Galapagos Adventure - Day 5 - June 18

Dark thirty came earlier than usual.  We were at breakfast by 5:40 am and in the pangas by 6:00 am which is sunrise. It was a wet landing on Rabida Island. We have landed on white sand beaches and black sand beaches but today we landed on the red sand beach.  We hiked inland a short ways to a brackish pond.

The flamingoes are particularly pink here due to their carotene rich diet.  Since they eat crustaceans perhaps it’s the sally lightfoot crabs that help contribute to their color. It is estimated that there are just over 500 flamingoes in the Galapagos.  Rabida Island was once infested with rats.  The rats would eat the flamingo eggs by burrowing beneath the nest and eating the eggs from underneath.  The parents would continue to sit on the eggs not knowing the shells were empty.  The park service eventually eradicated all the rats off the island.

Jack is back. He had bout of the flu yesterday but he is fine and participating in all the activities again. Our next activity is deep water snorkeling.  Once again the waters of the Galapagos did not disappoint. We saw chocolate chip starfish, parrotfish, green sea turtles a manta ray and sharks.  I find it amusing that when someone in our snorkeling group yells “Shark” everyone swims towards the shark not away from it.

Here is a view of our ship at anchor with the brackish pond and flamingoes in the foreground.

After lunch we cruised to Bartolome Island for snorkeling and volcano climbing. It was a wet landing on the beach. We have given up wearing water shoes. The volcanic sand fills the shoes. Barefoot on the beach is best. Pinnacle rock is one of the most famous landmarks in the Galapagos. Jackson’s mother Alison had her picture taken here fifteen years ago.

There are penguins on this islands. They are the only penguins in the northern hemisphere. When they swim by in the water they look like torpedoes. This beach also had its share of sharks and sea urchins.

After snorkeling we went back to the ship to change for our volcano climb. We had a dry landing at a small stone jetty. Then it is about a mile climb to the observation deck on top of the volcano.

At the top of the volcano is a lighthouse that is also on the site of a meridian. Greenwich England is 0.0 meridian. How many total meridians are there around the world?

I could not help myself. I had to take this photo of Eleanor with a cactus plant that looks like Mickey Mouse ears.

Dinner is served.  Also breakfast and lunch at this table everyday. This is our assiged table onboard the ship.

After our deep water snorkeling adventure the kids wanted to jump into the hot tub. There was one fourteen year old boy in the hot tub. His name is Liam and he told us he was traveling with his grandparents Bill and Linda Kamarek from Virginia Beach, Va. He shared that his grandparents have five grandchildren. At age 14 they take each grandchild anywhere in the world they choose. Liam’s sister chose London. He obviously chose the Galapagos and the other three were born in the same year and will be making a decision soon. Bill has a Boston Whaler Outrage that he barely uses.

Tomorrow is our last full day in the Galapagos. Breakfast at 6:30 am and first pangas are at 7:30 am.