this is a really pretty beach. when i was here last time, the tide was out, and it was dramatic, with the white sand and the black volcanic rocks. today is was high tide, still really pretty, but not as dramatic ...
that is Kicker Rock on the right of the photo
when i got on shore, one of our guides and another girl and i took off exploring. we walked through the dry land
unfortunately he didn't speak English :( ....... but he did point out a Short-Eared Owl. this Owl hunts during the day as well as night ...
then we found our way around to the other beach .....
and saw these tracks from a Marine Iguana. you can see where the tail dragged and the huge claws dug in ...
there are 7 endemic species of Lava Lizard. the males are larger with a distinct pattern and the females are prettier :) .... some with red around their head or neck. Most of them are around 6 inches, with one species reaching a foot. this one was about 8 inches. when threatened or during courtship, the males do a series of 'push-ups'. the frequency and depth of the 'push-up' is like a Morse Code and only understood by those of the same species. Most all predators prey on the poor Lava Lizards :(
i have been incredibly impressed by the LACK of trash on the beaches here ... i finally saw this plastic oil bottle today ... the first piece of trash i've seen ... i'm wondering if it has something to do with the way the currents move. i'll be interested to see if the other islands are the same.
after an hour, we boarded the catamaran and headed for home ... several of us decided to stop somewhere for a cocktail .... this town, Porto, is the 'Capital' of ALL of the Galapagos Islands .... but there was no one on the streets, and most of the stores were closed ... it was 4pm on a Saturday !!!! .... we could not find a bar or a restaurant that served drinks! ....strange ... we finally ended up at Mockingbird, then internet, then home.
before i get started ... i had a few questions about the Marine Iguana ... i meant to include this but i was in a hurry and forgot, so ....
the Marine Iguana is the only true marine lizard in the world; and it feeds almost exclusively on marine algae. they can grow to 3.5 feet and weigh 30 pounds. the large males are capable of swimming through the strong surf and diving down to 30 feet, hanging onto the rocks with their powerful claws grazing on the algae. they have special glands that help remove the excess salt from their diet, and they eject it through their nostrils, kind of like a sneeze. mating and egg-laying take place Jan-Mar ... now :) although usually black in color, at this time they take on reds yellows and turquoise to attract a mate. this is an exhausting time for the males since they don't sleep while they are defending their territory. unlike deer, they don't control the females; they control the land that the females frequent; and therefore, can mate with more of them. he inseminates them with one of his TWO penises. in about 5 weeks, females lay 1-4 eggs in the sand which they actively defend. tiny miniatures emerge in about 3-4 months. ok, .... probably more than you ever wanted to know about Marine Iguanas. this one was about 3 feet long ...
oh, by the way, any and all 'white' that you see on any rocks, is guano (bird poop) :)
Now ... on to Kicker Rock ...
Kicker Rock is also known as Leon Dormido (Sleeping Lion) ... Kicker Rock is supposed to look like a 'shoe' from the north ... :) i don't really see it ... but you can see how it does resemble a Sleeping Lion from a distance... it is the remainder of a volcano ...
as you get closer, you notice there is a break in the rock ... this is where we snorkel .... and supposedly see White-tipped and Black-tipped, and Galapagos Sharks ... maybe HammerHeads too ...
i know it's hard to get a perspective of the massive size of this rock .... but in this photo you can see a rather large boat between the rocks...
i jumped in the water, hopeful ... that i would at least see something this time :) i saw a turtle immediately, but he was gone in a second. i headed for the wall where i knew i'd see some life ... here is a Rainbow Wrasse and lotsa other fishes ...
the Guide was moving quickly for the 'cut' ........ i followed, determined to see sharks this time. this Guide was good .... he immediately started 'calling them in' ... pounding on his life bouy, and pounding his hand over his fist ... making vibrations that they would feel and come to investigate ... he was good ... he yelled 'sharks' and pointed, and i dove down ... and YES .... i saw a shark !
this guy, probably my age, worked really hard and wanted everyone to see sharks ....so kept pounding and pointing .... i felt obliged to dive down to see what he was working so hard to produce ...
and there wasn't just one here and here ... there were a lot of them together ...
i realized early on that you just have to dive down to really see them ... i had asked for a weight belt to help me get down deeper, and it really works ... it takes you down pretty fast once you get started ... then when you're out of air, you look up and see just how far you have to go yet .... it's pretty exciting ... to come bursting to the surface ... hopeful that you were able to capture something on pictures to share :)
just to take another breath and dive down again
i really was getting tired of diving for sharks ... but our Guide was so determined to make sure that everyone saw the sharks, that he kept yelling and pointing .... i felt like i had to dive down and see them as to not disappoint him. ...at one point, he actually took me by the arm and pushed me through the water, against the current, so i could get to the place where they were ! .... i was impressed at how strong of a swimmer he was !
this one you can actually identify as a White Tipped Shark ....
i also saw this turtle .... briefly ... he didn't stick around ...
