Land Iguanas and Bachelor Sea Lions of South Plaza Island

Next up was South Plaza Island - an island off the coast of Santa Cruz. It's a small island that was created by rising lava and not a volcano like some of the other islands.  It was an absolute treat filled with so much to take in and an amazing opportunity to get up close and personal to colorful land iguanas and bachelor sea lions...we'll explain the bachelor part in a minute!

The island is about a mile long in length but skinny, with a large slope across the island ranging from tall, steep, cliffs down to sea level where we could make a dry landing.  It is known for its amazing flora called, Sesuvium or carpet weed, that depending on the season can be any shade from green to red.  It provided a stark contrast to the grey lava rocks that were exposed and plotted our path along the island.

It turned out to be one of our hotter mornings with the sun bearing down and no place to hide except under the brim of your hat...IF you had a big enough brim!  In my case, my hat just wasn't cutting it with my nose not always in the shade and already sunburnt! Again learn from us, be prepared with a big wide brimmed hat because in this case I couldn't just run to a store and pick one up.  I had to wait another few days before we were scheduled to be back in a port.

We were told beforehand that South Plaza has one of the larger sea lion colonies, most of which we wouldn't see although as we made our landing, there were a sea lions sunning themselves on our walkway.

In the Galapagos, clapping is the way to warn sea lions or get them to move out of your way.  So, with big round of applause by our group, we woke up the sea lions who begrudgingly moved out of the way for us to pass.  We made our way onto the island and immediately found a small cactus field of Opuntia Cactus - the trees with the round cactus pads.  Land iguanas love them and over time have eaten the lower half of the branches, so the cactus leaves flourish from about 2 feet off the ground.


Most of the cacti had a iguana hiding from the sun or guarding its territory. There was prime real-estate to be had and I'm sure some fights ensued to get the best spot.

Making our way around the island we climbed up to the cliffs. Looking down below to the sparkling ocean we were on the lookout from some rare Red bill tropic birds and swallow tail gulls.  They were a fair ways away on the cliffs so we soon moved on.

From there we headed to Bachelors' Rock where male sea lions come to recover after failing to fight off other sea lions (showing off for the ladies, of course).  Wounded and tired, they bask in the sun while gearing up for another battle.  There were a couple sea lions as we walked by but they didn't even move, deep in their slumber.  They rested on what looked like white rocks, but really they were just polished from all of the sea lions using this as a resting ground.  It sounds all sweet and serene feeling sympathy for the loser sea lions, but it was one stinky place.  The white polish is natural, shiny, slippery finish created by sea lions wallowing on the rocks, but the not-so-nice part is that its created from polishing the rocks with sea lion poo - not a nice smell.  Actually it stunk.  But I'm sure if you were an injured sea lion it was a restful retreat.

Next we made the rest of the loop around the island spotting iguana after iguana which was so
enjoyable. They aren't the most cuddly of creatures but they sure are interesting! Some of them pose for you and others just ignore you.

Here are some of the photos.

Up Next: San Cristobal Island, Kicker and Lobos Island

Bartolome & Santiago - Monster Views, Snorkeling and Lava

Bartolome was an island that Steph specifically sought out on our itinerary because of the overwhelming reviews it received from other travelers...and they weren't wrong.  It was all about the vistas and volcanoes that created them. 

Before I get to the island, I want to talk about our good friend the sun, well, the strength of the sun. Coming from late winter in New York after being in full winter mode, we were pale and didn't come as prepared as we needed and thus couldn't avoid sun burn.  For starters we didn't bring enough sunscreen and ran out about 3 days into the trip.  Don't ask, we still can't figure out what we were thinking only bringing one bottle.  I guess the pack light mentality got the best of us.  We had to borrow some from our boat mates until we went back to a city a couple days later. So, learn from us, bring plenty of high SPF sunscreen because you will need it.

Even with 50+ SPF we were still getting sun burnt burnt. We each ended up with something red just about every day.  It almost became a game.  The following day apply extra sunscreen on the burnt spot and something else would mysteriously be red.  We ended covering up more even despite the heat.  You'll notice the big brimmed hats and long sleeve shirts, so be warned, the sun at the equator is strong!

Back to the island.  We started the day with an early morning dingy ride to try and spot a colony of penguins that are known to breed nearby.  No luck.  However I did get a shot of this Oyster catcher resting on one leg which was fairly interesting with its bright red bill.

