Ecuador - Santa Cruz Island, Charles Darwin Foundation, and Pit Craters

The photos for the fifth day of our Galapagos cruise, Santa Cruz Island, Charles Darwin Foundation, and Pit Craters are here.

Pin It Now!

365 Steps Bartolome Island, Santiago Island, Sullivan Bay

Bartolome Island 

7:00 Breakfast
8:00 Dry landing – Sandals or shoes, easy trail, Look out, 365 steps
10:00 Back on board
12:00 Lunch

Santiago Island
Sullivan Bay
 
2:30 Snorkeling off of the dinghy or beach time
3:30 Back on board
4:00 Dry landing – closed shoes, lava formations, rocky trail
5:30 Back on board 
6:30 Cocktail – Dinner – Briefing

Our last full day on the cruise has finally arrived along with my mixed feelings. We have been really enjoying the people we have had the week to share time with, admittedly, I have enjoyed the hikes even when they were really strenuous, and of course the meals. Most everyone shares their time with those who speak their native language, but each person has been friendly, helpful and considerate of all of the others. At times, we have had small group chats as well, reviewing the stories du jour.

Miraculous mini-banquets are prepared by the cook who concocts amazingly diverse and for the most part healthy meals in a kitchen that is about the size of our small bathroom plus ½ yet again. He has taken the vegetarians seriously, always having something to supplement their meal when we have fish or meat as a main course. Fish nights, I go vegetarian too. Because I told the barman that I am diabetic, thus the reason for my refusing dessert each night, he or the cook have prepared special fruits for me which is more than kind. The last creation was a shark in a banana suit, with thin slices of tree tomatoes as dorsal fins and greenery from a scallion to adorn the top fin.  

This morning, we will have a dry landing, meaning we will arrive at a dock with the dinghy. We have been promised that we will climb 365 steps, nothing that I am looking forward to and not even sure I will be able to complete it. Would it have been better not knowing the number of steps or just being surprised? Either way, I did not count them, I was counting my inhalations and expirations instead wondering if they would airlift me out when I keeled over. 

The purpose of this was to visit volcanoes that erupted from under the sea and pushed upward, creating the island. To prevent erosion, the park services had to create a boardwalk, which was a great help, otherwise walking on lava rock in places would have been treacherous and there would not be a way to climb to the top lookout point. What Omar neglected to mention was that we would be walking about 600 steps before we even started climbing steps that actually escalated up to the top. 

At 4 different points along the way, we stopped to hear some commentary, which is difficult to comprehend when you are gasping for oxygen. Pleasingly, the two young Polish guys and one of the young Russian men were also panting as hard as I was at times and each of them looked to be worthy specimens  of a men’s health magazine cover. Marco the Swiss man could also be a cover model, but he did the steps without displaying any additional effort. Each section of the climb up, I analyzed how much I really wanted to call an end this sojourn and wait here for the others to return. Instead, I unrelentingly carried this carcass upward to the very top. The rest of the group had only achieved the same success minutes ahead of me, making me feel quite accomplished. 

On the way and on the top, we heard about the volcanoes, some that erupt above ground; others erupt under the sea and push the lava upward. There were craters there and on and on. Omar told me the other day that 500 people apply to be official Galapagos guides and only 30 are chosen. Those chosen have strenuous training for years. It all makes me feel badly that so little of what he shares stays with any of us. When I question the others of the day’s teachings, no one has remembered more than I. Most of this group is twenty years my junior, so it is not a memory issue. If I could take notes (no one is stopping me, mind you), I would have more to share. Sorry! These are like my students’ end of semester exams. Remember it for the test and then swish, it is gone from the memory. The one trivia point I do remember is that Neil Armstrong was here and said it reminded him of the moon’s landscape. 

Before lunch there was a snorkeling or beach swim option. I would have been the only one to do the beach swim option; therefore, opting to stay on the boat instead. With everyone gone, I had all of the lounge chairs on the upper deck to myself to read and snooze, read and snooze, and that is exactly what I did until they returned. 

Fish was served for lunch, so I along with the vegetarians, had a stuffed tomato. Other items were rice, potato salad with peas, carrots mixed with string beans, and green salad. These buffets are the nemesis of anyone watching their weight. It is too readily available to return for seconds once everyone has had first choice. Fingers are pointing back at me. 

