Galapagos barn owls trying to ignore about 75 Bluewater Rallyists all shouting at once!
I gave in eventually and crawled inside just to make myself look ridiculous!
Scrabbling in the mud and trying to look happy.
Just another iguana...there are millions of them here but I had to include one didn't I?
A Big Daddy on guard at the harbour, Floreana.Having been here in Santa Cruz for nearly two weeks, it was about time that we had an organized day trip to one or two of the other islands but this wasn’t happening for various reasons. More later however…….There have been several things to sort out on the boat such as ordering enough fuel and water aboard for the three week trip as well as getting things fixed which have gone wrong……..the water maker, the engine start battery, the 12volt alternator to name just a few! It’s not just Moonshiner though; several other boats have had major problems such as steering failure, cap shroud parting and a fire in the bilge on passage….that’s not just on the one boat though!!
There has been at least a very good social scene here with the other rally boats nearby so we have had a few entertaining evenings ashore. We did manage to see the famous giant tortoises at the Darwin centre (which is only half an hour away) including the solitary survivor of the Pinta Island species, Lonesome George, the one with the extraordinarily long neck. The other day, after another lunch ashore, we had an interesting trek across the lava fields to a gorge (formed from a fissure in the lava I think) for which I was wearing unsuitable shoes as usual. This type of lava is called Aa Aa (or something like that) which probably comes from the noises one makes as one stumbles across it….it’s sharp!!
The next day found us travelling into the slightly mountainous interior of Santa Cruz, which is usually bathed in cloud and therefore cooler, for the “crew briefing” about the sail to the Marquesas. This naturally included a meal and some relaxation around the pool in a lovely setting surrounded by a type of wilderness. I took the photos of the Galapagos barn owls here. They were quite happy snoozing in one of the changing rooms and seemingly oblivious to all the happy snapping going on about six feet away from them.
I was completely unaware just how built up these islands were before we got here. This main town of the Galapagos, Puerto Ayura has a population of 20000 with all the facilities we would expect such as supermarkets and laundries as well as many very good and cheap restaurants and luckily also, all the right people to mend the boats….we are not the only boat with problems! One or two boats have yet to make it here from Panama so have some catching up to do and one boat has had to pull out having had to turn back twice to Panama after a couple of days into the Pacific.
Lying here in the anchorage is very entertaining, if a tad rolly when the swells come in from the south, as we are surrounded by marine life, birds, turtles, iguanas and sealions. In fact, it is possible to see four of the “big five” Galapagos creatures right here, the only one left being the Galapagos penguin for which one needs to visit another island……..
My favourite creature has to be the sea lion. They are so entertaining and so tame (though we don’t touch them as they may bite and we’re not actually allowed to touch the Galapagos wildlife anyway!). I just couldn’t resist the one lazing on the park bench. They also visit the fish market daily and hang around waiting patiently along with the pelicans for the scraps, fish heads etc. Iguanas often swim by looking like floating logs in the water. Frigate birds, pelicans, brown noddies and storm petrels hover over the sea surface waiting for the little fish which jump out of the water to escape the larger fish predating them from below. We have also seen small sharks swimming by and several large rays too.
So then, it was high time for a day out. Dick was still fixing things on the boat however so Ed and I decided to “do” the highlights of Santa Cruz via an organised taxi trip We were driven up into the highlands where it was almost cool and “dumped” at the beginning of the lava tube having been told that it was about 400 meters long and that we would be met at the other end. Our delightful driver didn’t tell us that we would have to crawl on our hands and knees through slippery mud for some feet en route though!! See photo!!! It was good fun and we were able to wash the mud off at the next place we visited which was the tortoise reserve.....here we had to don wellies and tramp through more acres of slippery mud on a giant tortoise hunt….we found one or two and then stopped for a beer where I was eventually persuaded to wriggle into an old shell for a ridiculous pose or two….Hmm. The last stop was the spectacular collapsed craters at Gemelo. No suitable photos here though as my pathetic excuse for a camera had no memory left so you’ll have to Google it for pictures.
The next day we booked a one day tour of the furthest island south, which is Floreana, as this place promised a glimpse of the “Big Five”….that meant the penguins and the blue footed boobies although we had already seen them in Puerto Ayora. We set off quite early for the 2 hour “crash through fairly lumpy seas on a 2x200hp speed boat to Floreana with a temporary stop part way to circle a pod of dolphins chasing tuna. This was for the benefit of the non yachties aboard. We’ve seen thousands of them already but it’s still pleasure to watch anyway. Once on the quay, we were immediately among dozens of sealions and huge iguanas and, incredibly there in the water below were four swimming Galapagos penguins! My camera had no chance of a photo so I am relying on Dan from another boat with a decent Nikon to email me an image or two. They were lovely, quite tiny and very cute looking.
After a bone shaking bus ride into the hills to see caves, yet more giant tortoises (yawn…Oops!!) and geological formations and after a pretty passable lunch we returned to the boat to try snorkelling. I say “try” because I have never snorkelled before and am still yet to give it a go because the sea conditions were just a little rough for beginners this time. I shall have to wait now until the Tuamotus after Marquesas (no swimming allowed there….tiger sharks everywhere!) The clear, calm, shallow, turquoise lagoons of the Tuamotus sound just perfect…looking forward to that.