After giving up the penguin search we headed to the dry landing to embark on a light climb on the island to the top of the old volcano.  The fairly steep hike took about 20 minutes and was a small price to pay for an amazing overlook that the Galapagos is famous for.  Its the headline photo where Steph is sitting on the fence.  The colors were so bright with the desolate lunar looking landscape as contrast overlooking Pinnacle Point.

Bartolome is one of the "youngest" islands in the chain, somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 million years old.  This means not much plant life has really taken hold yet so its a pretty rocky and rough place.  A few salamanders and lava plants was about it.

However, there is plenty of activity between the islands under. Splashing into the water after a short dingy ride we started another round of snorkeling. We ended up swimming around the rocks up to Pinnacle Point where we found some caves with white tip reef sharks in the shadows. With the waves crashing into the small cove we could only admire from a short distance away before having to move on.  Further into the swim we rounded the point and looked down to see one of the sharks swimming below.  He gracefully swam past as we admired him.


From there we headed to Santiago island's Sullivan Bay that afternoon where we hiked over a lava field that reminded us of the lave fields in Hawaii.  They are such a collision of texture and shapes that is fascinating to walk on. At times it can even look soft to the touch before you remember it is rock.  We stumbled on a shallow lava cave with a hole just big enough to jump in, hence, Steph chest deep in the lave field.

Finally, it was off the the nearby beach to relax for the rest of the afternoon. On top of a gorgeous white sand beach, there was a big colony of Sally Lightfoot crabs that kept me entertained.  The black rock, red crabs and blue ocean provided such an unique mixture of color.  Add in the constant motion of the crabs crawling around as only crabs can do, jumping from rock to rock, dodging the crashing waves while having territorial spats where the bigger crabs over power the smaller ones made for good viewing.

We will leave you with a few more photos of the spectacular landscape around Bartolomè island - uniquely Galapagos and truly breathtaking.

Up Next: Land Iguanas and Bachelor Sea Lions of South Plaza Island 

Genovesa Island, Darwin Bay - Say Hello to Sea Lions

Sitting in bay after lunch admiring the swarm of birds, we couldn't help but keep an eye on the beach that lie off in the distance knowing this was our afternoon destination.  However, before it was beach time it was snorkeling time.  Back to Prince Phillips we went this time with mask, snorkel and fins in hand.  Earlier in the day we had seen sea lions warming on the rocks so hopefully we'd get a chance to swim with them.  They are fairly friendly like seals and typically don't bother you and will swim past you if that is the direction they are going.

While the stunning teal waters look inviting, it wasn't long until we realized the waters around the islands are quite chilly and we often needed to don wet suits before snorkeling.  But the shock of the cold water quickly faded as a turtle was spotted below us feeding by the rocks.  As we continued to snorkel we were in luck, as a sea lion breezed past us!  So graceful and as quickly as he approached he was gone.  From there we swam along the cliffs until we were too cold to go on but luckily the beach and warm afternoon sun awaited.

As if we were stalking the sea lions, we exited the water and joined them on a beautiful bay beach where they were basking in the sun.  As we approached the large group of sea lions, we had to ask: what is it about sea lions?  They are stinky and some what obnoxious creatures, but so amazing to watch in their element.  Even when they are just sleeping, they seem so adorable and peaceful.  They frolic and roll around in the sand and then when they've had enough, the plop down, often near a friend for a nap.

And while we were intruders to their beautiful alcove, they hardly noticed us.  They might pass within inches of you while making their way over to a friend, but they rarely showed any interest in the odd human on their beach.  Its definitely for the better that there's no interaction - and the guides will enforce it - because that is what has created what we came to understand of the Galapagos.

Up Next: Bartolome & Santiago - Monster Views, Snorkeling and Lava

Genovesa Island - El Barranco, Climbing Prince Phillip's Steps for Bird Watching

The island of Genovesa introduced us to a few new birds and was one of the best bird watching spots we encountered on the trip.  At Prince Phillip's Steps we climbed up 25 feet to the top of the cliffs where we began a walk though one of the most memorable bird encounters we've ever experienced.  It was a bird watchers paradise!

To better explain the awe of this island, you must understand how touring works in the Galapagos. They are strict about human-wildlife interactions and keep you to pre-defined walking paths.  Guides will be quick to yell if you're stepping outside the lines or if you get too close to one of the inhabitants. Particularly with the birds, many don't have natural predators and they also don't fear humans because of the well-controlled, no interaction touring rules.  So with birds with no natural fears, we were able to get amazing, almost shockingly, close to birds.  Birds nesting on the ground.  Birds performing mating dances.  Birds just hanging out. Simply amazing!