Post lunch was snorkeling again for the last time this trip. It was off of the dinghy again. Ron by-passed it this time to take a nap instead. A beach visit was the other option, but since we are leaving tomorrow, I did not see any sense in getting my bathing suit wet only to cart it back to Quito wet. Those that did snorkel discovered 2 sharks, sting-rays and a number of yellow finned fish. A couple had seals swimming around them coming face to face bearing teeth. A few reported seeing turtles mating. Sitting on the boat bobbing up and down and to and fro was so relaxing for me, I did not miss a thing. 

At 4:30, we went out on the dinghy again for the lava formations. We were concerned it would be more of the same as yesterday, but actually it was quite different. The majority of the island was molten lava. Omar told us there were four different types of formations. Most interesting were those that looked like braids of a thick rope or corn rowed hair. 

I kept seeing designs made by nature in the way the lava cooled. There was a squid with long tentacles, a mermaid, horse’s head, and others. It would be interesting to have a photography contest here. Photographers are set loose for X number of hours to photograph shapes that could be clearly interpreted as something realistic, not abstract. At the end of a certain time period, after they have them printed and mounted, there is a judging. Should I sell my idea to the parks services?

Dinner included a cocktail, tasty, but I could not identify it. The captain toasted us with a long speech in Spanish, which Omar gracefully translated as “He enjoyed having you on board.” Had Omar translated the full monologue, dinner would have been delayed by hours. Carin, our Dutch femme fatale, was delegated to give the toast and thanks to the crew from our group. Ron and I were approached as the “senior statesmen” of the group, but being such, we delegated instead. The younger ones need the practice after all. 

After the Last Supper, we had our briefing for tomorrow. I had the foresight to create a table for everyone’s e-mail address. All but one person, one of the Australians shared their information.

Time to pack.

Related articles

• Española Island and Suarez Point
• Galapagos Expedition Journal: Turtles and Penguins of Bartolome and the Chinese Hat
• Volcanoes seals and sea turtles - Galapagos, Ecuador
• Santa Cruz Island and Pit Craters
• Floreana Island, Post Office Bay, Cormorat's Point

Pin It Now!

Santa Cruz Island and Pit Craters

Santa Cruz Island 

Charles Darwin Foundation
6:00 Luggage ready
6:15 Breakfast
7:00 Dry landing – walking shoes, Super Diego Turtle, Breeding Center
8:15 Transfer out
11:30 Back on board
12:00 lunch

Pit Craters
2:00 Dry landing – closed shoes, rain jacket
5:30 Back on board
6:15 Dinner and briefing

Coming into the lounge this morning was a challenge climbing over suitcases and other luggage. Those leaving were instructed to set it there for the crew to put on boats and take it to the mainland. These poor souls have to take a bus across the island, get on to a ferry to take them to Baltra Island and then another shuttle bus from there to the airport. They will still be with us for the start of our day.

The dinghy took us to the outer entrance of the Darwin Research Center, but we had a long walk in to the exhibition area. What Omar kept repeating is that this is not a zoo, but a breeding center to repopulate species that are losing ground in the wild. Lonesome George, the world’s oldest turtle died last June. He was 150 years old. They did everything they could to get him to mate with turtles very close to his breed and finally it was successful. The breeding was, yet the results were disappointing. One female laid 21 eggs, but none hatched. Another had 15 eggs with no babies and the third attempt was similar with 11 eggs. After George died, his body was shipped to the USA to have his DNA preserved. After the tour on the Darwin Center, we had our good-byes with those leaving us.

A few of us walked into town, the same one as last night where we hoped to get some t-shirts and a good coffee. There were some interesting buildings with modern architecture making the area fun. We walked by the ‘fish market’ where local fisherman clean and sell their fish. There are a number of pelicans, frigates, and sea lions hanging around just waiting for a hand out. We walked just about every tourist area around, before deciding to call it quits after a drink. By now our group had separated, but we did run into the Swiss couple with the Dutch woman in a restaurant. After our drinks, we split up again. Ron and I took a water taxi back to the boat for $1.25 each.

Lunch was the same fish dish as our first day, making Ron suggest that the menu is rotating again. We have not had a single complaint about the food, so it is fine if it is. Though we had lunch at the scheduled time, there are others coming to join us for the last 3 days. The 2 new Polish guys sat with us, replacing the 2 Danish. Omar has gone to the airport to get the next group coming onboard. There seems to be a change of crew or they are here only to help; it is not clear yet.

We have slowly increased in numbers like a child’s bank account. First to join us were 4 Russians, two couples. A short while later, 2 cousins from Poland were added. Last of all, were two women from Australia, causing us to lose our status as the only native speakers, but still are the only male native speakers. They had to have lunch, so our afternoon schedule pushed back.

