We make a dry landing at Sullivan Bay, Santiago Island and are going to walk on the lava flow there. The eruption took place 200 years ago and is of a similar structure to the Hawaiian eruptions called pahoehoe. The lava flows slowly and forms smooth humps. The lava has set in all sorts of weird and wonderful shapes.
The new lava field is black, in stark contrast to the ancient lava – maybe 2 million years old – which it has flowed over, which is red and has weathered into rocks, shale and sand.
It is a totally alien landscape and we feel as though we are walking on another planet. Scrubby plants cling to life on the old lava flow and there are very occasional small plants just beginning to grow on the new lava field.
A crab seems out of place in this hostile terrain.
A fly catcher follows us as we walk. It is hoping to catch any insect that may land on us and as a result comes very close to us indeed.
The sky is cloudless and the sun beats down. It is searingly hot – probably well over 40C. We drink loads of water. I have taken two bottles and I need them. We are very relieved when 2 hours later we finally arrive at the beach.
I cannot take my shorts off fast enough and run into the sea. It is absolute bliss to swim in the cooling water. We have brought snorkel gear. The marine life is good. I see a sea lion, two turtles and lots of reef fish. Some people spot a couple of penguins but I was too busy looking at a large ray.
In the afternoon we snorkel at Bartolome.
This time we all see the penguins. There are only three but we feel lucky to have found them and no-one is in a hurry to get back in the boats.
The current was quite strong in places so we have had a good deal of exercise today. However there is more to come. We shall finish the day with a walk up to the top of Bartolome some 114 metres high involving 370 steps.
This in 40C heat with no shade and high humidity is a big ask but we all make it.
The older ones amongst us take more rests than the youngsters. I am so hot when I reach the top that I pour the remaining contents of my water bottle over my head and down the front and back of my shirt. Bliss!!
Back on board I down an ice cold beer, shower then return for a margarita and farewell briefing.
Our guide Fabian, loves snorkelling and has made a short video of our snorkelling trips. It is really good. He has a GoPro and his footage is much better than mine. That will be my next Xmas present sorted!
I slept really well last night and I do not wake until the alarm goes off at 06.15. It is a beautiful day. Clear blue sky and green hills rising out of an azure sea, which is flat calm. The sun has already made the stainless steel handrails too hot to touch. We make a wet landing on the golden tan sand of Cormorant Point on Floreana.
I take lots of views on my phone. It is truly gorgeous here. The sand sparkles because it contains grains of peridot and shells and corals that have washed up on the beach have been collected into a little treasure trove.
Blue-footed boobies nest behind the beach and we also spot a well-camouflaged striated heron.
We set off on the trail …..
….and come to a large brackish lake….
….and are delighted to see a large number of flamingoes. They are very richly coloured and clearly finding lots of shrimp to eat.
We reluctantly say our farewells to them and continue across the island, drinking copious amounts of water on route. My word it is hot. It is an easy trail but with some inclines and there are great views from the centre of the island.
The vegetation seems lusher here and there are plants that we have not seen elsewhere.
We continue to a spectacular stretch of sand on the leeward shore. The water is crystal clear. I take off my sandals and paddle. The cool of the water is so welcome and I luxuriate in it and feel it gradually lowering my body temperature.
Stingrays patrol the beach and swim past our feet. There are loads of turtles in the sea. This beach is a nesting site. We do not see any turtle hatchlings but I do see some indents where there are nests.
Just half an hour break and then we go snorkelling off Champion Islet. This is a deep water snorkel and the sea life is astonishing. Shoals and shoals of different fish. A boobie torpedoing into the water yards away from me and then…..sea lions. Everywhere. They are playful and I spend pretty much the whole time snorkelling with them. Completely magical.
I am sitting in my cabin writing postcards to post home from Post Office Bay later this afternoon. This is how sailors communicated before post. They left messages in a barrel and crews from any passing boat would pick up the messages to deliver by hand when they reached the mainland. The tradition continues today with tourists writing cards and hoping another tourist lives near the address and will hand deliver it. I have sent three cards. Let’s see how long they take to arrive……
I’ve literally just finished writing when there is a knock on my cabin door. A large pod of dolphins have been sighted. They are a long way off but we can see them jumping and playing.
After lunch we have a boat ride to Baronesa’s Bay. We watch sea lions playing in the water, there are a few blue-footed boobies and we spot two huge blue herons. We drive into the mangroves in the hope of seeing young sharks but actually find three beautiful eagle rays. We cruise round the bay in the panga and then go ashore. We post our cards in the postbox. We also go through all the cards in the box to see if we can hand deliver any.
I spend the rest of the afternoon on the beach – chatting in the water and snorkelling. I see two large turtles, a baby shark swimming along the beach and several puffer fish.
Our latest after dinner activity has been to stand on deck and look for sharks. Tonight there is a spectacular display. The sea bubbles with small fish and periodically flying fish leap across the water. They are fast, but not as fast as the pursuing sea lions. Large Galapagos sharks are also present. They swim more slowly and look like they are hoping to pick up the fallout from the sea lions hunting.
