Galapagos Day 2: Torpedoed by a Booby.

 

Today we met up with the cruise ship that will be our home for the next four days, called the Seaman II. In addition to a covered teak deck and a large sun deck, there are 8 cabins for 16 passengers, a large dining room with a bar off to the side, and a "living room" near the bar with a huge sectional sofa. Our room is on the upper deck and surprisingly spacious, and has a private bathroom with a shower. Everything is neat as a pin and in tip-top shape. So far so good!

Since our hotel was right near the pier we boarded the boat early, before the other passengers had arrived from the airport. There was one couple already on board -- Gavin and Sibella, Australians -- who were in the middle of the 8-day cruise option.

We were given lunch, then we went to the top sun deck to wait for whatever would happen next. In a short time I managed to get fried... better break out the sunblock!

Meanwhile, the other passengers boarded, ate lunch, and then the boat set off to our first destination, called Sleeping Lion Rock. This was a big volcanic rock jutting from the ocean, inhabited by grasses and birds, with dozens of sea lions lounging around the perimeter. Our naturalist, Daniel, pointed out the Nazca Boobies (birds), and there were also many of the ever-present Magnificent Frigatebirds circling overhead. Daniel called them "pirates" for their tendency to follow the boat.

Our next stop was Lobos Islet for snorkeling. We rented gear, including a much-needed wetsuit (the water is about 65F).

I hadn't been in the water five minutes when I heard a muffled splash next to me and looked over to see a bird torpedoing through the water! It was a Blue Footed Booby after a fish -- he missed the fish but managed to nearly give this tourist heart failure. I was a little slow with the camera but did manage to capture his bubble trail and I got a shot of him flying off (without a catch, by the way. Daniel said they have to make a lot of dives to catch one fish.)

About a minute later Steve spotted a sea turtle, which Daniel identified as a Pacific Green. Already this snorkle adventure was better than most of the dives we've done on this trip! And it didn't end there... we also saw three sting rays, and Steve saw a shark, but it swam off quickly.

Then suddenly, I saw a big-eyed brown monster swimming straight for me, playing a game of underwater chicken! I was really startled.

.. what the heck is it...?! A SEA LION! The playful youth swerved to miss me at the last moment, then circled me several times with the agility of a gymnast. Steve said he nibbled on my fin too! I was so excited I nearly swallowed my snorkle. Life does not get much better than playing with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands.

Back on board, Daniel (who BTW is a Galapagos native and has been a naturalist for 19 years) gave us a briefing on tomorrow's excursions. We also made more formal introductions with the other guests. In addition to the Aussies, there is a couple from London, and all the others are American and know each other through work. After our meeting we had a pretty good meal (plenty of veggies :^) and good conversation at the table. I like our group and am looking forward to the next four days.

GREAT DAY. My visit to Galapagos could end right now (god forbid) and I would have had a fantastic experience. And there is more to come!