Santiago and Bartholome Islands
Trip Start
Jan 09, 2006
1
99
126
Trip End
Dec 21, 2006
Santiago and Bartholome Islands, Ecuador
Monday, October 2, 2006
This morning we landed at Sullivan bay on Santiago Island. We went for a walk across a 120-yr old lava flow. The crust was all wrinkled with creases and folds. I expected it to be pitch black but in actual fact it wasn`t, in the places where the crust had broken you could see bands where it had ironised and turned orange. Not quite enough to make it attractive but it was very interesting.
After our walk we went for a snorkel - I think it was one of the best snorkels of our trip. We swam with penguins, sealions and many turtles. Briony and I watched one huge turtle for several minutes as it fed on the algea and seaweed beneath us. We were so close and it was utterly magical. They are such graceful creatures despite there size and it looked so peaceful as it munched. Finally it glided away from us through the crystal clear water.
At the end of our snorkel a sealion joined us in the water. It was busy fishing, and rolled over and around a big ball of fish, occaisonally diving into the middle and catching one of them and then returning to its sport.
We went for another snorkel after lunch which was as beautiful as ever. Another sealion decided to play with us for a while and swam straight at me a couple of times before veering away at the last second.
Back on board we had 15 minutes to shower and change before heading over to Bartholome island. We went for a walk up to a lookout point over the islands and then went looking for penguins. So cute. So funny. I love them.
After lunch we were immediately out snorkelling again.
