Fernandina
Trip Start
Sep 29, 2011
1
11
16
Trip End
Oct 10, 2011
Santo Tomás, Galápagos, Ecuador
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
The sun, still bright overhead, heats up the black ropey lava path that creates various tide pools and lagoons. We are bombarded with a show of wildlife. Marine iguanas by the thousands, multiple groups of baby sea lions playing together, pools with Green Sea Turtles, Sally Lightfoot Crabs scurrying about, a ray swimming across the sandy bottom, finches, shore birds, and more marine iguanas swimming back and forth to shore.
The temperature is heavenly and we very slowly wind our way along the outcrops and shoreline - hopping over iguanas that refuse to move, skirting by sleeping sea lions. On a rise overlooking one of the tidepools, we count 15 sea turtles. An iguana, swimming out to feed, encounters the protruding shell and just scurries over it like it was a speed bump and keeps swimming. One younger sea lion - desperate for play - chases the tail of a swimming iguana, bites downs and pulls it back. The iguana is really not impressed - the sea lion looks for another tail. Another sea lion cries out for its child.
The afternoon is full of spectacle as we liesurely stroll and watch life here. This wasn't set up. This is life happening, right here, right now...and obviously every day we are not here. The iguanas are lying on the rocks heating up right now, young sea lion pups are frolicking and probably pissing off some iguana that is exhausted from feeding under the pounding surf, and it all just goes on and on. My role - my existence in that part of the world - in the majority of the world - is infinitesimally small.
The group seems relaxed and fascinated. No one hurries. We continue on to observe a few flightless cormorants heating up (or cooling off) on the rocks; sea lions coming in and out of the ocean; more iguanas; and then to a lagoon-type area - where dozens of sea turtles are parked and resting. It was like we came around the corner and there they all were - like finally finding that group of people you are supposed to meet up with and that blip of excitement followed by comfort that you are in the right location. The guides sit and let us all just stare.
Back across the black, broken, angry landscape, we snorkel for the last few hours with sea turtles, more sharks, schools of Seargent Major's and diving boobies. Anika still yelling through her snorkel, "SHARK!!", and the group of wetsuit clad bodies kick harder to get a better look.
The Letty pulls anchor and we all gather on the sun deck - talking, lots of talking about what this day has provided our senses. Everyone appears to have taken hot showers and there is peace. The rapidly falling sun amidst the cloudless sky highlights the shield shape of Fernandina. Our faces glow reddish-orange. Half a dozen frigatebirds catch our windstream and seemingly hover within jumping reach of our hands (ha ha - hope they don't poop on our heads - ha ha - and it splatters on the blue canvas seat covers).
Someone yells "WHALE" and we all line up on the railing, leaning forward, eyes on the horizon. Shots of a few whales spouting tag our line of site, the capitain steers and we follow. More spouts behind us - far off. The sky darkens a bit more. We never catch a full sighting, but we know they are there and it is comforting. We have a long ride tonight back around the top of Isabela. Dinner is ready. A real birthday cake has been made for Astrid and we share it all around. Another round of singing - wine is poured for all. Happy Birthday Astrid!
Life is good today.