Taking a bus, we rode for about a half hour before reaching the pit craters. These were two huge holes in the ground, but I find myself distracted by Omar’s English, so I stopped paying too much attention. Two of the Russians missed the bus, so later Omar received a call. We stopped for them after the pit craters. It turned out that Omar had told them in orientation that he would ring the bell to announce our leaving. He never did ring the bell, so they didn’t realize we were gone.

The pit craters were the big hooray of the afternoon, which really would have been a bust had we not passed dozens of giant tortoises in the wild. As an optional side stop, we went to a turtle reserve for $3.00 each, where we were able to walk amongst the turtles, but still not touch them. Their shell is keratin, the same material as our nails and hair. If we should have any nail problems it could be transmitted to the shell giving them a fungus, which eventually could lead to their increased susceptibility to disease. Before leaving the reserve, we had a Galapagos grown coffee. Neither of us could detect anything much different from this as opposed to any other espresso. On the way home we picked up some locals who needed a ride.

Ron was wrong about the menu rotating. Tonight was hamburgers, which we have not had before, but typically there was rice and potatoes again. The cook needs to get accustomed to heavier eaters; we almost ran out of food with the new additions getting to the buffet first.

Related articles

• Hello Galapagos - Baltra Island and Santa Cruz Island
• New Hope Emerges For Extinct Turtle Species
• Santa Cruz Island Scrub-jay Even Rarer Than Thought
• Extinct species to get second chance
• Scientists: Galapagos tortoise can be revived

Pin It Now!

Floreana Island, Post Office Bay, Cormorat’s Point

Floreana Island
Baroness Lookout
6:00 Wet landing with sandals
7:00 Back on Board
7:15 Breakfast

Post Office Bay
8:30 Wet landing – Sandals, post cards, no yellow clothes due to wasps, snorkeling
10:30 Back on board 

Devil’s Crown
11:00 Snorkeling off of the dinghy
12:00 Back on board
12:15 Lunch

Cormorat’s Point
13:00 Wet landing, sandals, green beach
14:00 Back on board – Sail to Puerto Ayora
19:00 Briefing and then dinner

Anchors ahoy, matey! With the anchor noises starting early on, it is difficult to sleep soundly past 4am, for me anyway. We left our last destination at 8:30pm last night, arriving at the new one by 4am.  Couldn’t they have left later and arrived later, I ask you? Apparently, there were never any indigenous people on any of the Galapagos Islands. The point of this stop for those of us who wanted to get up early and be ready to leave the boat by 6am, was to view the sunrise from Baroness Lookout.

As the story goes, the first to arrive to settle on this island was a German who sent for his wife once he decided to stay; he was followed by another German family and eventually by an Austrian Baroness. Long story short, the first two German families got on quite well, but the Baroness held a grudge when the German doctor would not care for her during a pregnancy. That ended any camaraderie and started the competition for the newly mushrooming tourism trade; each family built a lookout to spot the boats as they approached so they could be first in the harbor to greet them. The Baroness had the edge as she built a hotel close to the harbor, while the others had their accommodations further inland. When they spotted a boat, it took them longer to get to the boats’ passengers.

Once on land, we walked up a rocky hill without cutout steps like mountain goats to the base of the lookout. There were wooden steps up to this non-descript lookout tower that didn’t even offer a spectacular view this morning. Sun was hiding behind his friends the clouds and refused to show his face thwarting one of our objectives for being there in the first place. Ron made an interesting observation that passed me by entirely. On this entire yacht with both passengers and crew, we are the only native English speakers, yet the entire tour is in English. It really seemed so natural until he mentioned it, then it really struck me as unusual.

Back on the ship, we had a great breakfast of cheese omelets with fresh fruit, before going ashore once more. More interesting than the lookout was Post Office Bay. Started centuries ago, there is a wooden box that resembles an oversized birdhouse. There people left postcards for loved ones when they could not get to a real post office. The next people to come along, would check to see if there was any mail for the country they were going to and they would take it to pass on to the rightful recipient. For those of us wishing to, we were to bring postcards to ‘mail’ by leaving them here. We as a group scanned about 250 postcards to see which were destined for the country we were returning to and then asked to deliver them in some way. There were two from Hungary, one in Budapest. We took them and will get them delivered to the person waiting for them. 