On one occasion a large group of sea lions surround the flying fish which leap across the water in all directions looking very much like a firework display.
Tonight there was a beautiful sunset. The clouds seem to mimic the adjacent hillsides. This was followed by the moon rising and glistening across the calm ocean.
It is 07.00 and already 36C! It will be a scorcher today. We are anchored in Gardner Bay, Espanola where we can enjoy the beach, sea lions and laze in the warm, azure water.
I am entertained by one particularly hungry pup.
We return to the boat for snorkelling gear and to move a short distance to an outlying island. There is a massive fish ball below me. There are thousands of fish here and I enjoy diving down and swimming through them.
We then climb back into the pangas and move to a rocky headland. Here I see a reef shark, an iguana swimming, a giant damsel fish, starfish, a large blenny and a Guineafowl pufferfish which is golden yellow. I have never seen one before.
Fabian can free-dive and takes my camera. He captures some super macro shots of a starfish. I have never thought to use that mode underwater but certainly will in future.
After lunch the plan is to make a dry landing on Punta Suarez. It is full moon at the moment and the tide is high with an impressive swell. The planned dry landing is aborted as the steps are below water and the path is being covered by breaking waves.
Plan B is also a dry landing, but this involves racing the surf and somehow clambering off the tender in the swell, onto very uneven and jaggedy rocks. We are not successful in racing the surf. A wave similar to the one below breaks on the reef and engulfs us.
I am sitting on the side of the boat with my back to the approaching wave. I am completely soaked. Water even goes inside my timberland boots! I am really grateful that I bought a 100% waterproof bag for the camera. Jane is still not feeling very well and says something like “That is not ****ing funny”. Rare for her to swear! Sea lions line the beach and honk noisily. It is scorchingly hot with high humidity. We are aiming to walk 2.5 miles around the island on very rugged terrain and, although that is not very far, in the heat it will be demanding.
Marine iguanas laze on the rocks and have taken on a reddish colouration as this is the end of mating season.
Espanola mockingbirds (a different variant) chirrup and chatter in the bushes and Galapagos doves are ever present.
The shoreline is rocky and huge waves crash against the cliffs.
Nazca boobies nest in large numbers along the cliffs and ammonia fills the air.
There are a few blue-footed boobies here too. There are lots of young chicks and photo opportunities abound.
What also abound are swarms of sandflies and mosquitos. Bug spray is re-applied and I am glad I am wearing my Craghoppers nosilife shirt which is incredibly effective in preventing me getting bitten. At the end of the day I have only one bite. Some people have loads. We continue on our walk.
Everyone is feeling the heat but Jane is suffering more than most. She was sick this morning with probably the same bug I had the night before. She thought that she would cope OK but lack of breakfast and de-hydration take their toll. She is feeling very ill. I take her backpack and camera and one of the crew help her back towards the beach. She misses viewing a blowhole which is spectacular and noisy – it sounds like thunder as the waves pound into it.
Fabian then shouts “Albatross”. We are so lucky. They do not usually arrive until the end of April but a lone bird soars above us and I even manage to capture photographic evidence.
As we make our way back Fabian spots a Galapagos hawk. They also can be hard to find.
We meet up with Jane on the rocky path and she is not at all well – dizzy and feeling very nauseous. The crew bring her a stretcher. She is reluctant to use it but the terrain is hostile and if she fainted on the rocks it probably would lead to serious injury.
The humidity and heat have inevitably created big black clouds which now decide to dump copious volumes of water on us. It is actually really welcome. We are so hot that being drenched is just the best thing!
The surf is now even bigger than when we landed and it is decided it will be much safer to make a launch from the beach. The sea lions are unimpressed and reluctant to give us space….and we still have to make it out through the breaking surf without capsizing. The waves are now even bigger than when we landed. I would describe our launch as terrifying, exhilerating and fun in equal measure. I think Jane was just relieved to get back on board and go to her cabin for a sleep. Hopefully she will be fine by the morning.
After dinner we stand on deck to look for sharks. We are not disappointed. I count 14 huge Galapagos sharks patrolling the area around the boat. We have just raised the anchor and set sail when a flying fish crashes into the side of the boat. There is a loud splash. I think something has fallen from the deck above but realise it was a seagull diving for the fish. No sooner had the bird touched the surface than a large shark gulped it down. It all happened so fast. There really is nothing quite like watching nature in action.
The moon is almost full. The sky is cloudless and full of stars. What a perfect end to a totally amazing day.
I did not get much sleep last night. I felt a bit rough with stomach cramps and worse….. I was probably dehydrated after yesterday morning’s exceedingly hot walk or maybe the water on the swim with the sea lions was less than hygienic. I only have fruit and water for breakfast and soon start to feel better. Today is a changeover day so I can take it easy. We go for a panga ride before breakfast to see Cerritos Bruno which is a very rugged piece of coastline with occasional inlets and a tunnel that leads through to the far side. There is a big swell and it takes some carful manoeuvring to transit the tunnel.
The cliffs are massive and looking up as we go through the tunnel feels very much like we are in a cathedral. We can see kicker rock – a huge monolith protruding from the sea. We return to the boat and a short sail takes us directly past Kicker Rock, which does look somewhat like a boot.
