It is Day 3 on-board Xavier III. I woke early and stayed in bed til 6:30 before getting dressed, only to find that my iPad is still on Quito time and it was in fact one hour earlier. Which explains the surprised looks from the crew who were up and about getting ready for the day. We are moored off of one of the younger islands, and the landscape is completely different from that of yesterday. The wildlife will be different here too.
Animals that don’t run away when they catch the slightest hint of people…I knew to expect this but had no concept of what that would be like…of having to be careful not to trip over nesting blue-footed boobies sitting in the blazing heat protecting their precious eggs. Of getting close enough to the magnificent frigatebird’s inflated red pouch to touch. Of watching carefully so as not to interfere with sea lions who have the ability to pop up out of nowhere. Most friendly and wanting to play but some – the bull males – ready to fight(and bite) to defend their territory and females.
Milton our guide is a treasure trove of information, Dr. Google on legs. His love for the place of his birth is palpable, shining through with every tidbit of information he shares. He’s 56 and looks 40 despite the relentless Ecuadorean sun. I love how he lays out the green carpet when the panga deposits us on land. It’s the equivalent of a red carpet but this is the Galápagos after all..
Yesterday, he took us to a snorkelling spot where there was an opportunity to see “really big sharks”. This after watching two six-foot Galápagos sharks circle our boat for an hour in search of food scraps (which they did not get). I have to say it took effort to leave the panga, but I settled down eventually and was looking forward to the sighting. It didn’t happen for me, but others in our group saw them. They pay no attention to humans; we are not on the menu.
Yesterday as we were ending our morning walk, we were treated to the spectacle of spotted eagle rays mating in the water, followed by a turtle swimming by, followed by two baby sea lions who hurled themselves onto the flat rocks six feet from us and proceeded to put on a show.
Amid this wonder and beauty…plastic. Floating in the water, lying on the beaches. Water bottles bobbing on the waves become homes for tiny crustaceans. There are better places for them to take up residence. This must stop.
Sounds wonderful Susan. Maureen & I got yo see some of these on the mini Galapagos when we were in Ecuador. How much longer are you on the boat
Can’t thank you enough for sharing your travels and your thoughts. For those of us who will not see these things, it is wondrous and important we know what is happening around our planet. Yes, “this must stop.” Thank you.
Absolutely stunning…I was so looking forward to your post on the Galapagos..looks incredible..had the same feeling re the plastic when were in Viet Nam. I agree it has to stop. Thanks for your wonderful pics and posts…
You are so adventurous Susan. Pictures and stories are great.
How wonderful to hear from you, Susan. The pictures are fantastic — such colour! Time for me to make more of an effort to reduce my own plastic consumption. I mostly steer clear of bottles, but go through hundreds of little bags: this must stop. Am looking forward yo your next update. Take care xx
Thanks so much for sharing this journey with us Susan!