Day 67 15.09.15
Today was going to be a busy day on the rough seas. We had breakfast straight at the hotel, which consisted of a ball of green plantain with onions and a fried egg and orange juice. (In Spanish they call it bola de verdes – referring to verdes as the green plantain)
We then headed to the port with all our luggage as were leaving San Cristobal to head towards Isla Isabela stopping over at Isla Floreana.
We boarded the speedboat and were ready for the journey. Some more than others, some where not well prepared at all and got sick. It was a long 2,5h ride and I think everyone was glad to arrive – be it either for the waves to stop or to finally go to the bathroom. Huge waves and hard hits to the spine while sitting can be really tiring, but we all survived
The first glimpse we caught of the island was its little port and tourism checkpoint. Floreana Island is the island that is least populated, but is actually quite fertile.
Here at the port we saw our first red marine iguanas.
We even spotted a wonderful specimen that sported a red, yellow and green colour.
We could see a sea lion roaming around in the water, sticking its fins up in order to regulate his body temperature. It is quite funny to watch him though!
Our guide found some vacated crab shells. As soon as the crabs grow to large, they “kick off” their shell and grow a new and larger one. From these shells you can also tell whether the crab is female or male. This specimen is / was male, as on the bottom it has a flap that looks like a triangle. Females have a round patch. All to do with the birds and the bees…
Everywhere you looked here at the port you could see iguanas regulating their body temperature.
We quickly checked in to Isla Floreana and then headed on for lunch. I naturally jumped into the first hammock I could find, and relaxed a little before lunch was served.
We had a lovely broccoli soup as a starter, accompanied by fried plantains and fried yucca.
For a main I had chicken, rice, lentils, and vegetables. It was delicious as you can see…
After lunch we headed out to our next snorkelling destination – the bay of la loberia. La loberia is a refuge for sea lions.
Before we had even entered the water we could already see several sea turtles popping out of the water with their heads.
On the way to the bay we also got to see the nest of an iguana. Iguanas leave their young to fend for themselves once they have been born. Their nests are up to 40cm deep, however that doesn’t keep away the Galapagos snakes, and rodents such as rats.
We got to enjoy the vegetation along our walk, which was a mixture of volcanic rock, scrubs and other drier vegetation.
We then got into the water and went for a snorkel in the bay. Immediately after leaving the very very shallow passageway to the bay we found our first sea turtle grazing on seaweed.
It was great swimming with them, as they were being tossed around just like we were from the current.
Sometimes the current caused near collisions with these majestic creatures, but either we were fast enough or the turtle was to move away. At one point we were swimming with three of them, just grazing one next to the other.
When we swam away from the turtles for a little while we found a large school of fish. Of course we had to play around with them a little. Swimming in and out of the swarm, seeing them form back together behind us, rushing to get out of our way – you can't imagine how much fun that was!
On other rocks we found other small fish that went along doing their business as usual.
Then we got called over by a fellow group member. At first I thought he might call us to see turtles, as he was right at the spot where we had last seen them, but no, what he was about to show us what I had been looking for since the first time we saw them – a baby sea lion.
He was just gliding through the water, showing us some acrobatic swimming, getting curious and coming closer and closer to the four of us.
Very close.
We kept very still as to not put him off swimming with us and were rewarded.
As we returned to the beach we saw little boxfish swimming around just over the sand everywhere.
After quickly drying off and leaving the wet suits on the rocks to dry a little too, we headed out on a small walk to a look out point. We came across this lovely sea of red seaweed along the way.
At the look out point we got to see the bay from a different perspective.
Spot the two shadows in the water - they are sea turtles!
Along the shore line mangroves were, as it seemed like, just putting their toes into the water testing whether the water was too cold to get in.
The walk back was a lot more strenuous than the walk there. I think it was a combination of the heat and having to now carry a lot heavier (wet!) clothes and snorkelling gear.
We walked on to a black beach, one that we had expecting to see all along since its colour comes from the volcanic stones found all over the island.
Halfway through the trail I had uttered the wish for ice cream, knowing that this would be very difficult on this little sleepy island – but you can always hope and wish can’t you…
Somehow my little fairy island godmother waved her magic wand, and out of the blue when we got closer to the port we saw the sign for ice creams. We rushed to the little shop and immediately bought some. Soon the others of our group followed suit – delightful! (The lime in the popsicle actually tastes of lime and not of green chemicals, strange but great no?)
While the sun was already quite low, we saw one last glimpse of Floreana and as well as its wildlife. As if all had come to say goodbye, or maybe all just to “pray” to the sun one last time before it set, they sat there, iguanas and sea lions alike.
Back onto the boat we got and “enjoyed” another 2 hours boat ride to the island of Isabela. It wasn’t as bad as the first leg, and I actually got some sleep in.
We reached the port in the dark, and watched the bustling life along the pier at this time of day.
The young guys were bringing in their catch of the day – a huge tuna, probably heading straight to a restaurant.
The young guys were bringing in their catch of the day – a huge tuna, probably heading straight to a restaurant.
We were picked up and brought to the next hotel. Here we dropped off our things, showered quickly and went to have dinner at the Isabela grill.
Here we had some potato soup and then as a main a great grilled octopus, with a not so great sweet but savoury strudel and vegetables.
The best things about this place were the jugs! Of lemonade they kept bringing. I might have had a jug to myself.
Two guitar and ukulele players also serenaded upon us, one even playing a little pan flute. He strummed his ukulele so hard sometimes it seemed more like some demonic exorcism. I secretly was glad that it was over.
After dinner we headed back exhausted to bed.
