What a day we had yesterday!
Our trip to North Seymour island was fantastic and enjoyed overall by everyone. The up close and personal encounters we had with wildlife would only be seen on National Geographic as someone on the trip commented, and it seemed very true. As we were walking past frigate bird after frigate bird, some only a meter away, and with a wing span easily close to 6 feet, we knew we were really doing something special.
We began the day with a bus ride across the island to the north side to then get on our boat for the day. We were in a tour group of 14, and the girls certainly made themselves known to everyone on board. Isabelle was particularly smitten with a girl called Ella, and wanted pink shoes just like her.
We made our way to a place called Las Bachas, I think. This is a lovely beach area actually still on Santa Cruz island. This is a breeding ground for sea turtles and you could see mounds all over the sand dunes and we even walked across some turtle tracks a few times. This was also the area to find pink flamingoes. A short walk behind the sand dunes opened up to a estuary where one lone flamingo was feeding. Our guide, thankfully was very knowledge and speaking in English gave us lots of information to digest. There seem to only be around 800 flamingoes here now and most of them live in Isabella (another Galapagos island), as it has better feeding and breeding grounds. Many of the flamingoes died as a result of the last El Niño as too much rain meant their food source, shrimp, was scarce. We saw another lone flamingo, this time much closer after another walk over rocks and along a beach. The girls were doing well but were perhaps a little disinterested in flamingoes and rather preferred to get down in the sand and play.
We then had time to snorkel back at the beach. Of course, the water was not warm (as, although on the equator, the weather is heavily influenced by a southern ocean current that ends up, randomly, here) but I braved going first and saw an eel slithering around, quite a few parrot fish, numerous sergeant majors, and plenty of other small fish. Joel had his turn and saw a green sea turtle straight away! The rocks were barren and the fish mainly fed off a brown seaweed growing in the sand and on the rocks. Very different to the Caribbean.
Hot lunch on board was very welcome after emerging for the sea so chilly! The girls had enjoyed burying themselves in the sand for most of the hour and so also needed dunking before getting back on board the boat. So we've all been in the Galapagos water in some way or another.
Next to North Seymour island. The landing onshore was straight on to rocks and someone joked, how far can you throw that child? We made it, thankfully without anybody falling in. Phew.
Upon our arrival we were greeted immediately by a baby sea lion sunning itself right next to the footpath in the rocks. It was happy enough to let us all gawk and stare, clicking away on our cameras.
This island delivered what it promised. Wildlife, everywhere. Everywhere we looked there was something to see and admire. Firstly, we were introduced to the land iguanas in Galapagos, a large, yellow reptile that can live to be 60-70 years old. We met quite a few that were huge along our walk. Then a baby frigate bird was pointed out to us. A white, fluffy bird sitting a meter or two above the ground in its stick nest, next to its mother or father perhaps, each grooming themselves. We encountered several more chicks during our walk. Apparently it takes almost two years to rear a chick with both parents participating- perhaps this is why choosing a mate is such a critical step, as they are dedicated to each other for a long period of time (for birds).
This courting was on view for us on several occasions. The male frigate bird has a red neck sack that he can inflate when he wants and this is to attract a female. They can also make a drumming sound in their throat to make themselves stand out from other males. We witnessed a male with wings out courting a female, head back really showing off his red neck, but alas after all his efforts ( and perhaps the pressure of having 14 people in their personal space) she was having none of it and flew off. His reaction- devastation really, he clapped his beak a few times and slowly refilled his wings back in to contemplate his next move I guess.
A stop on the rocky sea shore saw us encounter several sea lions. Some were sunning themselves, a mother feeding her pup, others were surfing the waves. It was pretty magical to be surrounded by them everywhere you looked.
Of course by this stage of the walk the girls had caved in and dropped off to sleep and now needed to be carried the rest of the trip. So the biceps were bumping as well as the adrenaline of being amongst such wonderful animals.
Finally the last creature to behold on Seymour is the blue footed boobie. These are extraordinary looking birds with bright blue legs and feet, beady eyes that look like they join their beaks and grey feathers. Plenty of shots and action.
Later today or more likely tomorrow morning we depart for the 3,000 mile passage to French Polynesia, so nothing from us for a month or so, but stay tuned...