Ecuador and the Galapagos – Day 11 can be found here.
I have a confession to make – despite my best efforts, I’m only managing to capture perhaps 10% of what’s happening during this cruise through the Galapagos. There’s simply too much – too many animals, too much natural beauty, too many facts and insights from the expedition staff. I feel like a monkey making scribbles during a quantum physics lesson.
Even so, I think it’s still worth doing. So I’m going to keep on keeping on. But please bear this in mind – you are only seeing the very tip of the iceberg of what these islands represent.
Anyway – we had a late start today, and we managed to sleep in until 6:30 am.
Off to the Restaurant, where we had another delicious breakfast that included both the buffet and made-to-order eggs. I’ve shown the eggs before, so here’s more of the buffet:
Then off to the Zodiac which would take us to North Seymour island, where we hope to spot some blue footed boobies.
And we were in luck:
What’s more, we managed to spot some marine iguanas:
And land iguanas:
Land iguanas are not native to North Seymour, but were introduced to the island by US military personnel for no particular reason around the time of the Second World War. Fortunately, this population acted as a reserve for the species after they went extinct on the island of Baltra, following the arrival of cats to the island. The species was also re-introduced to the island of Santiago, where they were extinct until 2019.
We also saw frigate birds engaging in their mating ritual:
And – of course – the ever-present sea lions:
Back to the ship for a quick change so that we could go deep sea snorkelling.
The video I took would firmly break the Origin’s internet, but I will upload it once we get home.
In the mean time, here’s a teaser:
The dive was really well-organized – we took a five minute Zodiac ride around the coast, got our masks and fins on, and then jumped over the edge into the cool water. Our guide led the way, and we stuck together using the buddy system. The Zodiac followed along and picked up divers whenever they decided they no longer wanted to continue.
It lasted about 30 – 45 minutes, which was plenty of time. It’s tempting to be disappointed that we missed the octopus, but overall we’re thrilled with all the marine life we saw in our first deep-sea outing.
Back to the Origin to get out of our wetsuits and shower, and then head off for a delicious lunch.
I started with the snapper ceviche:
Followed by the giant Ecuadorian prawns with truffled mac-and-cheese:
While my daughter had the penne cacio e pepe pasta:
As well as red velvet cake and white chocolate Ecuadorian mousse:
Then off to visit the future cruise manager – they do it a bit differently here, so it was simply a matter of purchasing a blank booking for $100 per passenger. This would then allow us to get a 10% discount off a cruise when returned home – anytime within the next month.
And what if we decide not to carry on with our booking? The full deposit would then be refunded. It’s a simple but effective system given the limited staffing on the Origin.
The other upside is that it left me enough time to go and have a nap.
But not for too long, because we had reached Sullivan Bay, on the island of Santiago.
There were two excursions available this afternoon – one was a Challenging hike along the lava fields, while the second was an optional and very brief lava field visit followed by some snorkelling and beach time.
We opted for the lava field trip:
This eruption took place in 1897, so it’s still very new. And yet life is still finding a foothold in this hostile terrain:
It happens slowly at first. Earthquakes break up the crust of the lava flow:
Birds drop seeds, which find thin purchase on the rocky terrain – but enough to start making headway.
Contrast this to a nearby area, which has a head start of perhaps several thousand years:
As the terrain has softened, life has a greater opportunity to establish itself:
Though there was little in the way of animals – and the sun bore down on us as we walked the hot lava fields – this offered a fascinating look at how a volcano can grow new land, and how that land can become inhabited by a wide range of life.
Also, as a small bit of trivia – this area is near Pinnacle rock, which was one of the filming sites for the film Master and Commander:
The terrain was harsh, but striking:
We also ran into a few cruisers that had been on our past cruises in Greenland and the British Isles – they had been part of the ‘pole to pole’ group. It was great having the chance to catch up, and compare notes on past and future travels.
Back to the Origin, where we asked our butler to kindly bring up two bowls of ice cream for two very hot and tired kids. It arrived in under 5 minutes.
There were also some delicious appetizers:
We then had a bit of time to relax before heading to the Explorer’s Lounge for the evening lecture on how the ocean currents affect the Galapagos. I was surprised to learn that there are both regular warm and cold currents that have brought different wildlife to Galapagos. The penguins, for instance, were brought in from the Humbolt current from Antarctica.
Each current lasts for roughly six months before switching. El Nino causes an extended warm water period, while La Nina created a cool water period. Few parts of the world are as affected by these changes as Galapagos.
It was then time for the activity brief – we’ll be heading to Fernandina early tomorrow, where there will be a Zodiac cruise on offer, followed by deep water snorkeling where we might be so lucky as to see turtles or even Galapagos penguins.
But also – kayaking. Would I be able to participate as a lowly singleton? I suppose there was only one way to find out.
Tempted as I was to dash to the back of the room to sign up, there was still the rest of the briefing to listen to – in the afternoon, we would be headed to Punta Moreno, on the island of Isabella. This would be a good opportunity to see marine iguanas, and our last opportunity to see the Galapagos penguin.
The briefing wrapped, and I dashed to the back of the room to sign up for kayaking. The kayaking guide was swamped, but he was willing to entertain the notion of taking out a lone boater. He asked me to give him a few minutes, which I gladly did – as he was then promptly swamped by many other potential candidates.
We then went off to dinner at the Restaurant:
Shortly after sitting down, I went back to Base Camp to check on the status of my kayaking application, and… success! I will be going kayaking tomorrow, regardless of whether they are able to matchmake me with another singleton.
Back to the Restaurant, where I started with the Mosaico de Salmon Crudo:
Delicious. Like a series of mini sushi rolls.
Followed by the paiche, which we’d already enjoyed while in the Amazon:
So good that we’d already taken a few bites by the time we remembered to take the photo.
For dessert, the chocolate mousse:
And a wee dram of Diplomatico rum:
I think they took me literally when I asked for a glass of rum
And then once more time to head out to our verandah with a bottle of wine to watch the world float by:
Continue reading Ecuador and the Galapagos – Day 13.