that snorkel was finished as i noticed, once again, i was the last one on the boat. we floated out a bit on our roomy catamaran and had a nice lunch of fish or chicken ... mine was 'fish' ... they tried to convince me .... but it was chicken :) ...do they think i'm a city girl ????? but it was good. we also had watermelon for a snack to get that salt water taste out of your mouth.
this is a view of the rock from another direction ...
after lunch we slowly cruised around the Rock ... there are other separations in the rock which are smaller. they said if it was calm you could actually swim through them too, but it waves were too big today.
on the Rock we could see Blue Footed Boobies and also Nazca Boobies, or Masked Boobies. they were really up there, so it's not very close up .... the Nazca is on the right ...you can kind of see it's mask ...
these pair lay 2 eggs a few days apart. the first egg hatches and has a distinct advantage. when the second egg hatches, the first chick attacks it and pushes it out of the nest. the parents ignore this battle. the second chick is left to it's fate, usually eaten by Mockingbirds. ...more on the Mockingbirds later ...
we also saw some Sea Lions jumping out of the water, .... just like dolphins ... i didn't realize they did this; they were having fun
i made a point of telling our Guide what a great job he did during our lunch; ... and told him i really wanted to see Eagle Rays this time :)
then we're off on our second snorkel of Kicker Rock .... again, our Guide made a mad dash for the cut, i quickly followed .... a couple more sharks .... ho-hummm :)
then he said the magic words 'EAGLE RAYS' !!!!!!! where? where? he pointed and down in went ... WoW .... OMG ! ....
not just one ... but many .... i don't know how many ... 15-20 ?
they just kept coming .... flying by ....
i dove down several times ... going between video and still shots ... i promise to try to post some video on You Tube ....
YouTube video now added .... you can watch here, or click on the YouTube button on the bottom right of below screen ...
then more sharks
there were also schools of Creole Fish ... which were really pretty, with a little bit of red on them as well as the distinguishing silver spots on their sides ....
and then ... the Eagle Rays passed through again ...
i love their long tails ....
and the white under-sides of their 'wings' ...
it was so exciting ....
then more sharks ...
for any of you who are wondering .... 'isn't it scary?' ..... you'll notice that all of the sharks are facing AWAY .... none are coming towards you .... it was WAY exciting !
another turtle and 2 more Sea Stars to finish off the snorkel ....
it's impossible for me to express how exciting that was for me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Snorkel trip not over yet ... stay tuned for Part 3 - Mangelsito Beach
Up and in the taxi at 8am, arrived at Dive Shop where we were given our gear. i decided to use their wet suit and fins this time. when i use my own, i'm left with a soggy dripping wetsuit and booties to take back with me and really no where to put them .... and i wanted to try out a 'shorty' wetsuit (one with short sleeves and legs only to the knees) and no booties, to see if i would be cold. when i signed up yesterday, i asked if we were going to get a big boat this time, since we were such a big group. he said that we would get the catamaran! YEAH!!!! this was MUCH better, lots of room to put 'stuff' and to sit and walk around.
we headed out to Los Lobos, the island with the Sea Lions, that you cannot set foot on. i was one of the first ones in the water and saw these Blue Striped Snappers swimming with a Female Streamer HogFish ...
then a cute little Panamic Sergeant Major ...
and a NEW fish, i love seeing new fish ..... a Spinster Wrasse .... it was really pretty
i was hoping to get more photos of those playful Sea Lions ... but there were only large Bulls in the water and they just laid in the water and didn't want to play .... only saw this one ....
so i continued on ... and spotted a Marine Iguana on the rocks up ahead .... if i could only get close enough and get some photos of him ... SUCCESS .... maybe since i was in the water, he didn't feel threatened, and never moved .... Marine Iguanas are the only Iguanas that actually swim, and they feed on algae in the sea. again, brought to you only by The Galapagos Islands :)
i saw a larger one up ahead, but on the way, i saw this BalloonFish hiding in between the rocks ...they are so sweet looking with their huge blue-green eyes ...
then he came out to see me and gave a big smile for the camera ...
then i slowly eased my way to the big guy. when they are all colorful like this they are looking for a mate ...
and this guy was basking right on the water's edge ..
in between shots, i noticed this very small, maybe 2" fish ... i still cannot get a positive identification of it; i'm guessing either a Clinid or a Rainbow ScorpionFish. at some point i'll find someone who can help me on this one. i love finding these really tiny fishes that blend in so well with their environment that you won't see them if you aren't looking carefully. it had very large dorsel fins out to the side, like it was getting ready to take flight ...
tucked in between rocks on the sandy bottom i found this Sea Cucumber. Our guide helped me identify it ... but i've forgotten it's name and it's not in my book :( all i can find on line is 'isostichopus fuscus'. Sea Cucumbers, although sometimes rather gross looking, act as ocean filters, helping to purify the seawater, ensuring a healthy aquatic ecosystem. Unfortunately, they are being harvested illegally here for trade to Asian countries :( ...two Pencil Sea Urchins in the foreground...
then i look up and see that everyone is on the boat and the Guide is motioning for me to come on .....
then i spotted this Green Sea Turtle .... i had to take a few photos !
i was especially impressed with how large it's back legs are, considering they mostly use them as rudders, and use their front legs for power.
