Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Loved it, loved it, loved it! It’s official, the Galapagos Islands have leaped into a prominent position on my list of ‘Favourite Places in the World’.

We began our Galapagos adventure with seven nights on the Angelito yacht and completed it with two nights in the big smoke of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz.

We followed the red line. Most boats head east so we were very lucky and didn’t come across too many other tourists.

Home for 7 nights, Yate Angelito

Great blue heron.

These guys were on the hunt for turtle hatchlings.

Green turtle hatchling

He got a few meters out to sea and then a frigate bird got him.


A frigate soaring above the boat
(Glenn's photo)

Our visitor on the back of the boat on the first night

We spent the first morning on Mosquera, a small sandy island that is very popular with sea lions.

We were told not to go any closer than 2 meters from the sea lions, but that didn't stop them coming closer to us.

Tana and her friend checking out the view.

There were just a few sea lions.

A salt water lagoon on Isabela (the largest island).

Huge groups of marine iguanas hang out at this spot on Fernandina.

We saw over 1.000 of them here.

They bask in the sun to warm up after swimming and they snort out salt water.

I got snorted on.

Flightless Comorants

Hanging with the iguanas.

These are the guys that snorted on me.

Lava, lava and more lava.

We were lucky enough to see five tortoises in their natural habitat.

Land Iguanas

Not much prettier than the marine version.

They were usually ambling along the path and in not too much of a hurry to move out of the way.

The only penguins found in the Northern Hemisphere.

Blue Footed Boobys

The only time it's acceptable to point and call out boobies.

Glenn made the most of it.

Green turtle

We saw heaps while snorkling. At one stage I counted 13 close to me.

My possie for drying out after snorkling, drinking wine and beer, and reading.

Boobys!

A booby doing a mating dance.

Tortoise lovin'

Twenty day old tortoise and a tortise egg.

An afternoon on the beach

This lava came from the volcano in the background.

Juvenile flamingo

Some of our shipmates: Zane, Tana, Marisol, Andy, Katy.

Post Office Bay

People leave postcards and other tourists pick them up and deliver them if they live close by.

Frigats fighting over the highest place on the boat

Another frigat hanging out on the back of the boat.

Our last dinner

After disembarking from the boat we stayed at this not so shabby place in Puerto Ayora, the largest town in the islands.
Lava lizards and sea lions liked to hang out in the bar along with the odd pelican.

One of the sea lions even went for a dip in the pool at one stage.

Cocktails and sea lions - great combination.

One of the resident iguanas doing aerobics

At the Charles Darwin Centre bonding with the baby tortoises.

This one peed on me.

Lonesome George - the last of his species.

He has two girlfriends in his enclosure to keep him company though.

Getting up close and personal with a giant tortoise
She's not so in to it. She may even be sleeping?!