Our expedition spent the morning of May 13th zodiac cruising, kayaking, and snorkeling. The Islander was parked between Sombrero Chino and the Bainbridge Islets, all small volcanoes probably formed as parasitic cones of the much larger Santiago Island, the fourth largest island in the Galapagos.
The Islander first unleashed a wave of zodiacs and kayaks, both for the enjoyment of the guests and to gauge the water's suitability for snorkeling.
Sombrero Chino translates to "Chinese Hat," and you can see why in the above photo.
We poked around the nearby islets.
One spot suddenly attracted attention.
Everyone's attention!
Was it the striated heron on the water's edge that beckoned to us?
Or maybe the pelican?
No, it was a "we might see one on this trip" Galapagos penguin!
Yes, a penguin at the equator; the water is cold with upwelling from deeper ocean currents, and provides lots of nutrients to support the food chain.
Our penguin was engaged in some grooming.
The conditions were deemed suitable for snorkeling, and after breakfast the swimming began. Those who preferred not to snorkel could take further zodiac cruises, or visit a pretty white beach suitable for swimming or gazing. (As it turned out, the white beach had eroded badly since the last visit, and was only a few yards wide.)
Joan and I snorkeled, and I decided to venture without a flotation vest. My snorkel, a few millimeters too narrow to properly fit my mask, liked to fall out if I released it from my mouth to talk, and without the vest, I had to work harder to keep above water while fussing with the snorkel. After the swim I mentioned this to Lynn, the expedition leader, and she gave me a new snorkel. (All the gear, wetsuit, mask, fins, and snorkel, were from the ship's stock.)
We saw species traveling in swarms, such as these rainbow wrasse. This photo reveals how rapidly the color changes as the water deepens.
A brigade of sergeant majors.
The combination of light and life forms both mobile and affixed to rocks was dazzling.
Our friend Rick was like another fish.
There were sea stars on the sandy bottom, but they were too deep for a good picture.
Something was really, really interesting to these yellow-tail surgeonfish.
It was good to also pay attention to the shore. Here we have both a great blue heron and a Galapagos penguin, likely the same one we'd seen from the zodiacs (click on the image to enlarge).
There's a lot going on ahead of me.
I began to struggle to keep up as the swim went on. The toe that had chafed some yesterday was rubbed by every fin stroke, and my leg muscles wanted to cramp. The water was colder than before as well.
An enterprising snorkeler had placed a camera on the bottom to capture some action.
Here's a concentric puffer fish, a new species for me on this trip.
I love the next picture. It's a parrot fish flashing all her glorious colors as she nibbles on the algae growing on the rocks and corals. Many species of parrot fish change color and gender (from male to female) as they age. This brilliant turquoise and pink specimen is a female. Get a few of these feeding together and it sounds like popcorn popping as bits of rock/coral snap off.
My final photo of this swim is a also a parrot fish, with a predominantly orange color, presumably younger than the one above.
The timestamps on my photos tell me I was in the water for at least and hour and ten minutes, and I was definitely ready for it to be over, as was Joan. Next time I'll wear cycling socks to protect my chafed toes.
Then the Islander was on the move again, followed by lunch. Time to start the next post ...
On the next morning, May 12th, the Islander was anchored off South Plaza, a small (30 acre) satellite islet of Santa Cruz.
Our first order of business was a pre-breakfast hike. South Plaza hosts a large number of sea lions, and several were monopolizing the small dock,
so we landed on a slab of rocky shore.
We split into three groups, each led by one of our naturalists. The first section of the walk was up the gradual incline to the island's spine, or horizon.
Land iguanas were easy to find.
At the top we discovered sheer cliffs and the swarms of birds that congregated there.
There were frigate birds,
swallow-tailed gulls,
and red-billed tropic birds. Our friend Rick was fascinated with the tropic birds, and kept firing away to catch the elusive great photograph. He succeeded.
More than once!
Hovering?
There were also blue-footed boobies and pelicans.
At the foot of the cliffs, other creatures abounded.
South Plaza is narrow. The low-growing succulent plants are bright green during the rainy season and turn color in the dry season.
The land iguanas eke out a living, munching on the succulents,
but their favorite treat is the flowers of the cacti. They will wait patiently underneath a cactus for a bloom to fall.
There is a cactus nursery, an effort to recover from the depredations of goats grazing here. Cacti would be eaten while still young, and soon only the older, taller, tougher cacti remained.
The goats were removed from South Plaza in 1961, but the cactus seedlings now need protection from the land iguanas until they grow tall enough to escape the lizards' reach. The basins collect water and direct it to the seedlings, and the screens protect against iguanas and any other herbivores. Or clumsy tourists.
In this picture you can see our three groups scattered across the islet (click on the image to enlarge).
On our return jaunt we were graced with an posing striated heron.
A yellow warbler was talking to us.
An uncommon treat near the end of the morning was the sighting of a hybrid iguana -- offspring of a marine iguana and a land iguana. Sadly, these hybrids are shunned by both sides of the family.
I was ready for breakfast when we returned to the ship. Afterwards it was time for swimming and diving off the ship. I didn't indulge -- maybe next time -- but did take some photos from the top deck. Here, everybody is awaiting the next diver.
A zodiac driver kept an eye out for tired swimmers. Note the heavy rope netting on the front and snout of the zodiac, protecting it during rocky landings.
The Islander's Video Chronicler, Eric, was recording the event.
Our friend Rick was diving incessantly, trying to perfect his classic technique.
Some chose to jump in straight as a nail.
And some preferred the cannonball.
Some splashes were awarded a score of 10 by the judges.
After a while the zodiac driver saw that it was OK to relax, but was still on call.
Later Rick spotted this frigate bird resting on one of the ship's antennas. It was a perch with a view.
Before lunch Dr. Carmen Claassens of Darwin Animal Doctors gave a presentation of their work providing veterinary care in the Galapagos. It's not an easy job.
In the afternoon, we'll visit the nearby island of Santa Fé for more snorkeling and hiking.
