Claire and i were on the same 11:30am flight into Guayaquil, so we took the taxi and ferry to the airport at 7am ... and spent a couple hours together in the airport in Guayaquil, until she left for her flight.
my flight left at 10pm ... luckily they had free WiFi, so i was entertained...
flew into Quito, Ecuador around Midnight, and left around 1am arriving Miami at 5am.... i slept pretty well on the plane ...
Miami is the most unorganized and unfriendly airport i've had the pleasure of passing through in a long time. it's beautiful, they spent a lot of money on decor that they should have spent on designing the airport and on training their employees, IMO....
i had a 7am flight to Atlanta, then into Chicago. i had tried on several occasions to get a direct flight from Miami to Chicago to no avail; and i tried again in Miami.
we boarded the 7am flight, only to 'de-plane' because of mechanical difficulties. i went to the desk and told them i really did not NEED to go to Atlanta, and could they put me on a flight into Chicago ...... well ... no because my luggage was already on the plane.
when the arrival time into Atlanta was announced, i went to the desk again, explaining that now i would not make my connection into Chicago .... a different VERY nice efficient woman immediately booked me directly into Chicago ... no problem ... and i would have no problem making my Kzoo connection.
my wonderful Sister picked me up at the airport and i was home before 5pm on 3 April ...
...end of 2013 Galapagos Adventure ... i hope you all enjoyed my Blog ... i really did enjoy doing it ....
here is a map of the Islands ... showing the destinations i experienced, ... (and some that i did not) ..... WoW ... looking at the eastern most Island of San Cristobal where i arrived on 15 January ... seems like a long long time ago ....
i saw, heard, smelled, felt, and experienced a lot on this Adventure ... never to be forgotten
what do you want to do on your last day on an Enchanted group of islands ? ...how do you end an adventure like this? ...what is left to do? i considered taking a day tour to another island ... but .... i decided against it ....
i walked the Malecon and visited a couple of shops and ran into a couple of the girls from the Cruise. we agreed to meet for drinks at the Red Mango Resort at 6pm.
i stopped into Sope Dive Shop and thanked them for their friendship and fun dives.
did a little packing, and i honestly don't know what i did the rest of the day .... but i met the girls, Claire on the left and Sarah in the middle, and another couple, Rico and Idnna, at 6pm at the Red Mango Resort ...
we had '2 for 1' wonderful fresh Mora (invasive black raspberry) Martini's ...
out by the water ... strange enough, there really are no other restaurants on the water in Santa Cruz ...
i really wanted a 'nice' meal for my last night, so we went to Il Giardino, a nice restaurant ... i had Almond Crusted Tuna AND a glass of wine ... it was a perfect going away dinner :)
and that was that ... my last day ... and my last night ....
The End of the Cruise .....
--More Fun Continues ...
we caught the morning sun rise before 6:30 .....
then we had a boat tour on our slow return to Baltra ......
John, and my roommate, Claire, on Deck ....
it was sad saying goodbye ... but we all had a wonderful time .... the Yolita II Cruise Ship, Crew, and Guide Washington are highly recommended !
i was apprehensive about taking this Cruise ... what kind of people would be on it? ... what would it be like living on a boat? ... would it really be worth the money spent? ... would the Guide speak good English? ... would we really be able to see all the things they say you'll see? ....
i really can't think of anything that would have made the trip any better .... (well ok, ... more snorkeling ... but really, i can never get enough snorkeling, so that doesn't count).
if you, or someone you know, is considering a visit to the Galapagos Islands ... let me know, i can help :)
***
so, some of the group got on a plane, some got on the Ferry to another island; but there were several of us going back to Santa Cruz. we shared a couple of taxi's back to town and agreed to meet at 6pm for drinks and dinner.