While on the same island, those who chose to went snorkeling from the beach. Neither of us chose to. After everyone returned, another ship had come in. Their crew and our crew were going to play a soccer match for an hour and a half. Most of our crew only gets one day off every 7 days; others only get one day off every fourteen days. Some of the younger men joined the crew and played. Our team won 2-1.

After coming back on board, most of the group were readying for another go at snorkeling; this time around Devil’s Crown, but we stayed on board. I borrowed a bucket and washed some clothes. We have not had hot water for 2 days, because of a broken pipe, so the cold water wash worked fine. Hanging the shirts and pants on the clothes line on the upper deck, the wind is so fierce; there was a need for half a dozen clothespins for each item. However, the humidity is high, so they are not drying as fast as I thought they would.

Lunch was served. For me and two others, there was a stuffed pepper. The others had fish. There were also potatoes and salad. Different dishes are loaded with cheese, tasty, but binding. For dessert today, all the others received a baked apple dripping in syrup. Rather than having to say “No, thank you!” yet again, the server placed a whole pear standing on end on a plate. At the top was a small slice from the bottom and held into place with a toothpick to simulate a hat. The side of the pear had eyes, nose and mouth cut out with bits of green colored pineapple to make a silly face. Quite accommodating!

We are sailing now on our way to Cormorat’s Point. There we had another wet landing on a lovely beach. The sands here are so fine, they seem like they could dissolve in hot water like sugar crystals. Following a trail, Omar explained different things along the way. Most of these tidbits of knowledge are lost ten minutes after they pour from his mouth, mostly because while he is talking we notice a new bird or see a colorful iguana that captures our attention at the moment.

A lovely trail provided some aerobic excise using stepping skills on more rocks, to finally following the curvy path down to Green Beach, so aptly named because 1 in 5,460 specks of sand are green like little emeralds. How they ever discovered this far-fetched fact is beyond my imagination at the moment. The saving grace other than another glorious view was the sea turtles on the beach. Some were relaxing after having nested with their eggs, while others were doing the nasty deed in the water without any regard to fifteen pairs of eyes watching their doing the sexual acrobatics. 

Our sailing to the next point will take 4 ½ hours. It is very choppy, so the ride is a rough one. Trying to nap to make up for lost nighttime sleep is another failure as the door curtain blows open letting the light peak in. Putting a towel over it only works for a short while until the sway of the boat untangles it from the curtain rod sending it to the floor. 

Dinner was wonderful lasagna with a brown sauce. It was excellent to the point that the two Italians at our table delighted over it as well. The problem with buffet meals is that it is difficult for me to be moderate at times. My dessert tonight was some fruit I had never had sliced in half and made into a mouse using the stem as the tail. Another little flourish. 

Tomorrow, all of the Finns and the two Danes will leave. They only signed up for the five day trip. We have shared our dinner table with the Danes and the Italians. We will miss them especially. We have enjoyed everyone on board, passengers and crew alike.

Related articles

• Hello Galapagos - Baltra Island and Santa Cruz Island
• Seals, snorkels and sunburn. - Galapagos, Ecuador

Pin It Now!

South Plazas and Santa Fe Islands

South Plazas Island
6:30 Breakfast
7:15 Dry Landing – 
closed shoes, rocky trail, hybrid iguanas
9:45 Back on boat > sailing

Santa Fe Island
12:00 Lunch
1:30 Snorkeling
3:00 Back on board
3:30 Wet landing – closed shoes, rocky trail, Giant cactus forest, land iguana expedition 
5:30 Back on board
6:30 Dinner
Briefing for tomorrow

Waking at 6 am to get ready for breakfast was a no-brainer. At 4:30, we could hear the anchor being lowered; it is right near our room. Asking others, it was just as apparent for them as they have lower berths. The chains passing by on the way to the sea have nothing on the ghostly rattling of chains sounds in a haunted house.  

Meals are buffet style. Breakfast held choices for fried eggs, bread, pineapple, cantaloupe, and two types of cereals to gear us up for the day. Buffets can mean trouble, but it looks like this crowd is well aware that everyone needs to get through the line before returning for seconds. 

 Our dry landing meant that we were to take the dinghy from the boat, but land at a dock once at the island. As soon as we approached, it was apparent that some sea lions were using the dock for sunning themselves causing us to share the space. Sea lions are ubiquitous and this being a government park the rules are to stay 6 feet away whenever possible. On the rocks are red crabs with blue backs; the contrast is quite beautiful. Large cacti in numerous configurations spread out over the landscape like an old western movie, but they are accompanied by a low growing plant called something like carpet wheat. We were not sure if the guide was saying carpet or copper. Regardless, in the rainy season, it turns green, letting the land iguanas know their meal has been served; it is filled with water. During the dry season, the red color shows there is no moisture so don’t bother to nibble. 