So not too much else to do on the boat before we leave in a couple of days…we need water, fresh fruit and veg and some meat if we can find it. I’m hoping there will be fresh fish en route too. The weather may be a slight problem. A southerly swell is forecast which will make this anchorage very uncomfortable and the winds down south don’t look too good at the moment either. So, do we go or do we stay?.....More information I hope as soon as I know and if there is none, it means we’ve gone!!
There has been at least a very good social scene here with the other rally boats nearby so we have had a few entertaining evenings ashore. We did manage to see the famous giant tortoises at the Darwin centre (which is only half an hour away) including the solitary survivor of the Pinta Island species, Lonesome George, the one with the extraordinarily long neck. The other day, after another lunch ashore, we had an interesting trek across the lava fields to a gorge (formed from a fissure in the lava I think) for which I was wearing unsuitable shoes as usual. This type of lava is called Aa Aa (or something like that) which probably comes from the noises one makes as one stumbles across it….it’s sharp!!
The next day found us travelling into the slightly mountainous interior of Santa Cruz, which is usually bathed in cloud and therefore cooler, for the “crew briefing” about the sail to the Marquesas. This naturally included a meal and some relaxation around the pool in a lovely setting surrounded by a type of wilderness. I took the photos of the Galapagos barn owls here. They were quite happy snoozing in one of the changing rooms and seemingly oblivious to all the happy snapping going on about six feet away from them.
I was completely unaware just how built up these islands were before we got here. This main town of the Galapagos, Puerto Ayura has a population of 20000 with all the facilities we would expect such as supermarkets and laundries as well as many very good and cheap restaurants and luckily also, all the right people to mend the boats….we are not the only boat with problems! One or two boats have yet to make it here from Panama so have some catching up to do and one boat has had to pull out having had to turn back twice to Panama after a couple of days into the Pacific.
Lying here in the anchorage is very entertaining, if a tad rolly when the swells come in from the south, as we are surrounded by marine life, birds, turtles, iguanas and sealions. In fact, it is possible to see four of the “big five” Galapagos creatures right here, the only one left being the Galapagos penguin for which one needs to visit another island……..
My favourite creature has to be the sea lion. They are so entertaining and so tame (though we don’t touch them as they may bite and we’re not actually allowed to touch the Galapagos wildlife anyway!). I just couldn’t resist the one lazing on the park bench. They also visit the fish market daily and hang around waiting patiently along with the pelicans for the scraps, fish heads etc. Iguanas often swim by looking like floating logs in the water. Frigate birds, pelicans, brown noddies and storm petrels hover over the sea surface waiting for the little fish which jump out of the water to escape the larger fish predating them from below. We have also seen small sharks swimming by and several large rays too.
So then, it was high time for a day out. Dick was still fixing things on the boat however so Ed and I decided to “do” the highlights of Santa Cruz via an organised taxi trip We were driven up into the highlands where it was almost cool and “dumped” at the beginning of the lava tube having been told that it was about 400 meters long and that we would be met at the other end. Our delightful driver didn’t tell us that we would have to crawl on our hands and knees through slippery mud for some feet en route though!! See photo!!! It was good fun and we were able to wash the mud off at the next place we visited which was the tortoise reserve.....here we had to don wellies and tramp through more acres of slippery mud on a giant tortoise hunt….we found one or two and then stopped for a beer where I was eventually persuaded to wriggle into an old shell for a ridiculous pose or two….Hmm. The last stop was the spectacular collapsed craters at Gemelo. No suitable photos here though as my pathetic excuse for a camera had no memory left so you’ll have to Google it for pictures.
The next day we booked a one day tour of the furthest island south, which is Floreana, as this place promised a glimpse of the “Big Five”….that meant the penguins and the blue footed boobies although we had already seen them in Puerto Ayora. We set off quite early for the 2 hour “crash through fairly lumpy seas on a 2x200hp speed boat to Floreana with a temporary stop part way to circle a pod of dolphins chasing tuna. This was for the benefit of the non yachties aboard. We’ve seen thousands of them already but it’s still pleasure to watch anyway. Once on the quay, we were immediately among dozens of sealions and huge iguanas and, incredibly there in the water below were four swimming Galapagos penguins! My camera had no chance of a photo so I am relying on Dan from another boat with a decent Nikon to email me an image or two. They were lovely, quite tiny and very cute looking.
After a bone shaking bus ride into the hills to see caves, yet more giant tortoises (yawn…Oops!!) and geological formations and after a pretty passable lunch we returned to the boat to try snorkelling. I say “try” because I have never snorkelled before and am still yet to give it a go because the sea conditions were just a little rough for beginners this time. I shall have to wait now until the Tuamotus after Marquesas (no swimming allowed there….tiger sharks everywhere!) The clear, calm, shallow, turquoise lagoons of the Tuamotus sound just perfect…looking forward to that.
So not too much else to do on the boat before we leave in a couple of days…we need water, fresh fruit and veg and some meat if we can find it. I’m hoping there will be fresh fish en route too. The weather may be a slight problem. A southerly swell is forecast which will make this anchorage very uncomfortable and the winds down south don’t look too good at the moment either. So, do we go or do we stay?.....More information I hope as soon as I know and if there is none, it means we’ve gone!!
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