Lior was leaving in the morning and wanted to go to Tortuga Bay for one last snorkel before he left ... snorkel? ...i said i would go with him .... we would be looking for the Sharks that i attempted to see several times, but was never successful .... he had a camera, so i told him i was NOT going to bring mine, so not to jinx us ....
i had made a room reservation at the same place i stayed before, Lirio del Mar, so got checked into, grabbed my snorkel gear and met Lior. we were hungry since we are used to eating 3 full meals a day; .... so we ate Fish Ceviche from my gentleman-friend on the corner ... great as always.
we ran into Sarah from the Cruise and she wanted to join us ... so we all walked to Tortuga Bay ... it's still a long walk .... but easier and more enjoyable if you can share it with friends, .... and still beautiful once you get there, ... well worth the journey.
we started snorkeling ... it's a long way out there .. but the water is calm .... nothing to see, but calm .... when we got to where i thought the 'bouy' should be ... there was nothing. we snorkeled the area for 45min not seeing much, and definitely no sharks :(
i suggested we try along the Mangroves, maybe we would see some Black Tipped Sharks there. once we got there, i recognized the area, the shallow flat rocks were the bouy was ... and i remembered there was a big sandy depression nearby. let's go look there together, in case there is a shark, then we both will see it before it swims away.
we approached slowly and i saw the sharks! ....i looked at Lior, and he was off to the right taking a picture of something. i grabbed his fin ... he came up ... all excited ... telling me he saw a TrumpetFish! ... i said, 'yeah, but did you see the sharks?' ... that got his attention .... and we snorkeled back to the spot....
yes, we had sharks alright ..... a couple here ... and several more there, and there's more there ... and if you go a little further there are more over there .... and there too ....
i confided in him that i was a little nervous about being here without Washington ... he agreed .... but neither of us wanted to leave .... and before long, we were diving down to get a closer look at them ....
we kept saying we 'needed to go', and 'just one more photo', and 'just a little longer' .... but they wouldn't leave, and we didn't want to either. we 'hung' with them for 30min or so, and then finally left them to their slumber, or whatever they were doing down there ....
so, i didn't have my camera ... and i am waiting for the photos that Lior took ... he's currently doing some serious hiking in Peru; ...he promised to get them to me when he returns to Israel ..... until then ... you'll have to trust me .... there were TWENTY-FIVE WhiteTipped Sharks!!!!! .... he took a running video of all of them at once, so no one could accuse us of a 'fish tale' :)
back to the hotel, got cleaned up ....
met the rest of the group, 10 of us, for drinks and dinner .... and an ice cream .... and called it a day .....
Santiago Island
--Buccaneer Cove
--Espumilla Beach
Santiago Island is the 4th largest in the Galapagos with an area of 220miles, altitude of 3,000ft, is uninhabited, and only accessible by Cruise. once home to Tortoises and Land Iguanas; ....Darwin recorded they had difficulty finding a place for a single tent because of all the Land Iguana burrows. today there are neither due to the 1980-90 introduction of goats, pigs, donkeys :( ...total eradication was accomplished in 2006 and rapid recovery of the vegetation has been observed :)
we had already visited the east side of Santiago Island a couple of days ago .... when we walked on that amazing lava field .....
at 6am ... we took a boat cruise through Buccaneer Cove ... it was once used by British Buccaneers who used it for shelter and to stock up on Tortoise meat :(
today ... it has pretty red rocks with bright green vegetation on them ........ but no Tortoises ...
very interesting very tall rock formations ... with large cactus growing on top of them .....
and this rock formation that looks like a 'monk', looking left, with his hands in prayer ...
into the dining room for 6:30 breakfast
and at 7:20 we were making our 'wet landing' on Espumilla Beach, a turtle nesting site
we did a little walk to a Flamingo lagoon, and looked for the Galapagos Hawk, but were unsuccessful on both ....
we did find a Hermit Crab .... Washington demonstrated how they become very active with warm air .... kids: don't try this at home ... they have little pinchers that can grab onto your lips ... ouch!
Washington was a LOT of fun !
we walked back along the beach and came across another group of Cruise people standing at the shore. .... as i approached i noticed they were looking at a tiny new born turtle ...... OMG ! ...this is the FIRST time i've seen one !!!!! ....
they had watched him travel down the sand to the shore, .... and at this point he was in trouble .... everyone wanted to just flip him over .... but .....
we yelled for Washington and about that time the waves came in ... and swept him away .... then thrust him back on the sand again .... then took him back out again .... and another time ... while we were all holding our breath ....
here's the video ....
these are his little tracks in the sand ....
i followed them back up the beach, but didn't see any others. it was Washington's opinion that this one would never make it ... it was daylight, the seas were too rough, and the Frigit Birds would be waiting .... :( .......but we disagreed :)
in the sand one of our group wrote ....
we had our photo taken ...
***
back to the boat at 11am for lunch, ... and travel to Rabida Island ....