A two hour sail brings us into San Cristobal harbour.
Sea lions have pretty much taken over the port. They laze on the docks, benches and sidewalks and refuse to budge.
We have time to go shopping then return to the Solaris for lunch. The new guests arrive and we visit another tortoise breeding centre on the far side of the island at Colorado Hill.
This is the 4th tortoise experience and I have to admit to being a little tortoised out. I concentrate on the flowers and bird life.
Finches are elusive and have been on the entire trip. I watch a San Cristobal mocking bird – unique to this island and am taunted by a yellow warbler that darts in and out of the branches.
We have more time in town where we buy postcards to send home from Post Office Bay on Floreana tomorrow. It is an old naval tradition and I shall tell you more about that later….
One other couple have stayed on the boat – Kev and Wes. They are good company and we sit in a bar together until it is time to leave. It is very, very hot. The sea lions play in the water. They are entertaining but I have to admit they do not smell delightful. We return to the boat and watch the sun set.
We have a pre-dinner welcome drink with the crew and yet another boat briefing. I think I know it by heart. This is the downside to doing the 3 circuits but at least we stay on the same boat. Upside is of course that you see all the islands and just doing one circuit would have been a huge mistake. The four of us spread ourselves between the four dining room tables so the new guests are forced to mix. They seem more reserved than previous guests and it turns out that this was a good ploy and ice-breaker.
We make a dry landing on South Plaza Island at 08.00. It is overcast but that does not mean that is not hot or humid. The path is rocky and we initially make our way uphill. This is the leeward side of the island and and there is not a breath of wind. The flora on this island is very different. There are low-growing drought resistant plants with yellow and tiny pink flowers.
There is lots of low lying cover here and fan-tailed gulls are nesting. It is incredible to be able to be so close to them and I spend time photographing this cute and demanding chick and its mum.
There are scrubby shrubs and giant cactus trees, some of which are probably at least 200 years old. The cactus only grow an inch a year.
Some are in flower and others bear fruit.
The island had rats which competed for food with the land iguanas. The rats ate the prickly pears and digested the seeds meaning that new cacti were not establishing themselves. A large area has now been re-planted and the cacti are protected by wire cages. The rats have also been eradicated too and the island is gradually recovering.
The views are magnificent but we are all starting to overheat and sweat trickles freely down my face, unable to evaporate and cool me. I drink copious amounts of water to try and stay hydrated. We walk over a lava flow that looks man made. It is white and shiny but just formed from a different substance form the original flow.
We see iguanas that are a cross between marine and land iguanas and only occur on this island. They like to eat the guava fruit and yellow flowers.
Bees abound and love the little yellow flowers…
… and crabs seem to enjoy the flora too.
We reach the crest of the island and relief; a breeze. Luxury as we feel our bodies gradually start to cool. We stand on top of the cliffs, savouring the cooling air current and watch tropic birds circling below us, before flying into their nests on the cliffside.
We return to Solaris and while we sail to our next island, Fabian gives us a talk about the ocean currents and effects on the water temperature and marine life. It is interesting. The Galápagos Islands sit on the meeting point of several currents resulting in five distinct environments and a huge range in water temperature between areas and seasons. This explains the huge variety and richness of the ocean here.
He then shows us a video he has made over the last five years of all the marine life that he has seen. It is exceedingly good and I tell him he should put it on You Tube. He would receive a lot of views for sure.
In the afternoon, we anchor at Santa Fe Island and snorkel. It is absolutely magical. Sea lions abound and seem to be everywhere around us. They play with sticks, pebbles, feathers and leaves. They turn somersaults and zoom between us. We stay with them for 20 minutes or so before continuing to the nearby reef. I have loads of video and have taken some stills from it – not the best quality but it gives a little taste of what we saw.
Fish are bountiful too and huge shoals swim below us. It does not seem possible that everyday we have a new encounter that tops the day before. For sure these islands are very special indeed and no two islands that we have visited have been the same.
We have half an hour to dry off and change before making a wet landing on the beach. The beach is well populated with sea lions – the most we have seen in one place. It is actually quite difficult to exit the water and walk up the beach without treading on one. There are lots of pups suckling and large males guard their harems. Even the path from the beach is blocked by sleeping sea lions that honk noisily at us as we disturb their rest.
We don walking boots for the rocky trail across the island where we are hoping to find the Santa Fe land iguana and the Galapagos hawk. Although the sea lions are stealing the show somewhat, there are still birds present. Pelicans sit on the rocks and watch the sea lions warily.
Mockingbirds sing loudly in the bushes as we pass by and a blue-footed booby poses on the rocks.
We do manage to find some land iguanas but today the hawk eludes us.
Before leaving Santa Fe, Fabian shows us one of the oldest cactus there – probably 300 years old. He suggests we all hug it and for some reason we do!
Tomorrow is the end of the North circuit so most of the guests will be departing. Just one couple will stay on board with us for the next leg. The passengers for this section have been very good company. Everyone has mixed well and I shall be sorry to say goodbye to them. We have all exchanged emails so I am sure there will be future contact.