First and foremost, say hello to the Frigate bird with his red pouch inflated trying to attract the ladies. He sits in a nesting site making a calling noise and inflating his red pouch trying to find a mate.  In addition to his pouch, the ladies also inspect the nest that he built.  We had fun watching, and listening, as the Frigates showed their stuff.

Next up, we saw a lot of boobies. We mean birds - where is your filthy mind?! Yep, the white bird with red feet is the Red Footed Booby. Clever name, right?  These guys nest on the ground, rest in the trees and are excellent flyers that fish out in deep water.  They have developed claws on their feet to hold onto the trees.  While he's quite crafty, he's also a looker with those stunning feet and the beautiful watercolor face.  This little guy stood patiently in a tree within arms length while we photographed him.

  

Next up the Nazca Booby.  This guy is also called the masked Booby and to eat it makes very dramatic dives into the ocean to catch its food.  They circle around and then dive bomb the ocean which is very fun to watch.  On land they are just as fun with their awkward side wobble as they take step after step. The juvenile's don't have the orange beak yet and were malting when we were there.

The trail lead through the heart of the island through some fairly dense trees and brush before opening to the other side wide which was an almost plateau like arid expanse that sloped towards the water before the 30 foot cliffs.  A huge rift ran through it which made a perfect trail for us to see the birds.

In the skies above thousands of birds circled in the air.  Big birds, small ones, the works!  In one of the crevasses we also spotted a rare owl on the hunt for a morning snack.

The trail was a dead end so we happily retraced our steps and continued to be amazed.  Here are a few more photos that should give you an idea of what it was like on the island.

This was our first morning tour and as we continued each day amazed as we were able to have similar close encounters with the amazing wildlife of the Galapagos...

Up Next: Genovesa Island, Darwin Bay - Say Hello to Sea Lions

Baltra and Santa Cruz's Bachas Beach

So here we go, 8 days in the Galapagos awaited us.  The flight was buzzing with excitement and we couldn't wait to hit the ground, soak in the sun and see what was in store.  Day 1 was going to be a light day with a morning filled of travel logistics like finding the boat, but it gave a good intro to the islands.

Baltra was where we embarked, one of 2 airports in the Galapagos.  Officially not in the National Park, it served as a military base during WWII and today still serves as an Ecuadorian base.  Outside of the airport and shuttle buses to the ports not much happens on the island.

Meeting our naturalist guide, Efrain, we were shuttled to the boat where we soon set sail to North Seymour Island.  We had a customary boat briefing, unpacked in our cozy cabin and readied for our first scheduled island visit.

Our boat wasn't full which made for an intimate group that week - a Dutch retired couple, a young Aussie couple literally in route to moving to London and a New Yorker our age who just quit her stressful investment banking job for something more practical (and was making use of valuable time between jobs).

The Fragata yacht itself, was a lovely boat that Steph had spent much time investigating to ensure we had a great experience.  We chose a mid-priced boat range which paid off with our great group of boat companions (as opposed to the cheaper sister boat that had almost the same itinerary as us and was packed full of gap years - no offense, but we were looking for R&R on this trip).

We had a great corner cabin with two large windows and after speaking to the boat crew, they arranged the twin beds "matrimonial" style by pushing them together for us.  A small bathroom complete with shower, sink and toilet completed our en suite cabin.  Apparently we forgot to take pictures but many are readily available online if you're interested.  We finished unpacking and explored the boat we'd call home for the next week.  

Before we knew it, the bell was ringing which signaled we needed to get to the back of the boat.  The dingy was leaving.  An afternoon wet landing at Bachas Beach was our first stop.  It was a gorgeous white sand beach contrasted with black lava rock formations that were dotted with striking red Sally LightFoot crabs.  Efrain started the first of many casual walking tours of the islands.  Just off the beach were 2 lagoons to look for flamingos before seeing the turtle nesting grounds along the beach.

We were able to see a couple flamingos feeding in the lagoon and we royally kicked ourselves for underestimating this first stop and only taking our waterproof point and shoot.  The larger birds were also stalking the turtle nests looking for an easy meal.  It was hard not to want to protect the turtles but that's nature.

We also spotted our first marine iguana as he appeared out of the water then quickly ran for cover to the lagoons up over the turtle nests.

After the walking tour, Efrain walked us back to our beach landing site and held out his upturned hand to the ocean - want to snorkel?   Why not!  We explored the reefs off this quaint island then headed back to the boat just in time for a gorgeous sunset.  What a great introduction to the Galapagos!

Up Next: Genovesa Island - El Barranco, Climbing Prince Phillip's Steps for Bird Watching