Month: April 2023

We go ashore on Rabida Island with red beaches and cliffs. There is a large pool and 20+ flamingos wade and sift the water for shrimp. I take what I think are good shots and then discover yet again that the camera end of the lens has fogged. I detach it and let the air dispel the ring of condensation. It only takes a few seconds and the quality of images is significantly improved.

There is a mocking bird in the bushes…

…and a juvenile hawk hiding low in a tree.

We make our way back along the beach and a pair of oysters catchers are feeding a chick on the shoreline. I sit down and keep still. The chick is curious and so close that I think it will peck at my toes. Too close for pictures at this stage!

We then snorkel along the rocks at the end of the bay. The fish life is good but this is not the best snorkel here and the current on the swim back was quite strong. On entry a cloud of comb jelly fish hang below the surface. They are benign and do not sting.

We then make passage to Chinese Hat. This is an island created as a vent from the main volcano and its shape is indeed very much like a paddy planter’s hat.

We make a wet landing on white coral sand. Two sea lions laze and are occasionally cooled by the lapping waves.

A third sea lion comes ashore. It is inquisitive and makes its way towards us. It takes a liking to me. I am crouched down and think I will have the most amazing shots as it approaches within 3 feet of me. But guess what? The flipping lens has fogged up again and I dare not move to clear it. Frustrating. This is not to say that I did not take some decent shots however. Just not as incredible as they could have been.

We walk along the shore. It is a truly beautiful place. There is loads of coral washed up on top of the lava.

Up until the late 1980s there was a thriving coral reef here. However there was an extreme El Niño then and the coral has died. I did see tiny corals regrowing in one or two spots, which is encouraging, but there is a long way to go.

We walk across the jet black eroded lava and watch a heron stalking fish in a rock pool and a marine iguana sunning himself on the rocks next to a sleeping sea lion.

The snorkelling here was incredible. There was little current and good visibility. Four penguins pretty much swim into me….

I see a large white tip shark…..

…but abort following him because an eagle ray has swum below me going in the opposite direction.

I then encounter the penguins again….

….and find four huge white tip sharks sleeping under a ledge. Just wonderful. It is hard to describe just how special these encounters are. I have snorkelled for years but never experienced anything like this.

This is the last night for everybody else on the boat and they will leave tomorrow. We are lucky and have two more circuits to make of the North and South islands and I am sure these will be just as varied and amazing as the Western Circuit. The crew all line up for a farewell drink. Kerli, the barmaid, has made a revolting green concoction.

The saving grace is that she is very economical with the quantity in each glass, so it’s easy to down it in one ghastly gulp. This is penny pinching on a ridiculous scale. The welcome drink was no better and also served as a minuscule measure. It sends a really negative message. Why on earth the crew cannot buy a couple of bottles of cava and give us all a full glass of something drinkable is beyond me. Likewise running out of white wine is not OK. This was not a cheap cruise by any means.

It is April Fool’s Day and there are no jokes apart from the fact that I cannot unlock my door. I open the window and call out. Jane hears me and says “Are you alright.” I say “No. I can’t get out of my room.” She goes to fetch someone. In the meantime, I fiddle with the lock, which I cannot turn at all. I decide maybe if I hold a bath towel around it I can get more leverage and after a few minutes of fiddling I managed to unlock the door.

We are anchored in Buccaneer Cove on James Island, also known as Santiago. There are towering cliffs with impressive rock strata. After breakfast we have a two hour panga trip along the coast.

Photography is difficult. The boat bobs around in the swell, is constantly being turned so that no matter which way you turn your body, you have to move again three seconds later. I am at the front which should help visibility, but everything we see is either behind me or I am shooting into the sun. As it happens, I am pleasantly surprised that I have managed to at least record some of what we have seen.

We see blue-footed boobies, nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, pelicans, lava herons, noddys and sea lions. Then we see something we have never seen before – twenty or so golden rays gliding along beneath the surface. The water is crystal clear and we can see them brilliantly.

In amongst them are a couple of small manta rays. On our way back a manta ray leaps out of the water and somersaults. It is huge but only jumps once so no evidence I am afraid.

We have a quick 20 minute turnaround to go snorkelling. I decide on a wetsuit as it is a deep water snorkel along the rocky coastline so I think the water will be cool and I also will have protection if the swell carries me onto any rocks. Visibility is not particularly good but I do see 3 white tip sharks and am visited fleetingly by two sea lions. As we near the shore, visibility is down to a couple of metres, so we all decide to abort the snorkel.

Before lunch we are shown the kitchen and treated to a cookery demonstration of how to make traditional Galapagos ceviche. This is then our starter for lunch and very delicious. In the meantime the ship changes location and we admire the scenery on route to our next location.

In the afternoon we make a wet landing on Espumilla Beach, James Island. We leave the beach and walk along a dusty track between scrubby trees. Alexis shows us an aromatic tree that the locals use as an insect repellent. It smells of liquorice and when burnt in homes acts as a natural insecticide.

We enjoy a guided walk along the coastline composed of lava flows that have eroded in places forming arches and blowholes.

The views are just stunning. Finches and warblers call from the trees and we see 3 land iguanas. They are big – much bigger than the marine iguanas. For some reason best known to myself, I decide to not bring my camera on the walk. I am annoyed as there is lots to see and I have to make do with the iPhone. In fairness it does a pretty good job.

After the walk we snorkel off the beach. It is very hot – has to be close on 40C and a swim is exceedingly appealing. The water feels cool, but it really is not. I do not have high expectations for the swim but I could not be more wrong. I have never seen so many fish in my life. Rocky outcrops are completely covered in shoals of fish and when you look at the shoals, smaller fish are within them. There are huge parrotfish of varying colours, beautiful angelfish, a large potato grouper and loads of fish that I need to look up. I also spot an eagle ray swimming below me and a huge stingray rests on the sand with a smaller one on top of it. As if this wasn’t enough somebody spots a shark and as I swim to find it, a sea lion swooshes past me. It’s just astonishing. Life in the seas here is so abundant. I have never in my life experienced anything like it.

Dinner is good with tomato soup, red snapper and some yummy moist vanilla cake with an oozy sauce.