the lava spewed up and landed around the hole. Lava tubes running down the mountain (picture at right). Piles of Lava all around. We kept climbing and the view were spectacular. We climbed 360 steps!! Beautiful views and fun to walk about on land! Back to the Pangas (down 360 steps) and back to the Lammer Law. |
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The area we have been anchored has been calm and the excursions out have been smoother than yesterday. Also the boat itself is smoother, sitting, quite nice! (I’m sure Gene is glad!) I know I am.
More about the boat.. All of our eating has been out on the back deck, and the weather has been warm enough that it is quite enjoyable—sometimes a sweatshirt is needed. Both Gene and I have been warm enough diving and the showers are nice and hot when you need to get the chill off! |
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Trip Log continued |