Rabida Island
--Snorkel
--Walk on Red Beach
Rabida Island has an area of only 2miles and 1200ft and also uninhabited ..... it is known for it's red beaches and good snorkeling ... Land Iguanas were plentiful here until goats were introduced; but the island has remained goat-free since 1977.
at 12:30 we got to snorkel ... our last :) ... we started outside the bay ....
sharks always seem to be on the program .... and i saw several as soon as i got into the water ....
one swam right under me ....
there is no doubt that these are 'White Tipped' sharks with these photos .....
but i soon tired of the sharks and left the group as i searched for 'fishes' :)
i saw this Night LizardFish ... all the LizardFish that i've seen in the Caribbean have been browns and greys ... i like these brighter colors ...
and this Sea Star and Sea Urchin ....
then i spotted something i haven't seen ... yeahhhhhh ... this always makes me so happy ..... it was a Bi-Colored ParrotFish ..... what great unusual colors ....
i followed him around for a long time .... such a big 'beak' and teeth for biting off chunks of coral ....
and a big smile for the camera :) ...
and, i spotted a ScorpionFish .... yeahhhhh me ... they are not usually out in the open like this ....
i saw this Shell ... with this beautiful bright red-orange, blue-spotted snail-type animal in it .... WoW
the rest of the group finally caught up with me .... about the time i found a lobster, tucked inside a hole in a rock .... and yelled to the group ..... me trying to get a photo ... unsuccessfully ....
but Washington got a photo of it .....
he also got some amazing shots of the King Angelfish .... i have tried and tried, but have never been successful .... experience counts! .... that's a very large clam to the left ...
these are awesome .... look at the detail on those fins ... wow ...
there were a lot of these Anemone's in one area .... but it doesn't appear they are feeding ... or their tentacles would be all open and spread out.... but i liked their subdued colors ...
there were thousands of baby Cardinal Fishes ....
i took a photo of this Flag Cabrilla ... but this one that Washington took is much nicer ..... and includes a White Tailed DamselFish .....
there was also this small patch of red-pink coral .... i miss seeing colorful coral here in the Galapagos .... so this was exciting ...
all agreed this was a very good snorkel too !
***
back to the boat
at 2pm we had a 'wet landing' on a Red Beach ....
a VERY red beach .... striking ...
with Momma Sea Lions and their babies ...
these not-so-baby Pelicans ... patiently waiting for their parents to return with something to eat ....
we went for a walk up on the rocky cliff, and looked down on the bay ... it was pretty and green with turquoise waters .... very calming ....
it was nice to see such green vegetation, after seeing so much black stark lava ....
this is where we started our snorkel today ... around the base of this rock ...
this is the beach that we walked on ... and you can see the Lagoon on the left, where we might have seen Flamingos ...
then into our dingy for the last time, :( .....and back to the boat
***
at our briefing after dinner, the Crew got all dressed up in their uniforms and thanked us ..... i got my photo taken with them.... :) .....Washington is in blue ...
after dark we saw the Bio-luminescense in the wake on the bow of the boat .... before the moon rises in the sky, if it's not too bright .... when you looked at the 'white-water' that the boat was spraying, it was full of tiny lights ..... Magical !
tomorrow is our last day .... but really, today is our last day :( ....
tomorrow we just say goodbye and leave ...
Espinoza Point--Fernandina Island
--Marine Iguanas, and More Marine Iguanas
--It's all about Marine Iguanas !
we arrived at Fernandina Island, it is the western-most and youngest of the Galapagos Islands .... only 700,000 years old :) Fernandina is considered the most
pristine of the Galápagos Islands because it has had no species of mammals
introduced, which sets it apart from most of the other islands in the
archipelago. Fernandina has an area of 250 miles and a height of 4,800 feet. ... if you zoom out on the map below, you will see that it has one huge crater, 4 miles wide.
interactive map ...
at 12:30 we left for our second snorkel excursion .... this time we were looking for Marine Iguanas that were IN the sea ... eating algae. ... right out of the dingy, this is the first one i saw one hanging on to a rock eating away ....
it was a good exciting snorkel, but a lot of work again. the good part, is that when you're working that hard, you don't get so cold ... the water here is definitely colder!
the waves were so strong, and it was difficult to hold the camera still enough to get any photos .... luckily Washington was wearing a weight belt and can hold is breath way longer than i can .... most of these next photos are his ....
