Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands

I was able to get quite close to this brown pelican in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz.

Galapagos Islands

Carpenter for hire?

Isabela Island

On this part of our tour around the islands we went up to
Sierra Negra, an active volcano on Isabela Island which was quite a climb to get to. We drove for half an hour, hiked for another hour and then rode horses for the final three kilometres. Sierra Negra is at an altitude of 4,920-feet and is the largest and one of most active volcanoes in the Archipelago; the Galapagos Islands are considered one of the most active volcanic areas in the world. It was impressive to watch the steaming hot spots, and the view from the summit was awesome, but it was hot, hot, hot. We had a picnic under whatever scrub bush we could find and then left. While we were on Isabela Island we stayed at the wonderful San Vincente Hotel.

Floreana Island

We're pulling into Floreana Island in these two top pictures. Land iguanas such as these are found throughout the Galapagos Islands. Although the iguanas on each island look a little different and are different in size, they are all the same kind. The iguanas on Espanola Island are the most colorful, with red and green patches. The red color comes from a kind of seaweed that blooms in the summer. This gray one I saw on Floreana Island just after we came into a bay and docked there. It didn't run away when we approached.
If you'd like to see a great video on these creatures please watch this:
Iguanas

Kicker Rock

Kicker Rock (Sleeping Lion), is located off the coast of San Cristobal. The two vertical rocks rise 500 feet from the ocean and form a small channel that is navigable by small boats. This Galapagos Islands natural monument has become a favorite sight for cruises due to the many frigates and boobies that fill the surrounding air.

I went snorkeling in the gap between these two rocks. There were an amazing number of brilliantly-colored fish. There were also some hammerhead sharks circling about 100 feet below us, but before the guides roared off to smoke cigarettes and drink coffee we were reassured that we were safe. After this we went to a small bay filled with sea lions and snorkeled. One sea lion swam right up to my face and looked straight into my eyes and swam off again so unbelievably fast that I might have thought it never happened.

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

This port is the capital of the islands on the eastern side of San Cristobal Island. It has a population of 5,400 employed mainly in fishing and government. It's less touristy that Puero Ayora. At night, the ocean beside the main pier was lit up at a distance of approx. 50 feet out and 15 feet down, so you could see turtles, sea lions and fish swimming around in the bottle green water. The pier doesn't show in this picture, it's to the left. Large cruise ships anchor way off the island and passengers are ferried into town by pontoon. Only one cruise ship is allowed to stop at a time. The boats you see anchored in the bay are owned by the locals - either tour guides or fishermen, or boat owners who take passengers from one island to another.

The sandy shore is one area where sea lions mate and rest with their young in family groups. They crowd the beaches at night, and the sound of their weird, belching calls can be heard up and down the causeway. It was a fun town to walk around at night. There are cozy outdoor restaurants and bars along the waterfront.

Galapagos Islands

From Cuenca I went to Guayaquil, where I caught a plane to the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos Islands are also a UNESCO World Heritage site located 972 kms. off the west coast of Ecuador and form the Galapagos Province of Ecuador. The most remote islands in the world, they have a population of about 40,000. Charles Darwin traveled there on the "Beagle" to study the large number of endemic species of wildlife, leading to his theory of evolution. I remember watching the series about the voyage of the Beagle on the BBC when I was a kid, and forever after, I wanted to go to the Galapagos Islands. These photos are of Kicker Rock.

For more info: Galapagos Islands

To see where the Galapagos Islands are off the coast of Ecuador please click on the
link.
Galapagos Islands






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I stayed in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on the southern island of San Cristobal. The oceanfront was full of sea lions. They were adorable. There are many beautiful beaches nearby, such as Playa Punta Carola, entered via the coastline trail. You can go surfing but if you want to go swimming, go further north to Playa Mann. Also, there's Playa de Oro, where you'll find various small hotels.
Going south, a 20-minute walk to La Lobería takes you past the airport to a rough bay area covered in rocks where you can view sea lions, marine iguanas and various birds. Further along the cliff face are rays and tortoises, although you should not wander off the trail.




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Here's a picture of Freddie, the gorgeous reporter and newscaster that I stayed with on San Cristobal Island. He did a great job, a thorough professional, and it was a kick turning on the television and watching him do the six o'clock news for the Islands. I went out with him on a few assignments. Don't let that serious look he has on his face fool you, he was a hell-raiser.
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Here are more pictures that my friend Freddie took. I stayed with for the duration of my time on the islands. These were all taken by helicopter for an assignment he was on. The boat in the upper left is similar to the boat I took to tour the islands. Thank God I had these pictures because my computer crashed and I lost dozens of beautiful pictures.






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I went to the Galapagos to do an English summer camp and on the mornings I wasn't working I sometimes minded this four-year-old girl, Alexandra. She was a real hoot and made me laugh. I think I learned more Spanish from her than she English but I sure enjoyed all the time I spent with her. Look at that smile. Oiga! Oiga!