We were given a number of lessons regarding the different types of rocks on the island including their formation, none of which I care to repeat here mostly because I could not take notes, so don’t remember. As we were seeing different birds and having them identified, my camera batteries had given out. I had bought 2 sets of 4 Eveready batteries in Otavalo and had them with me in case. None of them worked after multiple attempts, making me furiously fretting over the Kodak moments that were passing me by never to be captured again. Just by pure chance, I put my rechargeable batteries in once again; though I knew that I had already really squeezed the juice out of them. It worked just as we spotted our first Blue Footed Booby and I was able to shoot him amicably. 

Dozens of land iguanas posed for our cameras; here they are the brown or golden colored ones in the pictures. The marine iguanas are black and dive into the sea for their food, then climb the rocking walls to return to shore. Marine iguanas are smaller than their land cousins, living only about 40 years, where the others have a lifespan of 50-60 if no hawk makes lunch of them. We were told we would see marine iguanas on another island on another day.

On our return to the dinghy, I was able to capture a baby seal nursing from its mother. They were right on the dock, making it easier and both appreciated that the capture was on the camera only. This was the end of the morning’s excursion, back to the boat we went.

The afternoon snorkeling was a disaster for me. We were taken by dinghy out a ways and dropped into the water to return to the shore. Because we cannot all fit on the dinghy, it was returning for the rest, returning with a ladder to climb back into the dinghy if anyone became tired. After about ten minutes, Ron was tired and signaled for the dinghy before its round trip for the ladder. This panicked me, worried about him and then I could not breathe. From that point on, I had difficulty breathing with the snorkel; forty plus years of smoking taking their toll. They had to drag me onto the boat like an oversized tuna. Captain Ahab had it easier. Humiliation set in. Thankfully, there was a young Finn guy who did not snorkel at all, because he was not a good swimmer, so I had company when Ron jumped back in the water. 

This afternoon, we had a great outing on trails where there were dozens of sea lions, land iguanas of a different variety than we saw in the morning, and lots of birds. The cactus on this island grows like big trees, to keep the iguanas from eating its spiny pads until they fall to the ground. If there were turtles on the island, the pads would be even higher since turtles can climb on their back legs and stretch their necks to reach farther. I was able to get some fun videos of the sea lions here and great pictures of pelicans. 

As we were getting ready to leave the island, Ron spotted a guy that was at Hostel Joshua with us in Guayaquil. Ron said he was on the same plane with us, but I don’t recall seeing him.

Dinner was pizza, cabbage salad, zucchini in a sauce and chocolate mousse for dessert. When I refused the dessert, he gave me fruit instead. Most of us sat around the lounge on the main deck or the smokers went to the smoking area on the upper deck open to the sky. With the early mornings, the rocking boat, and a sense of peace, we retire much earlier than normal to read and then doze off.

Related articles

• Galapagos Expedition Journal: In Search of Giant Iguanas on Dragon Hill

Pin It Now!

Hello Galapagos - Baltra Island and Santa Cruz Island

This morning was a rush, both physically and emotionally. We slept a bit longer than we should have after watching the movie John Dies at the End.  Physically, it was a rush to have breakfast and run to the banks to find an ATM that was working. The other night, we went to multiple banks where their ATM machines refused to acknowledge the fact that I had inserted my card at all. At first it was insulting thinking mine was not substantial enough to stimulate the inner workings stimulating a reaction, but then as we watch, it happened to successive people after us. There was the same issue this morning with multiple machines side by side. People were trying a machine and then moving on to the next one. It was like Vegas, when a machine worked, you wanted to yell “I won! I won! I hit the jackpot.”


Once we returned to the hotel, there was the rush of excitement. We were heading to the Galapagos Islands today. The tour company called the hotel 3 times to change our pickup time, because the airline kept changing the flight time. We went from 7:40 am to 10 am in small increments. Still there was the rush of anticipation.

When we were shuttled off to the airport, we were met by someone hired through our travel company to do a meet and greet. She stuck with us until it was time to go through security. Her English was impeccable. There were many 2 forms that have to be filled out for the Galapagos; it is like entering into another country. One is a Customs form and the other is a registration form to make sure you have left the islands. 