they are able to stay submerged for up to an hour ....
this looks like me, shooting up to the surface, out of air :) ...
those powerful claws come in handy for holding on to the rocks ....
we also saw more Harlequin Wrasse, ... in white this time ... another fish with a 'bump' on it's head .... what does Darwin say about that ? ...
the younger ones have a more pointed nose and less of a 'bump' ...
we saw some turtles and a few Sea Lions too ....
but the most amazing thing was watching these Marine Iguanas eating ....
it was fascinating ....
this is me trying to take a photo of one ...
they have lots of sharp tiny teeth ....
it was amazing to watch how strong and powerful they are .... maneuvering in the current, waves, and surges ... they are amazing swimmers .... using only their tail ...
some of this video is mine, some is Washington's .... about half way, the Iguana is swimming, and you can see how even IT struggles with the currents ... actually using it's front feet ... then grabbing and hanging onto rocks as he goes along ...
close to the shore, i popped my head out of the water .... they lose 10degrees of body temp when they dive to eat ... so they have to get really warm before they even go in the water to eat ...
look closely and you can see how they are lined up on the black rocks ...
and .... i saw a large Spotted Eagle Ray !!!!!! right at the end of our snorkel :)
***
back on the boat we had 20min again, .... to shower, change and be ready for a hike on Fernandina Island .....
at 2pm we made a 'dry landing' on this dock .... having to disturb another Sea Lion :( ....
then we had a little bit of fun watching these 2 Lava Lizards do their 'dance' at our feet .... comical !
video here ..
we walked through some mangroves and onto the lava shore ...
i know i've reported and shown photos of a LOT of Marine Iguanas, ...twice before ... but those were nothing compared to the THOUSANDS we saw today ....
they were everywhere on the rocks along the shoreline ...
this guy .... a true 'sun worshiper' ... i can relate ! .....
incredible there were really so many Iguanas here ....
fascinating 'hands' ....
and 'feet' ...
here there were more Iguanas, soaking up the last bit of sun of the day from the heat of the black rocks .... you have to look really carefully because they look just like the rocks .....
they look so prehistoric ...
several of us, who were not worried about getting our shoes wet, and/or stranded, .... walked out onto a small lava shelf peninsula (after Washington walked out there first :), ....
it was getting late and the tide was coming in ... and beginning to wash over the rocks ... and 'gush' over them ! ...
and the iguanas knew it was time to head for shore for the night. to regulate their body temperatures, they have to soak up as much sun as possible during the day, and then huddle together at night to keep warm.
.... little by little, they slowly slid into the water and swam for shore .... it was interesting to watch ....
this video is kind of a summary .... and it is a little longer, ... 4min ...
--the
first 40sec is a continuous 'sweep' of 2 areas, my attempt to give you
an idea of just how many Marine Iguanas are here!!!!!
--the next
part is out on the small peninsula, with more
Iguanas, showing the tide coming in, which starts a mass exodus to
higher and drier ground for the night ...
--then showing the Sally Lightfoot
Crabs, who have a special relationship with the Marine Iguanas ... they rid
them of bugs and eat their dead skin as they shed it ... they welcome their
climbing over them...
--in the last 6sec ... , i know your eye will be drawn to the red crab ....(that is
actually what i was filming) ... but keep your eyes on the Iguana that
the crab is crawling on; ..... i've mentioned before that Marine
Iguanas ingest sea salt while they are eating, ... they must be able to
rid their bodies of it or they will become dehydrated ... they have a
gland that collects the salt and then they 'sneeze' it out their nose
... watch the Iguana in this video and you will see him do that ..... (i
didn't notice this until i watched the video myself) ....
there were a few Sea Lions in the water, and some cuddling and soaking up the last sun of the day ...
and a few cactus growing ... as we walked along the lava field ...
so many signs of life, and also signs of the reality of the harshness of these Islands ...
at 4pm we headed back to the boat ....
watched the sunset, and headed out to round the northern edge of Isabela Island ... on our way to Santiago Island ...
at 6:45pm, Washington came into the dining room and told us were were crossing the Equator if we wanted to go to the Capt Deck and see it on the GPS ....
this was actually the 3rd time we'd crossed the Equator ... the first time was on the way to Genovesa; and the second time on the way back from Genovesa (but we were asleep for those). ...and, we will actually cross it again tonight while we are asleep.
