We left the cruise ship earlier today. Our trip started at 6:30 am. All of the guests from luxury yacht La Pinta were excited about what our Galapagos cruise tour itinerary had in store for them. We were so delighted with the island’s shoreline appearing and disappearing in the horizon as we approached. A patch of fog covered the entire coast, an image that goes well with the Enchanted Isles’ reputation. There was a nice movement of sunrise clouds over the largest caldera of all of the Galapagos volcanoes while our zodiacs reached the landing site.
I started my explanations. People started getting anxious about what I promised last night. Evolution is a wonderful miracle: it gave us pandas in China, orangutans in the remote mountains of Indonesia and penguins in the Galapagos Islands. While I was saying these very words, the tuxedoed bird suddenly appeared like magic. It started swimming and spinning around the dinghy. Somehow my speech is over.
A champion swimmer
The most exciting came when we jumped into the water for snorkeling. In less that 3 seconds these Galapagos tour icons can travel a distance of 6 feet (2 meters)! We all had a chance to see them first hand in the water and it was well worth it.
For the afternoon we went to Fernandina Island, the youngest island in the Archipelago. We started walking along the rugged coasts of the most beautiful peninsulas in the Archipelago. Some tour guests were really amazed at the large numbers of marine iguanas. The best part came when a Galapagos sea lion began “surfing” by the end of the afernoon. Everything was perfect, as it usually is.
“Do they get along? I mean sea lions and marine iguanas”, somebody asked.
“Truly speaking, all the creature live in harmony here”, I answered.
Galapagos does represent a microcosmos, a unique world within Planet Earth. For me, everyday gives me joy. I teach this to my Galapagos tour guests. The sunset clouds are showing us the end of the day. We return to the cruise ship as we get ready to cross the Equator.
Definitely another day in paradise.
Expedition report by Carlos Carrion
Carlos! You rock. I am missing paradise and all of you. I have not swum once since I got back home to California. This weekend though, it is into the river I go.
Hi Angelina.nice to hear from you,I´m on board, its mid Sep and the Islands are starting to get cold, but the wildlife is very active,specially seabirds, lot og boobies and Albatroses, hope you have a good one on the river
Cheers
Carlos