Our flight was on AirGal on an A319 plane with a 3-3 configuration. It came from Quito, picked us up in Guayaquil and we fly to Baltra Island. As soon as you enter the airport they stamp your passport, which is neat, but they charge you $100 for the privilege. Seventy percent of the Galapagos are a national park and that is the entrance fee for any non-resident. Before leaving the airport, you have to have your luggage inspected for food or other items that may damage the environment. 

Omar, our naturalist guide was waiting for us and pointed out the others in our group. We were bussed to the dock where a small boat was waiting to take us to the boat we will sail on. At the dock, there is a long bench. On it was a sea lion spread out sleeping peacefully, totally ignoring us.

Our boat is a yacht, quite small, but roomy enough to fit all of us and the crew. All totaled there are 5 Finns (all friends), an Italian married couple from Rome, a single woman from Amsterdam, a couple from Switzerland, and a married couple from Denmark. Minutes after boarding, we were assigned our rooms. We lucked out to get a room, number 4, right on the deck with a door and window view to see what is passing by. Most of the others are downstairs, below the first deck. The room is smaller than our pantry at home. Two beds are bunked one over the other with only 3 feet between the bed and the wall where the door is. This must be why they have limits on luggage. If you bring anything too large, you will need a second room just open it. With our carry-on suitcases on the bed, we can open the lid fully, but it touches the ceiling of the next bed or the roof of the room.  

As soon as we were settled, lunch was served. Typical Ecuadorian and South American, the chicken was accompanied by both rice and potatoes, with white cabbage salad. You could go snow blind with all the white. Dessert was a white banana with 2 fat red grapes on either side; looking quite sexual, I don’t think it was meant to be from the looks of the cook.

Post lunch, it was post haste time. We assembled on the upper deck to get fitted for wetsuits. It is so funny for the Ecuadorians to have to outfit someone as tall as Ron and I, because they are so short for the most part. On this cruise, not only are Ron and I tall, but so are the Italian man and the Swiss guy. This truly sends the crew scattering looking for more tall suits to fit all of us. We were given diving masks with snorkels to check for size. They are rented, but the cost is nominal. The whole outfit is $40 for 8 days, less for those who are only on the ship for five days. 

Stopping at Santa Cruz Island, we climbed into the dinghy for our first nature walk and snorkel experience. Walking on the shore barefooted on the sand brought back memories from childhood, though I did not bring my camera not knowing what to expect. There are rocks that form natural breakers unlike the manmade ones of my hometown. This section of the beach was loaded with periwinkles, clam shells, and assorted gifts from the sea that would go so spectacular with my collection, but we were warned that nothing can be removed from the natural environment of the island; our baggage would be inspected yet again upon leaving .

Turtles come to shore in the evening to lay their eggs and the eggs usually hatch at night, giving the babies a chance at survival, yet only 1 in 10 makes it to the sea. A turtle will lay 80-90 eggs at a time, not a good rate of return on the investment. While walking, we did see a number of turtles in the water; some were mating, which was obvious and enviable that they could do it while swimming. Now that is talent.

The water lizards are quite common. They absorb salt water when they are diving for food, so once on land they snort it out through their nose. There was one long flamingo, but pelicans, frigates, herons, Galapagos ducks, and some type of finch that I cannot remember the type. All of this before doing some snorkeling to check out our masks for leakage. The water was warm enough that no one bothered with the wetsuit, but the waves started to get aggressively high, making the less initiated nervous. This was only a 30 minute test run, with waves, the water is too stirred up to see anything, but swirling sand. 

Back on the boat, it is relaxation and shower time, before a welcome cocktail and dinner. 

Later: The welcome cocktail was a sangria type wine with floating fruit; it was too sweet for me and one of the Finnish women also commented on it. The crew introduced themselves and then we did too. Dinner was chicken of sorts, rice, potatoes, sliced carrots, and a green salad, but for those of us who did not want chicken, there was stuffed pepper. It was good, but I am uncertain what it was stuffed with. Dessert was a pass as it was cake with fruit syrup and condensed milk. 

After dinner we had the safety drill, life vest examples, and then the agenda for tomorrow, breakfast at 6:30 am. There are sharks having their young, so they had the boat lights on so we could possibly see sharks, but all we were able to view were schools of small fish and some flying fish.

We will read for a short while and hit the hay, hopefully without hitting our head a million times during the night. 

Related articles

• Seals, snorkels and sunburn. - Galapagos, Ecuador
• Volcanoes seals and sea turtles - Galapagos, Ecuador
• German Galapagos iguana criminal convicted
• Sunset in the Galapagos

Pin It Now!