Ecuador and the Galapagos – Day 13

Ecuador and the Galapagos – Day 12 can be found here.

A leisurely start to the day – up at 6:45 am for another delicious breakfast, having just arrived at Punta Mangle at Isle Fernandina.

I switched it up a bit this morning, adding in some toast, salmon and cream cheese to my usual eggs-and-sausaage:

My wife and kids had to rush off for their Zodiac tour, but my morning was a bit more leisurely – I had an extra 15 minutes before the start of my kayak trip. No extra coffee, though, again because of the kayak trip – the guides on our trip to Greenland recommended going into that slightly parched, and I think that’s sound advice. (Though a bit trickier to balance out in the warmer climes.)

The prep was simpler this time around – no bulky drysuit to put on, just a bathing suit, T-shirt, and a guide-issued lifejacket. (A regular one, not the compact models they use for Zodiac cruises.) Then we were loaded into the Zodiac and headed off for our start point.

There were no other singletons by the time we set off, so I was left to wonder how this would work. Would they pair me with a guide? Everyone started to load in, but the guide asked me to hang back a bit. I guess I’d have to wait and see.

The process for getting into a kayak via Zodiac is relatively straightforward – two guides bring the kayak alongside the Zodiac, and then the passengers slide their feet in one at a time, keeping their weight over the cockpit, staying low and easing themselves inside. Simple – but not necessarily easy. Thankfully, everyone managed it without incident.

At this point I was asked whether I’d prefer to go with a guide or go on my own. “Whatever is easiest for you,” I replied. And that’s how I ended up solo-kayaking in the Galapagos:

It was completely different from kayaking in Greenland – whereas before we were surrounded by icebergs and pack ice, here the emphasis was deservedly on the wildlife. What’s more, we were shallow – to the point where I scraped the bottom on several occasions. (Though I never did managed to beach myself.)

First, we came across a huge number of marine iguanas:

And quite a few sea lions:

Cheeky bugger, headed for my rudder:

A group of flightless cormorants next to a pelican:

And even a frigate bird with a fresh kill, being chased by a group of pelicans:

Harried to the point of exhaustion, it eventually dropped its prize.

All-in-all, we were out for almost two hours, and kayaking for roughly an hour and a half. It was a good length of time – not too long, not too short. But deeply memorable:

One of our group did see a Galapagos penguin swimming nearby, though I sadly missed it. I tried not to be disappointed – Galapagos penguins are high on my list of animals I’d like to see this trip, but you could drive yourself mad comparing your animal sightings to those of other members of your group. “Comparison is the thief of joy,” it’s been said – and that is doubly true on a Galapagos cruise.

I repeated this to myself when my wife and kids returned from their Zodiac cruise having also seen Galapagos penguins swimming in the water. We would try again later this afternoon, and my fingers were firmly crossed that I too would see this rare and elusive bird.

One of our guides had said, “The Galapagos is the only place where you can find a penguin next to a cactus.” It seems ridiculous to even imagine, but after being here only a few short days I can now imagine it.

And… I’d also like to see it.

But there wasn’t much time to ruminate on might-have-beens – it was time to go deep sea snorkelling again.

It was colder and murkier this morning – perhaps 19 Celsius in the water, though warmer amidst the reefs and at the very top layer of the ocean. Warm enough to make a go of it, though perhaps not for the full 45 minute trip.

With my GoPro exhausted from the kayaking trip, I elected to instead borrow my son’s underwater camera. So we have more than teasers available this time around, starting with marine iguanas eating under water:

And followed by Pacific sea turtles:

Not to mention schools of colourful fish:

Along with a range of starfish:

Cold and tired as we were, we got out roughly 5 minutes before the tour ended – at which point our group promptly saw wingless cormorants diving after fish. But we didn’t mind missing that – seeing the marine iguanas underwater was a true highlight.

Back to the Origin to change for lunch at Restaurant:

I tried the shrimp with rice noodles:

While my daughter had a salami pizza:

Artfully shot to hide the fact that I can never remember to take a photo before we start eating

And for dessert, both the Alfajor and the wet chocolate cake:

I was just about ready to put my head down for a nap when a call came over the ships’ PA system – whales had been spotted, and the ship was diverting to get a closer look.

We spotted some dolphin fins:

As well as a rarer find, a blue whale:

There was another whale spotted too, but difficult to tell whether it’s a fin whale or something very similar.

I finally put my head down for a quick nap, and then it was time for a Zodiac cruise around the mangroves and rocky shoreline of Punta Moreno on the Isle of Isabella.

A blue heron in its nest:

A marble ray lurking beneath the surface:

And… penguins!

Plus iguanas:

But more importantly… penguins!

But soon our Zodiac cruise came to an end, and it was time to head back to the Origin:

We settled down for our lesson on Darwin (fascinating, and very entertaining), which was made all the better with a capairinha:

More good news from the briefing – we’d be heading to the Isle of Santa Cruz tomorrow, and we’d get the chance to see a wide range of Galapagos tortoises. But as we’d no longer be sheltered by the islands, and the seas were expected to get rough.

We then went off to the Grill for dinner:

We were glad for the forewarning as the swells began to build. It was rough, but not as bad as what we’d experienced in the North Atlantic on our way to Iceland, or heading on to Greenland.

I started with both the shrimp roll and the mushrooms ajillo: